is in

the wake of the Michael Brown shooting that happened two months ago, and it brings up

yet

another important question: Exactly what powers do off-duty police officers actually have?

The rules vary between police departments, and they’re actually more guidelines than

they are

rules. But there is one hard and fast law covering the rights of off-duty police officers.

The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 allows active and retired police officers

who

served for at least ten years, to legally carry concealed weapons at all times, regardless

of

jurisdiction, or local and state laws. But there are a few restrictions. Officers can’t

be in a Gun- Free School Zone, they can’t be under the

influence of drugs or alcohol, and they can’t be under

disciplinary action. They also can’t carry a weapon if they were forced to leave the

department

due to mental instability.

That’s it. That’s the only codified law specific for off-duty Police Officers. But

there are a lot of

commonly accepted guidelines that most departments follow. Most of them allow their officers

to

“moonlight” or take second jobs, even allowing them to wear their uniforms while

doing security

work. But there are limits. Officers who want to work a second job do so with permission

from

their department. And some departments don’t allow certain types of jobs, like bartending

or

stripping.

Most off-duty officers are allowed to make an arrest or question a citizen, but in order

to do so

- they have to present proper identification and follow all current police rules - which

of course

has its limits. Off-duty officers cannot use their powers to resolve personal grievances.

For

example, if the neighbor of an off-duty officer is playing their music too loud, that officer

cannot

go next door and issue a noise citation. This is according the International Association

of Chiefs

of Police.

Police are also advised against using their powers to fight minor crimes, like parking

or traffic

violations. They also shouldn’t pull anyone over while in an unmarked vehicle, except

in extreme

circumstances. For example, some off-duty officers will stop an obviously drunk driver.

On the whole though, most police departments caution against officers doing police work

while

off-duty, mainly to protect the city from liability lawsuits. If an off-duty officer

does something

illegal or unethical after identifying himself as a member of the department, the city he

works for

could be held accountable. Which is why many cities, like Philadelphia, suggest that if

an off- duty officer sees a crime, they should simply

call 911.

If you’d like to watch another episode on police in the United States, check out our

video on a

new strategy that one department is using to end police brutality.