I'm with Legion on this one. My father was an LEO for 25 years, 14 of them as chief of police where we lived. He drew his gun 4 times in those years. Few things are worth losing your life or taking someone elses over. For me, it's my wife and kids and someone elses wife and kids. That's it. I have my concealed carry permit for VA and do carry when not at work (no weapon policy at work so a knife with a blade of 2.5" or less is all we can have). I hope to never have to draw it but I like knowing it's there in case. Pick up some OC spray, a stun gun, or an expandable metal baton. They're all less than lethal, albeit the baton is easily a lethal weapon, easily concealed, and chances are, your work place won't mind them. I know when we worked retail our policy was to let shoplifters go. Call the five-o's and let them deal with it. Security cameras in the store and on the parking lot make finding and ID'ing people really easy. And keeps people out of danger.