If something happens and I have to pull my gun, this is what I want you to do; Duck behind me, grab onto my belt loop and use me as a shield. Do you understand?
Although this statement sounds like something straight out of an action movie, it's not. My husband said this to me after watching a story of an off-duty officer getting into an altercation with a felon at the mall. The officer had his wife and two daughters with him. I guess this situation elicited my husband's need to let me know what to do if we came upon a similar situation. I agreed with him right away. After all, what was I going to do argue a different tactical solution with him? This incident was just one of many which sets a police family apart from those blissfully unaware of the true nature of evil lurking in the world.
Unfortunately, or possibly fortunately, this awareness gives many police families the incentive to talk about self-protection. Law enforcement officers go through an academy and then annual training learning how to keep the bad guy from hurting them. They go out on the streets everyday and see a myriad of crimes, many of which are committed against women and children, and this leads them to go home and insist their spouse know how to handle a dangerous situation. What many don’t seem to remember is, we do not have the same mind set and training they do and we look at self-protection differently. Just the thought of waking up in the middle of the night, seeing a shadow and instantly blowing a two-inch hole in someone makes my skin crawl. I understand my husband's need to feel I am aware and have a plan if something were to happen around me and our kids, but what are the options?
The Gun
For many years I owned a 9mm mini-Glock. It was a slick little thing that fit into my hand perfectly. I would go with my husband to the range to cycle out the ammunition inside. The cycling was only required because I had never been in a situation where I had to use it. I never felt comfortable with it. It wasn't about the weight in my purse. It was more about the idea I would have to make a split-second decision to take a life. What if I were wrong about someone's intention? What if all the stories my husband told me of the street jaded me to the point I thought everyone was trying to hurt me and my kids? I finally gave it up. Even with my husband's and my dad's protests, I sold it. I didn't want that kind of responsibility. But, being an officer's wife and a victims' advocate, I knew bad things did happen and I needed an alternative I felt comfortable with.
Chemical Sprays
Due to their convenient size, many people choose chemical sprays for self-protection. These also come in various cool shapes, such as pens, key chains and lipstick tubes. I've often wondered why anyone would want to hide the fact they are protecting themselves but I guess some individuals need or want a little more discretion. The two most popular kinds of chemical sprays are pepper spray and mace. After a little research, I cleared up the difference which isn't much anymore. Mace, originally, was the chemical compound, CN gas and was used during warfare. Obviously chemical weapons are a little too much for self-protection as well as being banned in most countries. Pepper spray, on the other hand, is derived basically from chilies. The spray causes trouble breathing, tearing and excessive mucus discharge. I can attest to the discomfort of being sprayed both from gas chamber training in the Navy and a nasty little incident involving my oldest son and a discharge in his bedroom. The term mace is now used almost interchangeably with pepper spray and is consistent in compound. I used to worry about pepper spray because I imagined I would give my assailant a huge dose just to have the cloud come back and choke me out as well. Technology has improved and now you can get pepper spray with the consistency of silly string. Not a bad self-protection device at all.
Stun Guns
When police officers started using electronic control devices (stun guns), the face of policing changed. Now officers had a non-lethal weapon to choose instead of resorting to deadly force in many high-risk situations. Regardless of the issues surrounding this self-protection device, stun guns have saved many more lives than they have been involved in taking. TASER is the most common brand of stun gun used by police departments and being an innovative company they didn't stop with law enforcement. Taser has offered these devices to citizens for 14 years. The Taser C2 is the newest one available for citizens. This small hand-held weapon is as effective as the ones we trust to help save the lives of our spouses. I may be weird but every time he is getting into uniform and he tests his Taser, I am comforted by the electric snapping. An electronic control device, the Taser C2 shoots out two probes which conduct energy affecting the sensory and motor functions of the perpetrator. It can be used from 15 feet and is effective through one inch of clothing per probe. It is another good self-protection device, although popularity can make them hard to get.
Self-protection is something that everyone needs to think about even if they are married to Dirty Harry. Unfortunately, even Dirty Harry has to go to work sometime. Spouses of law enforcement officers are luckier than regular citizens in this regard. Not only are all the common self-protection devices available to us, we have access to someone who has special training in using each of them. The devices I've mentioned are not the only ones available. Some might choose to learn physical protection techniques or any of the other ways of adding safety. The most important things to remember are self-protection is an active, evolving thing; you must be familiar and comfortable with whatever device you use; you must know the laws concerning your device. Most important of all, you must remain aware.
