RFI: LE policy regarding knives

Arete

Regular Member
Looking for help to develop policy for a LE agency regarding officers carrying knives.

Much appreciated
 

Fatboy

Established
Interested to see where this goes.

Are you looking to build something for all carried knives, knives as a back up weapon, breaching tools with blades, etc? Or is this something more oriented towards allowed and prohibited use of what officers are already carrying?
 

voodoo_man

Established
My PD's policy simply says that we shall carry at least one knife on our person at all times. We can have more and various types (I carry a fixed blade at all times along with a folder).
 

Arete

Regular Member
Policy currently merely states member can carry "a single folding pocketknife that is not otherwise prohibited by law."

The goals are:
  • Enable, not disable, guys to carry what works for them.
  • Allow fixed blades, which is an easy sell, but how big is too big?
  • Also, prohibit carrying knives in the wrong ways (clipped to chest pocket for all to see and grab, etc). Yes its common sense, but helps to have something in writing.
  • Also to accommodate the needs of our tactical team guys, which are different than patrol

Our DT trainers are on board with providing knife training.

We have patrol guys carrying a variety of knives, including Kabar TDI, folders from low to high quality, Benchmade SOCP, other small fixed blades, The Colonel, K-bits, and usually tac guys carrying larger fixed blades.
 

Arete

Regular Member
Case in point, recently occurred near our AO.

Excerpt from news story:

Suspect was booked months ago for investigation of assault. During that arrest, he allegedly fought [XYZ] police and was able to remove a knife from one of the officers . . . . The struggle continued until an officer was able to choke the defendant unconscious.

The defendant had no previous criminal history — felonies or misdemeanors — prior to the August arrest. Charging papers allege he was trying to get teen girls to hang out with him at the [XYZ] mall and grabbed a 16-year-old by the arm. A security officer alerted police. It took three officers to subdue him.

As one officer approached, [suspect] allegedly pulled a knife from the officer’s shirt pocket.

The officer reportedly grew fearful for his life and told the defendant he would be shot if he didn’t drop the knife.

“The defendant’s grip on the knife tightened and his knuckles went from being red to white,” court papers said.
 

Boy Scout

Regular Member
Our general orders actually state that we are NOT not carry fixed blade knives unless we are transporting them to the property room. That doesn't mean that it doesn't happen though...
 

Fatboy

Established
There was another case not too long ago, (may have been Pennsylvania State Police, may have been another dept.), where a trooper in rural area was involved in a fight and ended up in or near a creek. The dirtbag was in the process of trying to baptize the trooper when the trooper produced a knife and stabbed dirtbag at least twice to create some space and time. I'll see if I can find a link to the story.
 

Fatboy

Established
Thanks to all who responded.

FB, you may be talking about this incident: http://www.policemag.com/channel/pa...tabs-man-to-stop-drowning-choking-attack.aspx

I contacted John Benner at the Tactical Defense Institute in Ohio, who referred me to one of his instructors, Greg Ellifritz. Greg was kind enough to share his agency's policy with me. It's a good policy.


You are correct, that is the incident I was thinking of. Thanks for finding it, my google-fu was sucking today.
 

Ben H

Member
Personally Owned Knives
  1. Officers are permitted to carry a folding utility knife with a blade no longer than four (4) inches on their belt as long as it is concealed in a black leather case. The utility knife may also be secured and concealed with a clip if not worn on the belt
... Our pants have cargo pockets, so pretty much everyone throws a knife with a clip in there so only the clip is visible.
 

Mick1331

Member
Send me your department email on PM and forward you our weapons policy. We just spent the past year working on it.
 

JRude

Amateur
for the "folding knife" crowd; most policies do not add that the knife has to be folded closed. I might consider getting a folder with a very stout lock and having a kydex sheath made for the folder to be open.
 
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