Behavioral Indicators of Legal and Illegal Gun Carrying

Abstract

Law enforcement personnel use a variety of behavioral indicators to identify persons carrying legal and illegal firearms. This report specifically focuses on behavioral indicators of persons carrying either a revolver or a semi-automatic pistol. There are two general types of behavioral indicators of gun carrying. First, those related to the mass and size of the weapon and how it is carried. Second, those related to the situational and environmental awareness of the individual carrying a firearm and their reaction to perceived threats. In total, we have identified six behaviors associated with weight and carrying, and eleven behaviors associated with situational awareness and reaction to threats. The frequency and intensity of these behaviors are moderated by the way the gun is carried and the presence of a perceived threat. Further research is needed to identify the reliability and validity of the findings documented in this report.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 2015
Accession Number
ADA620183

Entities

People

  • Christopher Strange
  • Nathan C. Meehan

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Bandages
  • Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena
  • Clothing
  • Concealment
  • Construction Materials
  • Criminals
  • Detection
  • Governments
  • Law Enforcement
  • Law Enforcement Officers
  • Materials
  • New York
  • Security
  • Security Personnel
  • Situational Awareness
  • Threat Evaluation
  • Training

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Marksmanship and Weaponry.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Team-Based Human-Centered Cognitive Task Decision Making and Information Performance.