Open Carry

[Johninaustin]

There is a move to make open carry legal in Texas, personally I'm not convinced. I have yet to meet an open carry advocate that didn't give me a strong feeling of "attention *****" about the subject.

Personally, I don't see any advantages to attracting the attention of random nitwits.

I've carried concealed for decades now, I don't consider it a handicap at all.

[retdetsgt]

There is a move to make open carry legal in Texas, personally I'm not convinced. I have yet to meet an open carry advocate that didn't give me a strong feeling of "attention *****" about the subject.

Personally, I don't see any advantages to attracting the attention of random nitwits.

I've carried concealed for decades now, I don't consider it a handicap at all.

+1

Walking around with a gun on your hip is like walking around with your penis sticking out of your pants. What's the purpose other than showing everyone you have one?

[txinvestigator1]

There is a move to make open carry legal in Texas, personally I'm not convinced. I have yet to meet an open carry advocate that didn't give me a strong feeling of "attention *****" about the subject.

Personally, I don't see any advantages to attracting the attention of random nitwits.

I've carried concealed for decades now, I don't consider it a handicap at all.

Agreed. As a LEO, you can legally carry openly. There is a reason you don't.

[scott715us]

Walking around with a gun on your hip is like walking around with your penis sticking out of your pants. What's the purpose other than showing everyone you have one?

lmfao...I have to write that one down

[nikon]

I live and work in the Live Free Or Die state next door to ya and I deal with this often enough. I see people open carry all the time. In the northern areas of ME, NH and VT, just about everyone has a gun in the house (usually a few) and it's not uncommon to see people open carry. We occasionally get calls of this nature from out of staters but not usually from locals.

I know that it is not hard to get a CCW in ME. Check out packing.org to get MEs info but it's a small fee, a background check and a simple course. I would suggest you save yourself the aggrevation and just get the CCW and a decent holster. More importantly - know how to use it.

[DetSgt.]

After retireing from the Police Department with 25 years in I moved from New Jersey the you ain't allowed to do anything with a firearm state to the state of Virgina. The state of Virginia is a open carry state and it still get's me looking hard in a place like Wall Mart when I see a person with a Hog Leg on their hip or stuck in their pant's. The worst one is going to the bank and standing in line behind some guy that look's like a turd and he has a .357 Magnum on his hip.
Bill

[FireMarshal]

Disagree,

The response would be like this.

Call: Subject walking down the street with a firearm.

Response: Units arive, subject taken at gunpoint and handcuffed for questioning. Sorry, I don't know if your a nutcase out for harming others or a normal citizen legally excercising his rights. As an Officer, I'm not going to give anyone the upperhand because I don't know what the situation is. Therfore you will be taken into custody at gunpoint. Now just because your handcuffed and questioned doesn't mean you will be charged with any crime. But if you think it is worth the hassel then go for it.
The best thing you can do though is meet the requirements and get your concealed carry permit. It saves everyone the trouble and problems. I know this doesn't seem right, but unfortunately as an officer I have to play it the safe way to go home at night.

I guess the Federal Court case will read like this:

Ispbear v. United States

[Samuel]

I guess the Federal Court case will read like this:

Ispbear v. United States

I can do it like Ispbear too - with no worries about federal court. YMMV.

[basher52]

Disagree,

The response would be like this.

Call: Subject walking down the street with a firearm.

Response: Units arive, subject taken at gunpoint and handcuffed for questioning. Sorry, I don't know if your a nutcase out for harming others or a normal citizen legally excercising his rights. As an Officer, I'm not going to give anyone the upperhand because I don't know what the situation is. Therfore you will be taken into custody at gunpoint. Now just because your handcuffed and questioned doesn't mean you will be charged with any crime. But if you think it is worth the hassel then go for it.
The best thing you can do though is meet the requirements and get your concealed carry permit. It saves everyone the trouble and problems. I know this doesn't seem right, but unfortunately as an officer I have to play it the safe way to go home at night.

Ispbear,

Is open carry good in your jurisdiction? If so, please let me know and if you don't mind, what your duty schedule is. I will leave my Creds at home and open carry, hopefully I will be arrested and my 2 amendment rights violated. We have a few good attorneys left here in NY, that will hopefully drain your city's coffers of a few bucks. Once I get paid we will go for a nice steak dinner or any restaurant of your choice.

Seriously, it you can carry concealed, DO IT. I am not a fan of open carry, but realize it is a right in some states. If the firearm is holstered and the individual not engaged in any suspicious activity..THE MOST I might do is have a polite conversation with him or her. The takedown at gun point is overkill IMHO, in a jurisdiction where it (open carry) is permitted. Unless the subjects activity says otherwise. Thats Just Me...

[retdetsgt]

To me, it's situational and cultural. If I was out in Cat-Doc's desert and saw some guy with a gun on his hip, I wouldn't give it a second thought.

If the same person walked into a restaurant in downtown Portland, we have something entirely different. If he has a CCW permit, it's technically legal, but the action would be so off the wall for this area I would want to at minimum talk to him. In fact, I would be willing to bet someone who would do that probably wouldn't have a permit based on the cultural norm of this area.

[Cat_Doc]

To me, it's situational and cultural.

When in Rome...

[hutchins]

I agree with ISPBear. Just because you cuff someone doesn't make them under arrest, I'd just need permission from a supervisor for a field release. Just like he said, it's all about officer safety and how the hell can you feel safe in that situation? I'd rather be wrong and alive than dead right.

[missouricop]

remdog,
I say go for it if its good in your area. I would change the way you would reply, the whole exercising my 2nd amendment right and due to the rise in crime, might just set the mood off wrong. Remember when we get a call we have to at least look into it.

A lot of people feel that an encounter with the police, when they are just walking down the street is just harassment. Very few take the time to think, (Maybe they got a call and are just looking into it.) Thats where good people skills and communication come into play. I have been in this situation a few times, I ask for ID "To make sure their not wanted for stealing babies from a hospital or anything like that."
Conclusion of my contacts of this nature, one arrest for warrant, one Felon in Poss. of a firearm and one Poss. of Firearm while intoxicated. and three or four PR contacts.