McLennan Community College Police Department

Concealed Weapons

Objectives

• The Threat is Real and Deadly• What type of people are concealed weapons

violators?• How to notice the weapon?• Types of Weapons Used• Types of Exhibited Behaviors

The Threat• Concealed weapon attacks have happened at different

times and places; having used tools ranging from a ball point pen to a shotgun.

• Students, Faculty, and Staff have been physically assaulted, shot, stabbed, or killed in all types of situations ranging from simply being in the wrong place to diffusing an argument.

• Just the fact that you are in a position of authority, whether armed or not, a violator may see you as a threat.

The ThreatLocation Type Number of Incidents PercentageSchool 68 24%Office Building 31 11%Open Commercial 67 24%Factory / Warehouse 33 12%Other 80 29%Total 279* 100%

*The 230 cases in the active shooter data set occurred at 279 locations because several of the attacks involved more than one location. This is only applies in active shooting cases.

•This analysis demonstrates that 36% of active shooter attacks involved more than one weapon. In some instances one of the weapons was a knife. In one case an attacker carried a rifle, two shotguns, and four handguns.

•In several cases the attackers used firearms that they stole from relatives or friends. This pattern was most apparent in school related shootings where attackers stole weapons from parents.

Violator Stereotypes• Unfortunately criminals don’t wear big signs around

their neck telling us they’re carrying a weapon.

• Some weapons violators have had extremely lengthy criminal backgrounds, yet some of the worst murderers in history have had no criminal history prior to their crimes.

• They come from rich or poor families. Some had little to no education, while others had a doctorate degree.

Violator Stereotypes

• Most are male, very few are female, and most females have carried a weapon into a restricted area either by mistake or by transporting it for someone else.

• Ages can range from a teenager up to grandmas.

• Instead of listing every age, race, gender, and trait, and how they relate to carry weapons, it’s easier to assume that every person you come in contact with could be armed in some way.

Violator Stereotypes

• It’s the same concept as treating every firearm as if it were loaded. You treat every disruptive student with diligence and assume they’re “loaded”.

• The person may not be a threat to you, but you know it’s dangerous, so you handle it with care until it, or they, are rendered safe.

MCC POLICE - 8911

How to Find Them

• One of the most efficient ways to find weapons on people, in their cars, back packs, or other property is to simply be watching for them.

• While we can’t be everywhere all the time, we can make a conscious effort to scan or watch people as they are around us.

How to Find Them

• Watching people is a major part of our job description. Not to Gawk at people, but to make it a priority to keep the area where you are as safe as it can be.

• This is done by visually scanning for certain clues that someone may be concealing a dangerous or illegal weapon.

Types of Weapons

• By going off what violators or shooters have used in the past we can narrow down the search of what kind of weapons are more popular or most generally used.

• Edged Weapons• Pistols• Shotguns• Rifles

Edged Weapons • Knife, Sword, or a Hatchet. Thin, not very heavy, and

can be hidden easily in a jacket or pants. You may see the end of the sheath when it’s worn on the hip or a bulge in jacket/pants or even in a boot.

Pistols

• Wide variety of pistols large and small, and will be easier to conceal as they weigh only 1-2 lbs.

• They may have extra loose ammo nearby or loaded magazines.

Shotguns

• Sawed off or short barreled. This will usually require the user to carry a significant amount of extra ammo close by. Weapon weighs 5-7 lbs.

Rifles

• There are a wide variety of rifles in this category. They range in size, and weight, but will most likely have a larger magazine capacity as to carry more ammo without reloading. Weighs 6-10 lbs.

Exhibited Behaviors

• Certain behaviors can indicate that a person is concealing a firearm or other weapon.

• As these are only clues, one indicator alone does not necessarily mean that the person is in fact carrying a weapon. You need to look at the totality of the circumstances – the big picture.

Exhibited Behaviors: The Double Check

• Gun carriers may touch or adjust their weapon at times. This can be seen by a touch or bump of the elbow, wrist, or hand to their hip or other area close to the weapon.

Ex: When walking, getting in or out of a vehicle, reaching for something up high, or after picking something up. They also may grab the handle as they adjust the firearm.

Exhibited Behaviors:Unnatural Walk

• Someone with a shotgun or rifle down their pants should be easier to spot. They will be walking fairly slowly and you may see the bulge of a 3-4 foot weapon stretching their pants.

• This also pertains to those who may be concealing a shotgun / rifle under a trench coat. Either way, their walk will have to be altered to hide a large weapon without packaging it. They may also be concealing a large weapon in their boot.

Exhibited Behaviors:Uneven Sag

• When concealing a handgun or weapon in a thin jacket, there should be some noticeable difference in the way the jacket sits on that person.

• If one side of the jacket swings when they walk then something heavy is in the pocket. They may try to hold it down with an elbow or by grabbing the outside of the jacket to stop it from swinging.

Exhibited Behaviors: Visible Weapon

• Just a portion of the weapon is seen, or it’s being held openly.

• You may notice just the barrel sticking out of a long coat or jacket. You may also see just the butt stock, or the entire weapon.

Exhibited Behaviors: Palming

• Used when a suspect is carrying a knife or small handgun in one hand. The blade will usually be tucked into sleeve or against back of leg.

Concealed Weapons

• If you’re unsure of what you’ve seen, but you think you’ve spotted someone carrying a weapon on or around campus please notify someone else.

MCC POLICE 299-8911

• It’s better to say something and be wrong than to not to say anything and people get hurt.