You know, I don't post here much, and there's a good reason for it.....I'll let you figure it out.
Here's the problem with people on here, as well as GT (Hi, Jester):
Everyone likes to throw out statistics on how low the crime rate, esp. violent crime, is for CCW holders. Well, great! I mean that, and am not being sarcastic. I am a CCW holder, was before the badge, will be again after the badge. That's not my point. I'm well aware that most CCW'rs are decent people. Yeah, they take the time to go thru a background check, complete the (if any) mandated training, and possibly extra training. Again, great!
The problem (I'm finally getting to that) is that statistics are just numbers. If CCW'rs have a murder rate that is .0001%, fine and dandy. However, that means that SOMEONE who holds a CCW committed murder somewhere down the line, otherwise it'd just be 0%, right? Now, what if me pulling someone over is the last straw for a CCW'r? I mean, we ALL have bad days, and some are worse than others. Is my partner gonna go home, tell my wife and kids that their daddy is dead, but it's OK, because that murder didn't affect the CCW murder rate in any appreciable manner?
You see, an NCIC check (which is what most, if not all, CCW'rs go thru) does not automatically confer sainthood on someone. Guess what? There's a lot of cop-bashing on here (don't deny it, mods), and cops go thru the SAME background check. Only, they get a lot more done before they get hired. I'm not gonna go into details, if only to save time & bandwidth, but here's the basics: Written test, Oral exam (BPAD in a lot of areas), Physical fitness test, BACKGROUND (more in a minute), polygraph, chief's interview, medical exam, pscyhological tests (full battery), and that's all to get hired. More weeding out is done during the acadcemy and FTO periods. Even with all that, we still have bad cops out there.
The background check:
Usually in-depth, covering school (high school & college), work history (the agency up here requires you to go back to age 18), credit history, polygraph, interviews with neighbors, spouse, family, current employers, etc. Plus, NCIC check is performed. Now, again, we still have officers who would be considered "bad cops", do we not? I'll concede to that, as will most other officers. But, you people on here look at a CCW as the next thing to God Himself. Why? YOu haven't gone thru even a fraction's worth of background as we have.....but you won't trust us, yet expect us to trust you.
Back to statistics:
I've got 3 cases involving CCW'rs who were in the wrong. Two were arrested (and will hopefully lose their permits, as they've displayed that they CANNOT be trusted to carry a gun), and one was not. Here's some brief details on them:
1) High crime area, late at night. Subject in apt. complex where he did NOT live, carrying openly. Granted, nothing illegal about it, just VERY suspicious, as this is area where drive-by shootings are common. Subject had valid CCW, but REFUSED vehemently to cover it with shirt. FInally agreed to do so, and had "concealed MEANS concealed" explained. I witnessed this, but was not officer "explaining" things to him. Again, he was not illegal, but he wasn't the brightest bulb in the store. Subject was not arrested.
2) Searching incoming prisoners one night, and in process of doing this, discover subject has CCW. I look at his charges, and he's been out smoking the weed....I ask him why, and he states that it was his birthday. Yeah, that's a good reason to break the law, and give CCW'rs a bad name. SUbject recieved lecture on how idiotic it is to partake in illegal drugs when one is CCW holder. Subject also made very aware that officer is VERY pro-carry, and that subject is nothing short of a moron for weed usage, b-day or not. Oh, I wonder if he puts that on his 4473?
3) The last one, and the "best" one....Subject goes to high school to pick up son. Either while enroute to, or upon arrival at, the school, subject is made aware that someone is "fighting" with his son. Subject then enters fray, and in front of numerous witnesses, exits vehicle, & displays gun. Those of you here in Louisville should remember this well, as it was at Seneca High school. Well, subject is arrested, as there was NO justification to involve firearm, let alone break law and exit vehicle with weapon. (It's OK to have one in your car on school property in KY, as long as it's not brandished and stays in vehicle)
So, 2 out of 3 dummies that were permit holders screwed up. The third one was just stupid, but not illegal. Now, statistically, that's not a lot of crime, considering the total amount of CCW'rs in the state. But, what if the moron at the school decided to shoot the responding officers, because of some stupid reasonor another. Now, both the cop & the CCW'r are statistics, but the family of the officer will now grow up without a dad.
My point to this is simple....if the cop doesn't feel safe with you carrying a gun, right or wrong, he is well within his rights to disarm you. DOn't like it, don't speed, keep your tags up-to-date, etc. Like I tell inmates: It's easy to avoid jail...millions of people do it every day.
And for the jerk-off who said that officers should perhaps pick a "safer" job, thereby insinuating that we're all power-hungry cowards (yeah, I know you didn't say it, but it was there, nonetheless), here's something for you:
I don't care about my safety for me, necessarily. I'm fully aware that I may go to work, and not come home at night. That has since quit bothering me. My wife is also a LEO, and understands, because she faces the same risks. I worry about my safety for two other reasons:
Brittany, who is almost 5
Wes, who is 6 months old.
I will be there for them to grow up with, and if disarming a CCW'r who went thru an NCIC check 5 years ago means I get to come home, then guess what? Someone is getting their gun taken away. Deal with it.
