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Federal facilities and local LEOs carrying weapons

Bader

Regular Member
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Jul 8, 2009
Messages
90
Location
Greenwater, Washington, USA
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I just posted this in another post, but I decided to make my own thread about it. One of my good buddies that I've known since high school is a Pierce County Deputy. He's been on the force going on 11 years next month, and he's carried in the post office and has carried into the Federal Detention Center in Seatac on a couple of occasions while on duty, and he's never been asked to check his weapon, or to leave his weapon in his vehicle.

Now, I can't remember what the specific U.S. Code is, but is it normal for officers on official duty be allowed to carry into federal buildings, even if the officers aren't of federal jurisdiction? He admitted he didn't know the specific U.S. Code, but he said he's never been hassled about his weapon.
 

Bill Starks

State Researcher
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Dec 27, 2007
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Nortonville, KY, USA
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this was answered in that thread as well

Title 18 USC
Sec. 930. Possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in Federal facilities

(d) Subsection (a) shall not apply to -

(1) the lawful performance of official duties by an officer, agent, or employee of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof, who is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of law;
 

Aaron1124

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Kent, Washington, USA
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If he was on official duty, like you said he was, then there isn't a problem. If he was visiting an inmate when he was off duty, not having anything to do with police business, then that is when he would have had to leave his weapon in the car or elsewhere.
 

KBCraig

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Aug 7, 2007
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Granite State of Mind
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Bader wrote:
One of my good buddies that I've known since high school is a Pierce County Deputy. He's been on the force going on 11 years next month, and he's carried in the post office and has carried into the Federal Detention Center in Seatac on a couple of occasions while on duty, and he's never been asked to check his weapon, or to leave his weapon in his vehicle.
FDC SeaTac is a detention center, meaning it's more like a jail than a prison. There is no perimeter fence (the fence of a federal prison defines the no-weapons-for-anyone zone, and LE is not exempt).

Instead, there are entrance areas at the FDC where visiting LE can enter while armed, but they would have to disarm before going further. FDC SeaTac has a drive-in receiving & discharge area. Your friend may have gone that far while armed, but I guarantee he did not go "inside", at least not what the BOP defines as "inside".
 

Aaron1124

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The reason that law enforcement can't even carry in a facility where inmates are housed is strictly a safety issue to keep the officers safe.

That's the reason corrections officers don't carry a weapon inside the facility.

I believe they have storage areas where firearms are kept, but those areas are always off limits to the inmates.

The only case where a C.O. would be armed is in a case where they are working a watch tower in a maximum security prison or something.
 

Aaron1124

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Kent, Washington, USA
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^

It's also the same reason why many departments require their officers to check their weapon before interrogating a recently arrested suspect.

When you're in an controlled environment with inmates, it's always officer safety first. There have been many cases of defendants going for the officers gun in a court room.
 
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