What your biggest fears as a cop?

mixflip · 09-27-2011, 20:35

There are lots of things that can go wrong on the job.

Lately, the thought of responding to a MWAG/active shooter and shooting someone who actually is not the suspect (i.e CCW citizen, off duty officer who is also responding) has been weighing heavy on my mind for some reason.

Probably has something to do with pulling over undercover officers who were tailing biker gangs. (it happened more than once)

What are some of your fears?

FM12 · 09-27-2011, 20:36

Heart attack

packsaddle · 09-27-2011, 20:37

ambush.

***Wil Ufgood*** · 09-27-2011, 20:38

Since getting promoted, splinters in my ass

Agent6-3/8 · 09-27-2011, 20:53

With good tactics and training one can minimize the risks of many situations, but there is only so much you can do. The rest boils down to luck, incompetence of the BG and the grace of God.

#1 in my mind is being ambushed. I used to work a mountainous, rural area where avenues of approach were typically very limited. The danger of ambush was always present in my mind, especially on domestics.

The split second when you make initial contact on a traffic stop or passing through the funnel of death while serving a warrant, etc also come to mind as places where things can go bad even if you do everything right.

mixflip · 09-27-2011, 21:11

Ambush is high on my list also.

With the recent ihop massacre in Carson City and the 4 officers killed in that coffee shop in Washington not too long ago... ambush is definately something that keeps my head on a swivel.

It still bothers me that not one person in that Nevada ihop had a concealed weapon? I mean c'mon its Nevada not california or NYC!!!

Agent6-3/8 · 09-27-2011, 21:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by mixflip

It still bothers me that not one person in that Nevada ihop had a concealed weapon? I mean c'mon its Nevada not california or NYC!!!

Kinda OT, but I'm sure someone did, but they weren't carrying. JMO, but I'd hazard a guess that less than 25% of CCW holders actual have a weapon on their person when out and about. I'd say no more than 10% carry all the time.

Same numbers could be said for off-duty cops as well in my experience...

CAcop · 09-27-2011, 21:22

Being second guessed on a regular basis by people with less time on the street than my underwear. Oh, wait...

BigLaw · 09-27-2011, 21:24

Ambush is way up there. The incident in Buchanan Co VA woke me up big time. I am 15 minutes from Buchanan, and it really makes you think. About 6 yrs ago a snitch told me some punks up a remote hollow were planning to call in a fight in progress or something similar and have trees cut ready to drop in front and behind me. Their buddies were going to be ready with rifles and take me out. I had recently busted several guys that were tied to a pretty big name in the area so all the turds were freaking out. I eventually got the names of the guys out of the informant and we paid them all a visit. Luckily nothing ever happened but I wear my spotlight out looking in the hills if I get a complaint on that road.

I also have weird dreams that I have to use my gun but either I can't hit them or the rounds don't affect them. Sometimes its like in slow motion and I can see the bullets go around them like in the Matrix or something.

***Sam Spade*** · 09-27-2011, 21:28

Putting one of my guys too deep into the suck. Or not having trained them for something.

***Wil Ufgood*** · 09-27-2011, 21:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigLaw

I also have weird dreams that I have to use my gun but either I can't hit them or the rounds don't affect them. Sometimes its like in slow motion and I can see the bullets go around them like in the Matrix or something.

That's funny I had similar dreams for years, i wonder if that's a common thing with gun toters.

collim1 · 09-27-2011, 21:37

.....

razdog76 · 09-27-2011, 21:51

Management.

blueiron · 09-27-2011, 21:52

Administrators that won't retire or die in office.

M1Garand · 09-27-2011, 21:53

Pull the trigger and nothing happened.....

razdog76 · 09-27-2011, 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueiron

Administrators that won't retire or die in office.

You cannot out-train them, cannot anticipate who they are going to back stab or why, just wait your turn to get jammed up for no good reason.

