I once was in the detention center and had my weapon in the weapon lock up while I filled out the booking slip. Emergency call comes in, I run to the unit and go. Lucky for me everything ends up well. After the call was disposed of I realize where my weapon is. (Talk about earning the dumbass of the day award!) I had to drive 15 miles back to the detention center to retrieve my weapon. I took a lot of shit from the guys for that one. BTW I did have my backup Glock23 on my vest. Anyone else ever earn the dumbass of the day for something like that?

Almost the exact same thing. I noticed it during the stop (I was back-up for an officer who requested assistance on a traffic stop). I learned, on that day, that my back-up gun fits perfectly into my duty holster. I almost pulled it off, but my primary noticed at one point, and said "Why the heck are you carrying a Glock?"

Since then, I never, ever put my weapon in the lockbox at the jail. It always goes in the trunk.

One of the guys I work with has a similar story. He left his gun at the jail in a lockbox. He made a traffic stop a while later, and the person he stopped said, "Are you in training or under some kind of disciplinary action?"

"Why do you say that?" replied the officer.

"Because I noticed that your holster is empty."

Needless to say, the motorist left with a warning, and the officer drove very quickly (and sheepishly) back to the jail.

I was working graveyard with a new partner, the fiance of one of the other officers.  I had booked a DUI and the partner had left one in the hospital from an injury accident.  We had breakfast at a local Denny's, finished our reports and made two traffic stops on the way in, one for me and one for the partner.  I was in early for the shift the next night and set the patrol car up with my gear and checked it to make sure there weren't any weapons or contraband hidden in and under the seats by prior arrestees.  

Just before briefing, one of the other officers come up to me and asked if I could go out and check the unit we had used the night before.  It seemed that my partner's duty weapon was missing and the last place it was known to be was lying on the floor of the restroom at the Denny's.  When visiting the facilities at the Denny's that morning (it was 9:45pm the next evening), instead of following the regular procedure of removing the gunbelt and draping it around your neck so it would be readily available if needed and wouldn't drag your trousers down onto the floor, my partner took the gun out of its holster and placed it on the floor.  Then forgot to pick it up.

The partner went through briefing wearing a car coat to hide the fact from the Sergeant that there was an empty holster where the revolver should have been.  After briefing, we took turns distracting the Sergeant while the fiance attempted to recover the weapon before the Sergeant left the office to meet a friend for coffee.  

After about 45 minutes, the Sergeant called an end to it, he was leaving!  The partner 'fessed up and the Sergeant went to call the Lieutenant to report the lost weapon.  As luck would have it, that's when the fiance called in to report having recovered the partner's "Possee Box."  They found it in the possession of the second illegal alien to have it in the 18 hours it was missing.  Partner only got two days on the beach.  

Put your car keys with your weapon whenever you have to lock up your gun for court or jail.  That way if forget, when you get to your car, you will be forced to go back and get your gun / keys.

I was working an extra job at a local fast food place keeping the high schoolers from destroying the place when about an hour into the job I realized that my holster was empty. I went home and got it and returned to the job and never told anyone about it. Funny how some of the civilians on this board think being able to carry a gun is the greatest thing in the world and we can walk around completely oblivious to the fact that we are carrying one.

Was working for small agency in the DFW area.  Went to the station for morning briefing, while finishing up some paper work, I bent over the trash can to punch holes or something.  My sergeant, looks at me and says "Hey, where is your firearm?"  I scoff at him (bad thing to do, he was a giant of person - bench pressed something like 450lbs) and tell him "Yeah right."  He gets pissed off and again asks me about it, not wanting to fall for it.  I just look at him but touch my holster with with my elbow then I turned pale white! [:O]
 Luckily, I lived like two miles away!

What he said.

Jay
Arizona

We're civilians,too.

Forget my gun? No never.

The other night I was bringing arrest #2, of the night, to the jail. When I got there one of the booking Deputies asked me if I had forgoten my knife in a gun locker earlier? He described a knife that sounded like mine....... We went out to a gun locker he opened it up, gulp, it was my knife...... I checked the locker my stuff was in and there was my knife. Someone had left another knife like mine, same make and model, except the other one was in better shape.......

First department I worked for, about a million years ago, had a real a**hole. He was gun happy and rude to everyone. We he went to the can, his weapon dropped out of the holster.  Well someone he messed with, found it....it was mailed back in pieces to the chief.
We were glad to see him go.

Oh, right. Thanks for reminding me[rolleyes]

It's amazing how many military people leave their weapon unsecured in the field or on a deployment....pretty scary actually as I saw in Kosovo.

When I was in FTO, we went to county to book a person, and the FTO locked his gun in the gun locker. He and I were shooting the shit, and he forgot to get his gun back. We hauled butt back to the jail. I now always lock my gun in the trunk. I also leave my gun with my car keys and wallet all the time now. Makes life just a lil easier.

No , but I learned from my FTO. He used to come to work all the time w/o his pistol. Had to go back home and get it. I swore I would never forget mine. 12 years later , its still the last thing I check before getting in car to go to work.

How about finding an unsecure door on an alarm call and noticing bright yellow tape hanging out of your partners' empty pistol's slide because he forgot to load his weapon after the last training exercise ......two weeks prior.

Glad the building was empty. The suspect would have never let him live that one down.

A few years back I locked my SW 4506 in the locker located in the squad room so I could go into the holding cell area.  Got sidetracked and walked out the SO without my weapon.  Got a mile or so from the SO and noticed the screw up.  When I pulled up in front of the SO the Sheriff and a few others were standing out side.  Thought I would be smart and pass them on my "weak" side thinking no one will notice.  Once I got inside and got my weapon I thought I pulled it off.  But as I passed back by the Sheriff he smiled and said "forget something"?

No days, if I have to ground my weapon it goes in the trunk of my patrol car.

I left it at home one day.  Friggin idiot.