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St. Petersburg police request an extra gun

Semiautomatic weapons phased out secondary firearms. St. Petersburg police want to carry an extra again.

By LEANORA MINAI
Published July 6, 2004

ST. PETERSBURG - Just weeks after getting approval to carry assault rifles in squad cars, St. Petersburg police have asked for more firepower.

Patrol officers routinely carry a pistol, but they want a second handgun to hide on their body in case a suspect gets to their gun belt during a struggle.

"If you lose your primary weapon, how would you defend yourself?" asked Sgt. Phil Quandt, a representative of the Fraternal Order of Police, which made the request for backup guns.

Police Chief Chuck Harmon said he is open to the idea but added, "how many do you need?"

"I've got concerns about safety," Harmon said.

Many law enforcement agencies across the nation and Tampa Bay area allow officers to carry a backup handgun for protection.

But the practice raises concerns among some officials who worry that guns may be planted on suspects or lost during scuffles or foot chases.

"At this particular time, there's so much apprehensiveness and uneasiness in regards to police and citizens' relationship," said Pastor John Evans of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg. "You want to be very, very careful of giving a perception of equipping an officer."

Officials with the Pinellas County chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police say no recent incident has prompted the request for backup guns in St. Petersburg.

However, the union points to three Tampa Bay area law enforcement officers killed by suspects who got their guns during arrests. Those shootings were in 1967, 1987 and 1993.

"Police officers around the nation have recognized this problem and in more and more numbers are carrying backup weapons," Tim Ingold, Pinellas FOP president, wrote in a letter to Harmon.

It was common 20 to 30 years ago for officers at police agencies to carry two revolvers, said Vincent Henry, a retired New York City police officer and criminology professor at Pace University in New York.

That was because the revolver held six bullets, he said, and officers believed it was safer to reach for another gun rather than reload.

"The idea was, drop the gun and go for your next one," Henry said.

Police since have upgraded to semiautomatic handguns which, depending on the model, hold 15 bullets. Some agencies such as Tampa police did away with backup guns over the years and don't allow patrol officers to carry them.

Kevin Durkin, Tampa officer and president of the West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association, said backup guns may have been phased out because his department increased firepower with semiautomatic handguns and rifles.

"It has not come up as an issue over here," he said.

A backup gun is generally purchased by the officer and kept in a holster, concealed around an ankle, down a waistband or inside a vest.

Road deputies in the Pinellas, Hillsborough and Hernando County sheriff's offices can carry them, for example. So can officers in Clearwater.

"Nationally, secondary weapons have saved a lot of people's lives," said Pinellas sheriff's Cpl. Dale Katzer.

But the policy decision does not come without concerns over public perception and safety.

"I'm afraid of an escalation of weaponry and firepower that might be abused or carelessly used, whether it's by police or criminals," said Darryl Rouson, president of the St. Petersburg NAACP.

Quandt, the St. Petersburg police sergeant, said some administrators in the police department have expressed concerns that residents might believe backup guns could be used as a "throwdown" - planted on a suspect.

That claim is dismissed by police officials, who say modern forensics would not allow that. They say backup guns have serial numbers, and any policy would require guns to be registered and approved by the agency.

"So much of what you hear from critics and public opinion is predicated on fiction and myth and long told stories that are out of date," said Wayne Shelor, Clearwater police spokesman. "I don't see any danger whatsoever with a cop having a secondary gun."

Evans, pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg, who also serves on the city's Civilian Police Review Committee, said he would be interested in seeing data on how many officers have needed backup guns and why.

"I am one who wants police to be protected, certainly," Evans said. "I'm an advocate of that, but I'm also an advocate of the citizen."

Officials in Clearwater and the Pinellas sheriff's office say their officers have not had to fire their backup guns.

Chief Harmon said his biggest concern with backup guns is how to safely secure them. Accessibility is key.

Like some other officials, Harmon is not a big fan of ankle holsters. They don't lend to rapid draw and may come with only one snap to hold the gun in place.

"If something's strapped to your arm or your leg it's not going to have the same holding power as something strapped to your waist with a 3-inch belt," Harmon said. "I've heard stories of backup guns falling out with people running, climbing, going over fences."

Harmon said he has not yet begun a review of the request or talked with the Fraternal Order of Police about it.

- Leanora Minai can be reached at minai@sptimes.com or 727 893-8406.

[Last modified July 5, 2004, 23:35:19]