Detectorist · 09-27-2011, 21:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAJ

Since getting promoted, splinters in my ass

You should file for disability.

Detectorist · 09-27-2011, 21:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigLaw

Ambush is way up there. The incident in Buchanan Co VA woke me up big time. I am 15 minutes from Buchanan, and it really makes you think. About 6 yrs ago a snitch told me some punks up a remote hollow were planning to call in a fight in progress or something similar and have trees cut ready to drop in front and behind me. Their buddies were going to be ready with rifles and take me out. I had recently busted several guys that were tied to a pretty big name in the area so all the turds were freaking out. I eventually got the names of the guys out of the informant and we paid them all a visit. Luckily nothing ever happened but I wear my spotlight out looking in the hills if I get a complaint on that road.

I also have weird dreams that I have to use my gun but either I can't hit them or the rounds don't affect them. Sometimes its like in slow motion and I can see the bullets go around them like in the Matrix or something.

I'm glad you're ok. How does it work, do you compensate the snitch somehow?

Tilley · 09-27-2011, 22:42

3. Getting sucked into the politics.

2. Being complacent.

1. Having to walk away from it all someday.

Ajon412 · 09-27-2011, 23:04

Internally...This

Quote:

Originally Posted by razdog76

Management.

..and this

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueiron

Administrators that won't retire or die in office.

.....specifically, inept ones.....

An ambush or active shooter incident, either on or off duty.......

wprebeck · 09-28-2011, 00:12

Liability oriented admin types who just know you're dirty, and will do their best to **** up your life if you're involved in a use of force..., orworse, a critical incident

I'm working off duty right now, and the the thought that I may be required to shoot someone scares the crap outta me. I mean, I'm confident in my abilities and training to handle the threat successfully, but scared to death that I'll be fired and/or prosecuted. Already been one politically motivated prosecution of a good shoot here.....who's next, ya know?

Trigger Finger · 09-28-2011, 00:52

Sounds funny but my biggest fear working 77th Division for the first several years was being taken prisoner by a group of ex-cons.
My training officers (both of them ex-military and served in Viet Nam) would drill it into recruits heads that if you were taken prisoner the ex-cons would make you their sex toy for a couple days before they would cut your testicles off and slit your throat!!

This was just after the Onion Field incident happened on my department and a detective was found with his throat cut in Watts.

Talk about waking up squealing like a pig!!

Sharky7 · 09-28-2011, 01:37

Biggest worry is about the d-bag boss I have. He likes to "spin" stories and is very emotionally charged.

When dealing with bad guys, I worry about making sure to react in time. A few seconds too late can cost you your life, but of course you don't want to shoot someone as they are quickly drawing a cell phone from their pocket and ignoring you just because they are pompous/idiotic a-holes..

Had a panic residential alarm call at a home one time. I arrived within seconds of getting dispatched and see a male in his 40's literally throwing kids in a car and trying to leave quickly. I call to him to stop and step over to me and he basically ignores me. I got between him and the car and told him to take a seat on the ground and informed him I had an alarm call here. He tries to side step me and I end up pushing him back by the chest. I again tell him to stop and take a seat. He then gets really angry and starts reaching into his inside jacket pocket, I draw down on him and start taking cover behind the car and yelling at him to stop. He then flings his wallet at me in the air and tells me to look at his license and he lives here. We had been to that house a bunch in the last few years for domestics, never saw this guy before, he must have been a new boyfriend. He never knew how close he got to having a few new holes that he didn't have at birth.

It's tough - you want to do the right thing. I don't think any of us have a problem shooting someone who needs to be shot. We have way too many idiots who push the limits in society trying to provoke and antagonize....even up to the point of deadly force. Kwikrnu is one of them.

lloydchristmas · 09-28-2011, 03:16

Retaliation against my family.

p.d. · 09-28-2011, 05:13

Attending another funeral for one of ours. We can pretty much work around everything else.