by Dave Workman | Senior Editor
The police chief of Sedro-Woolley, a community of about 11,000 residents in Washington’s Skagit County, got quite a reaction from citizens in and outside the town when he posted some advice for armed citizens who have been getting concealed pistol licenses, and the feedback was all positive.
Sedro-Woolley is located on the banks of the Skagit River, about 80 miles north of Seattle, and apparently a universe away in terms of prevailing philosophy. For Chief Lin Tucker, the Dec. 23 post on the department’s Facebook page racked up more than 160 comments from the public, and had been shared by nearly 1,300 people at press time.
Tucker’s nine points of advice seemed to strike a nerve with Evergreen State gunowners. Here’s what he suggested:
- Be aware of your surroundings, just because you are carrying a firearm does not guarantee safety. We wear armor at work that will, at least, stop the round in the weapon we carry. Officers are disarmed and killed with their own weapon regularly. Think before introducing a firearm into a potentially volatile situation, it might not be the answer. It may be a better idea to not be where you’re at and getting to a safer place.
- Be smart while armed, packing a firearm and using alcohol at the same time is Stupid, Dangerous and Illegal.
- Being a responsible citizen, paying attention to what’s going on, having a firearm to defend yourself and knowing when to use a firearm is Smart, Safe and Legal.
- Know the basic firearms safety rules:
- Treat all firearms as if they were loaded.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you’re ready to fire.
- Don’t point your weapon at anything you are not willing to kill or destroy.
- Be sure of your backstop and what is beyond it.
- Do your research and know when it’s appropriate to use a firearm to defend yourself. We have the terms Reasonable and Necessary drummed into our heads from the Police Academy on, throughout our entire career. If you look at all of the controversial and/or tragic events involving Police Officers and shootings, there’s always a question as to whether that shooting was Reasonable and Necessary.
- Think about why you want to carry a firearm and what type of scenario would prompt you to draw your weapon. Then think, would it be better for all involved if I was an excellent witness and called 911 or is there an immediate threat to someone’s safety and there’s no reasonably effective alternative to using force???
- There are a lot of places that offer training and support in Concealed Carry and Firearms Training, check them out. This is a serious issue and deserves serious consideration.
- Firearms are not dangerous; irresponsible people, fools, ignorance, people with no thought for the consequences of their actions and people intent on doing bad things are dangerous. In other words, humans and their actions can be dangerous.
- Safely secure your weapons when they are not on your person. If you have mini-humans at home and think your secret hiding spot is safe, think again. Your kids or grandkids will find anything; don’t be the person who let this happen, he said.
Interest in gun ownership renewed momentum following the San Bernardino terrorist attack and has yet to slow down. By some estimates there may be as many as 13 million private citizens licensed to carry. During 2015, background check requests to the National Instant Check System went up, with a record-setting “Black Friday.”
