Securing of Firearms or Other Deadly Weapons

Firearms are sometimes required in conjunction with Auxiliary duties. In addition to following all applicable laws, regulations, Sheriff's office instructions, and Auxiliary rules regarding responsible use of firearms, it is the responsibility of a volunteer to ensure that firearms (or other deadly weapons) are, to the extent possible, secure at all times against theft or misuse. To that end, specifically, all operable firearms must either be on the person and under the bearer's direct physical control or acceptably secured in one of the following manners:

  • Under control of the Sergeant-At-Arms in accordance with his office,
  • Under control of a Range Master during a fireing exercise,
  • Secured in a personal vehicle in accordance with Missouri law,
  • Stacked according to regulations for 'stacking arms' with a volunteer assigned to secure and monitor such arms at all times,
  • While under visual control: unloaded, locked by a device which fully disables the mechanism (such as a bolt lock; a trigger lock is not acceptable), or disabled by removing critical parts of the action (such as the bolt from a bolt-action rifle or the slide or cylinder from a handgun) and the ammunition/magazines or removed parts secured separately,
  • Locked in a 'secured container', such as a pistol box, where the meaning of that term is informed by statute and case law. To the extent practical in field deployment, the 'secured container' must be affixed to a non-easily portable object, cabinet, tree, post, or item of furniture so that the container may not be removed wholesale without tools, noise, or other potentially detectable effort.

In general, arms under physical control or secured under visual control are to be preferred to passive locks and security measures. As an example, it would be acceptable to remove the action from a rifle (disabling it), pocket the action (such that it is under direct physical control), and stack the rifle nearby (under visual control). The best place for a firearm is on your body. Unattended firearms should preferably be locked in common areas where attempts to bypass the lock or remove the container might be noticed as opposed to in a pistol box under a cot in a personal tent or a vehicle in a distant and unobserved parking lot. Volunteers should note that they may be called to perform physical labor where a firearm may need to be temporarily removed and provision must be made ahead of time to do this safely and securely. 
No one shall threateningly display, brandish, or otherwise misuse a firearm or other weapon readily capable of lethal use in such a way as to violate RsMo 531.030, any applicable instructions of the Sheriff, or LCSA regulations.
These rules shall be enforced by the Sergeant-At-Arms against all LCSA volunteers in a called-up status (wherever they are operating) and against all persons (including visitors or members of other organizations/agencies) on an LCSA-controlled site. The Sergeant-At-Arms may detain or eject such persons, regardless of rank or status, who may be in violation and may confiscate arms found unsecured. Similarly, a designated Range Master may eject such persons or confiscate such arms as violate these rules, safe practice, or the instructions of the Range master. Violations of these rules shall be considered a danger to other volunteers, the general public, or the public order and shall not be tolerated.
A short summary of these rules shall be posted conspicuously at all LCSA-operated sites and the Sergeant-at-Arms, Range Master, or designees shall wear prominent red blazes on their sleeves or red arm-bands.