There are often observable indicators that an individual is hiding a weapon or other contraband. Weapons could include guns, knives or other items that the person doesn’t want detected. If you learn to recognize some of the physical behaviors and signs of a hidden weapon, you will have a better chance of avoiding or preventing assaults.
No Reliable Profile
Studies indicate there is no reliable profile when it comes to those who carry hidden weapons in violation of the law, and for unlawful purposes. You can pick any race and find people who carry weapons unlawfully. They may be male or female and have varied clothing and come from different socioeconomic classes.
Education of weapons violators range from high school dropouts to those with a Ph.D. Simply put, the person with a concealed weapon for unlawful purposes can look like anyone because there is no reliable or viable profile.
However, there are some consistent physical behaviors with those who carry a weapon unlawfully, and this is especially true with firearms. This means that individuals who carry a gun often do specific things that can be observed. Profiling is often ineffective and as Ron White says, “Profiling is wrong.” Therefore, it is better to pay attention to specific behaviors that may indicate the presence of a weapon. This is extremely important for police and security personnel, but is good for anyone to learn and practice.
Behavior Clusters
Often observing one indicator isn’t enough to make a positive determination. We must look at the totality of circumstances that dictate the degree of likelihood that the individual is armed. While one indicator may or may not mean a person is armed, if there are several clustered together, it is much more likely that the individual is packing something.
Behaviors and Indicators to Look For
These are a few of the most common indicators that a person may be armed. But do remember that the following signs do not always indicate the presence of a weapon.
Checking the Weapon: Many people, especially those carrying a firearm, will touch and/or adjust the weapons concealed on their bodies numerous times during the day. Sometimes it can be very subtle, and other times it can be a distinct grasping of the weapon as they adjust it. Pay particular attention for this when individuals get out of a chair or a car or when walking up flights of stairs or going up a high curb.
Unnatural Gate: People carrying a weapon may walk with an awkward gait. How do you think the person in the video at the bottom of this page would walk? A rifle or shotgun down a person’s pants would have him walking with a stiff leg. Other hidden weapons may be irritating or bothering the carrier. Remember, we look for clusters. An injured person may walk with an unnatural gate, but when combined with a rigid line of a rifle under the pants or a bulge above the waistline, it makes more sense to take a closer look. Add in that the person appears nervous and you definitely want to take precautions and not just ignore the person.
Sagging Pockets or Clothing: If someone has a gun in their coat pocket, the coat will often hang lower on the side where the weapon is located. The weight of the gun will also often pull the fabric tight and sometimes swing as the person walks. The weapon may also be printing, or showing the outline, under the clothing. This can be when in a pocket, or under a lighter cover. Sometimes you’ll notice the person attempting to hold the weapon against their body to keep it from swinging. The person may even put their hand in their pocket to keep the gun or item from moving.
Walking Hunched Over: This is typical of someone trying to hide a rifle or shotgun. The longer weapons are more difficult to hide under a coat or jacket and will often cause a noticeable bulge in front of or behind the armpit. The person will walk a bit differently and the coat or jacket won’t swing naturally. Shoulder holsters can also sometimes be noticed because of the bulge.
Printing: As I mentioned above, printing is when you can see the bulge and/or outline of a weapon. This could be a gun, knife, or something else outlined in a pocket, or under a shirt or light jacket. Sometimes you might see this in a purse or bag, and at times people try to hide things wrapped in blankets.
Visible Weapons: The most reliable indicator is when you see the weapon. Many criminals carry their weapon into the crime scene with the weapon visible. It’s astonishing that these weapons go unnoticed by many people. Something that I always notice, but some never do, is a knife clipped in a person’s pocket.
Palming: This is more used with knives, but can be used with a gun too. The person hides the weapon in the palm of their hand or up along the arm or behind the leg to conceal it from frontal view. This is one of the most dangerous, because they are most liking palming it as they ready to attack. A palmed weapon indicates imminent risk to the observer. Many times the criminal will also have his or her eyes fixed on the intended victim. These indicators combined mean business and you better act.
Use Common Sense
I’ve used these indicators to take more alcohol from people than weapons. I’ve screened thousands of people entering different events that I’ve worked security for, and I can’t count the number of people who have been surprised that I noticed what they were hiding and trying to sneak in. Using these screening techniques can be extremely effective, especially if you are trained and practice. (The events I work give me a lot of practice.) But you must use some common sense, and realize that even if you are very good, it’s not 100% effective. This is why most police officers will assume that every subject or individual is armed until proven otherwise. This isn’t being paranoid, it’s being smart.
You need to be alert and observant, and by using these techniques, you’ll have an upper hand on noticing weapons and increasing your safety.
The following graphic was published in the New York Times in 1992. The artist, Megan Jaegerman, interviewed Detective Robert T Gallagher from the NYPD.
PDF version of the above graphic:
This video illustrates that not everything is as it seems:
How many weapons?
Before watching this video try to guess how many weapons this guy has on him. This should give you an idea of how easy it is for people to unsuspiciously conceal weapons in regards to quality and quantity.
The point of this was an overkill principle just to give people an idea of how many weapons you CAN carry on you. It only takes one hidden weapon to cause serious harm if you didn’t know he had it on him.
However, one must remember that if someone had this many weapons hidden on them they would not be moving like a normal person. So while you CAN hide them on you, it would be obvious when moving that something was being hid. But it would only be obvious if you were paying attention, and that’s the point.