Wedding rings?

[McCrackhd]

I don't wear my ring at work for three reasons:
1. I don't want the scumbags that I deal with to know that I'm married
2. I've heard horror stories of officer's rings getting caught on chain link fences and ripping the meat off
3. Don't want to lose it (city will replace it, but still)

In regards to #1, I don't even mention that I'm married or tell my wife "I love you" when getting off of the phone if I'm within earshot of perps. I tell my rookies to not mention that I'm married, too. I'm not paranoid, just cautious. My wife is very understanding of this. I have an uncommon last name, and the last thing I want to do, is put my wife in a bad situation. I also suggest to my rookies not to wear their's and to not advertise that they are married. Some listen, some don't. It's their choice.

Are there any other LEO's that don't wear their's, and why not? Why do you if you do?

[Xiphos]

I don't wear mine for the same reasons.

When I get my duty gun from my safe, the ring takes its place. When I come home and put my gun back, I put the ring back on.

[pac201]

Used to not wear a wedding band, same reasons. I now have a ring that my wife and I consider my band (it's not one though) also I'm admin now so there's not a whole lot of interaction with the turds.

[cajunguy]

Don't wear mine because my ex-wife has it.
'Nuf said 'bout that.


(But I do agree with the reasons given, FWIW.)


.

[lewisipso]

I wear mine because all the turds I deal with know my wife and my children. They also know she's a cop and has her own weapon. They also know.

[Pudge]

I didn't wear mine for about 7 years for a lot of the same reason, plus my band was pretty flashy and I didn't want to mess it up. Rather than just wear it when I was off, I got in the habit of not wearing it at all. Needless to say, that became a small cog in a much bigger issue a couple years ago. My wife bought me an inexpensive tungsten thin blue line ring, and I switch to that one when I go to work and stash my good band back in the drawer when I get ready for work.

I work in such a small town, the turds know I'm married, so I dismissed that after a while. Sure, I could get it caught on something, but I wear a pretty tight pair of patrol gloves now and haven't had it snag on anything since I started.

[MacLean]

Used to do the same thing, now I wear a tungsten carbide band.

[mack]

When I worked in the jail I didn't wear my wedding ring. I also had my phone unlisted and Florida has a program for Law Enforcement and other Government Officials that you can have your license and car registration "unlisted" so that it is only visable to Law Enforcement checks. It is so that if someone runs your name your address doesn't come up listed anywhere.

[jmur5074]

I don't wear mine for the same reasons you don't.

[N2Fowl]

Not married, but I wear one of these gaudy things!















WHOOOHHOOOOOO and I'm verified.

[Cidp24]

I don't wear one because I almost dunuded my finger by getting it hung on a ladder on a fire truck. As a rule, I don't like any jewelry like necklaces or bracelets. 90% of the time I don't even wear a watch.

[bayern]

I wear mine. She put it on over 53 years ago and lit hasn't been off since.

[Jks9199]

I wear mine.

When I got married 4 and half years ago, I thought about it. I was in a plainclothes assignment at the time. I considered taking it off each day,but then I thought about all the guys who had got in trouble with women at work. They played the "no wife at work" game... and subsequently made the choice to let things happen. I decided I didn't want to be in that position, and taking the wedding band off is one step towards making it easier to happen.

I am not suggesting that anyone who chooses to take their ring off for work is going to cheat. I know Xiphos, for example, and would be more than shocked if he cheated on his wife. The guys who did cheat made a series of choices, as I tried to imply above, that led to the situation. Those choices started with taking the ring off, and then buying into the "no wife at work" mindset. Then they felt free to flirt or whatever, so they did... and that led to the next choice to go beyond flirting, and so on.

In the end, it's a personal choice. You have to do what you're comfortable with. The ring is a symbol -- not the marriage itself. It's not a magic talisman that will keep you from cheating. You have to be true to who you are.

[irishmick]

I don't wear mine at work since it sticks up a bit, and it's a nine-generation family heirloom (my great great...etc grandfather gave it to my however-many-greats grandmother on the boat over from Ireland). It makes it hard to glove up and I'd have to have something happen to it. It goes in my safe when I leave, and goes back on my finger when I get home. Doesn't really bother me if anyone knows I'm married. I do have a unique last name, but I'm pretty sure Mr.Irishmick could hold his own if need be. The school that my kids go to is a private Christian school and we have fire chiefs and other officers that take their kids there. It's a fairly safe environment on that end too.

[Car 4]

1. I don't wear a watch because I don't care what time it is. (retired)
2. I don't wear any jewelery because I worked undercover and don't want to be memorable in any way.
3. I have no tattoos for the same reason.
4. I do not wear my diamond studed wedding ring for the same reason.
5. I carry my weapon and extra ammo in a Maxpedition shoulder bag rather than on my body so that when I set it down, I don't look like a cop.

In short, I want it to be a total and very short lived suprise for the perp should I ever encounter a problem.

Car 4

[Wolven]

Not married so....nothing to say there.

But I dont wear jewelry at work..no watch either. Barely wear it off duty...no need to damage or lose something while I am riding the horse or cleaning stalls. lol

[Jenna]

I don't wear mine at work since it sticks up a bit, and it's a nine-generation family heirloom (my great great...etc grandfather gave it to my however-many-greats grandmother on the boat over from Ireland).

Nine generations? That's quite a cool ring!

[Five-0]

They also know.

Yep.

[irishmick]

Nine generations? That's quite a cool ring!

Thanks, Jenna. I would hate for anything to happen to it!

[ChesCopPodz]

I haven't worn mine at all in over 5 years. One, I hate wearing rings. Always uncomfortable. Two, my dad (also a cop), almost lost his finger wearing his. He punched a guy, broke his knuckle, and before he could get the guy handcuffed, then get his ring off, his finger swelled up. The paramedics who showed up for the bad guy cut it off right then and there, they didn't think his finger would survive the ride to the hospital.

Reason 3: There are four people in Colorado with my last name. Myself, my wife, my son, and my brother. No need to advertise the existance of my wife and son.

And finally, reason 4: I weigh 40 lbs more than I did when I got married 7 years ago. I was really skinny, 6'3" 165 when I got married. Im up to 205 now. Doesn't fit. Since I don't wear it, I haven't bothered to get it sized.

It stays in my shirt pocket at work.