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The tiny, reliable Ruger LCP series of .380’s takes away the excuse an off-duty gun is too heavy and bulky.
When they first pinned a badge on me in 1972, carrying a gun off duty was pretty much part of the law enforcement culture. Some departments mandated it, such as NYPD and the Providence, RI PD. Most others, including mine, strongly encouraged it.
Time passes. Things change. I keep hearing from law enforcement instructors that in some of their departments, as little as 10 percent of the sworn personnel go armed on their own time. Today, I can’t think of a single large law enforcement agency requiring its people to carry guns off duty.