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alphax0r
08-02-09, 08:35 PM
tennessee police and police officers in general please help answer some of our questions
1.) can an officer of law carry a knife exceeding state limit
2.) where can an officer carry his/her fire arm
3.) and where are you allowed to take the police car
4.) as an off duty officer do you still possess the same powers and tools
scott715us
08-10-09, 12:41 PM
can an officer of law carry a knife exceeding state limit
We can on-duty, but your agency may say otherwise
where can an officer carry his/her fire arm
Pretty much anywhere in the state except for federal buildings.
and where are you allowed to take the police car
That depends on each individual agency. Our guys do not get take-home cars, so they stay at the station
as an off duty officer do you still possess the same powers and tools
We have the authority to arrest off-duty, but so does every other citizen in TN. According to state law, any citizen can arrest for a misdemeanor that occurred in their presence or when probable cause for a felony exists. Normally those officers involved in off-duty arrests hold more weight because of our training, education, and experience in law and laws of arrest. As far as "tools," the only thing I normally carry off-duty is my firearm. I do not go out looking to arrest someone off-duty. When I am out of the uniform, I want to enjoy my time with my family. Just because technically I'm an officer 24/7, does not mean I'm going to be one. If I'm not getting paid, I'm not the PO-lice. Only when situations arise that are an immediate safety issue will I act off-duty. My .02