From Queen City News:
A Cleveland County [NC] deputy was told to disarm himself in order to enter the Shelby Social Security Office, according to Sheriff Alan Norman. ...
“Following that directive would place a uniformed law enforcement officer in jeopardy,” Norman wrote in a Facebook post. “[It] would compromise their safety, especially in the treacherous times we are living in.” ...
After speaking with other sheriff’s offices around North Carolina, [the county sheriff] says he discovered that is not the official policy at other Social Security Administrations. ...
SSA’s Regional Communications Director released the following statement to QCN regarding the incident:
“The Social Security Administration followed government-wide security policies established by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Protective Service (FPS). Generally, FPS policy allows Federal, State, and local law enforcement authorities who are armed to enter Federal offices while performing law enforcement functions. FPS prohibits State and local law enforcement from carrying firearms into Federal facilities while on personal business. ...
10 comments:
it seems the bottom line .. what type of business .. personal or official ?
I’m sorry, but if you believe your life is in imminent danger simply because you’re temporarily unarmed after having to put your gun away when entering a secured federal building, then you don’t have what it takes to perform law enforcement duties. These are type of paranoia-addled cops that shoot children with squirt guns.
Oh good lord, if a police officer is there on personal business, just leave your weapon in your vehicle. No one else in that office (aside from the guard) is allowed to have a weapon. You'll be okay for the sort period that you are in the office, that's why SSA offices have armed guards on duty.
SSA's policy seems reasonable.
Most social security offices are far from “secured”. Although I do agree he most likely would not have been in imminent danger.
Yeah. What a couple of self-important insecure snowflakes. Sadly that seems to be the type that typically self selects for law enforcement in America though. “Ermagerd! A black man! And he said something flip to me! How could I not be so fearful for my life that I shot ‘em?”
This is a long standing policy. Imagine if the officer requested something the SSA employee could not do. It is within reason the SSA employee could feel intimidated.
I trust nobody with a gun unless I have one too. I never trust a cop off duty or on.
I am assuming the officer was not required to be in uniform at the time since he was there on personal business. If he was fearful for his safety based on being in uniform, which the Sheriff's statement suggests, he could have simply changed out of his uniform when he needed to leave his firearm behind to enter the office. That would have solved both issues.
Bet you’re a fun guy
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