Randy Hoffman honors dad by purchasing holsters for Lebanon County Sheriff’s Office

March 14--Randy Hoffman never remembers seeing his father, Lanny, happier than when he worked as a deputy sheriff for Lebanon County.

For most of his career, the elder Hoffman was the owner of Hoffman Insurance Agency in Lebanon before passing the business on to son. But rather than retire to a life of ease, he spent the next 15 years working as a deputy sheriff before passing away at the age of 69 in 2008. During much of that period, he also served as a West Lebanon Township supervisor.

To honor his father, on Thursday, Hoffman donated $1,500 to the county sheriff's department for purchase of 19 Safariland Level 3 Retention Holsters.

The holsters are specially designed to prevent easy access to the gun and will be worn by deputy sheriff's at all times, said Sheriff Bruce Klingler.

"These holsters will greatly increase courthouse security," he said.

Deputy sheriff's have always been armed while on duty, with the exception of inside the courtrooms. That long-held policy was recently changed prompting the need for the security holsters, Klingler said.

The features of the secure holsters will allow the deputy sheriffs to have the protection and security that a firearm provides in the event of a violent occurrence at the municipal building, Klingler said. But the holsters also provide a measure of security by making it very difficult for someone other than the deputy sheriff to access their firearm, he said.

The holster is so complex that before being equipped with one, each deputy sheriff will undergo several hours of training to learn how to use it effectively.

"They receive about three or four hours of training on the use of the holster and weapon retention," Klingler said. "It is very physical training. They have one-on-one training in which one deputy sheriff is the bad guy and the other is the good guy and they fight for the weapon."

Having a secure holster was critical for the judges to agree to change their policy of no weapons in the courtroom, Klingler said.

Hoffman said the secure holsters make the judges' decision to allow armed-deputies in the courtroom a sensible one.

"I support the judges' decision to allow firearms in courtrooms, but also agree with requiring level 3 (security) holsters," he said. "The sheriff is responsible for safety within the courthouse and I believe every citizen should feel safe in the courthouse and in particular the courtroom."

Being able to provide the secure holster in memory of his father was something Hoffman said he was able to do because of the success of the business his father founded.

"The Lebanon community has been good to me," he said. "I want to thank my many clients who have placed their trust in me and the Motorist Mutual Insurance Co. who provides me with good products and services to sell. It is because of them that I am in a position to do these sorts of things."

To learn more about Safariland Retention Holsters watch the company's video.

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