Nice response from LEO when i declared I had a firearm

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Black92LX

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Well last monday morning i woke up to the burglar alarm going off around 9:25am. Ran and turned it off grabbed the Sig and went downstairs to find out what set it off. According to the pad it was the basement (outside) door. The door coming up from the basement was still locked so i went out to see and sure enough the door was wide open. Went back inside (didn't feel like fooling with anyne) and heard some loud noises coming from outside so i grabbed the phone and the Sig was out of the holster. I looked out the window to see an LEO climbing to my back door. So i promptly placed the Sig on the table and greeted the officer. And immediatly informed him that the firearm was on the table. He asked if i didn't mind if he secured the firearm for the time being. Of course i agreed and he stuck it in his pants as he checked the basement. returned back upstairs and laid the gun on the table and said that's a nice sidearm you've got here. I said thank you sir. And they were on thier way.
Alarm must have scared off whoever opened the door because i know for a fact the door was locked down there before i went to bed.

I have heard stories about the comments folks have gotten when declaring he firearms to LEOs so i was plesantly surprised at the response.
 
Maybe I'm having trouble with the continuity, but you are saying the LEOs were in your backyard just mere moments after you've checked the outside door and gone back inside?

Anyhow I'd consider a good LEO response to be not disarming you in your own home, but maybe that's just me.
 
i have quite the small backyard. i am sure it was a matter of timing the officer was probably on the other side of my garage where i could not here or see him from my proch where i was outside maybe 15 seconds just long enough to see that the basement door was open and chose to not run into someone outside.
 
Does your alarm call the cops automatically when it goes off?

That is the only reason I could think of for having the cops there that quickly after you came inside...

Sad to say it, but otherwise, I'd be quite suspicious that it was the cop who was trying to break into my basement. :confused:
 
Or, another option, is that the police were chasing someone, who tried to break into Black's basement to hide-out.

And, as for holding onto the Sig for a couple of moments, do you trust someone you don't know at all to hold a loaded gun behind you? Especially if there is the possibility that there may be the surprise discovery of a subject, or even a gunshot?
 
Not sure about Ohio laws. I know they're much different and stricter than here in Ky but with me having a concealed carry permit I would damned sure mind him securing my gun in my own home.
 
Does your alarm call the cops automatically when it goes off?
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Something was wrong with my landline that morning. The alarm company called the house and it went straight to the answering service (strange) so they sent officers.
 
Uh, how are the cops gonna know who the legitimate resident is until they've done a little checking? Darn straight the gun gets secured until we know who's who, but that's just me, a JBT and all..........
 
Wow, you guys are paranoid. Kudos to the cops for quick response, and glad that he was friendly about the gun. He absolutely did the right thing by securing the firearm, and OP did the right thing by letting him.
 
He probably saw the Sig and decided he'd rather clear a house with a fine weapon like that than the Glock he was probably issued. :neener:
Anyhow I'd consider a good LEO response to be not disarming you in your own home, but maybe that's just me.
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I wouldn't mind letting the fellow take my pistol in that circumstance. It was obviously time to retrieve the rifle from the bedroom, after all.
I would never stick a strange gun in my pants!
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Also, that is the best line I've seen on THR in a long time.
 
He probably saw the Sig and decided he'd rather clear a house with a fine weapon like that than the Glock he was probably issued.
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Cincinnati officers are issued Smith & Wessons.

I did not have a problem with him securing the weapon. i would/will do the same thing.
 
I've had three law enforcement officer encounters while carrying (fender-bender and speeding tickets, I'm sorry to say). Minnesota's carry law is brand new, yet none of them asked me to disarm.

I'd be unhappy but compliant if a LEO asked me to disarm in my own home.
 
If they want to secure that one, fine, I got more. If he wants to stick them all in his pants, well....

He's gonna need a bigger belt. :evil:
 
Geeeeeeesh......

"We the willing, led by the knowning are doing the impossible for the ungrateful..."

Guess it's true, no matter what we do, no matter how we do it or how well our intentions some will find fault in all we do, for some strange reason.

:(
 
Guess it's true, no matter what we do, no matter how we do it or how well our intentions some will find fault in all we do, for some strange reason.
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Consider it an indoctrinated response. We've been taught by our own experiences or the experiences of others to expect the worst.
 
What exactly did it accomplish to take his pistol away, albeit temporarily? I ask not as flamebait, but to understand the goal and determine if it was attained. If the idea was to make the officer feel safer, then perhaps it did so, but it's a false security since the homeowner was not searched and could just as easily had three more like it on his person. So just what was accomplished?
 
What exactly did it accomplish to take his pistol away, albeit temporarily? I ask not as flamebait, but to understand the goal and determine if it was attained. If the idea was to make the officer feel safer, then perhaps it did so, but it's a false security since the homeowner was not searched and could just as easily had three more like it on his person. So just what was accomplished?
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The argument is that it's for officer safety, as he doesn't know (1) if the person standing there is actually the homeowner or a burglar posing as the owner and (2) even if that is the owner, how is he going to react if he hears a noise (i.e. the owner gets scared and might shoot the officer). As you imply, it's a feel good measure posing as a standard procedure. If the issue really were officer safety, you'd see the person searched and removed under restraints . . . just in case.

Of course, the officer has now removed the homeowner's ability to protect himself, thus subjecting the officer and the department to liability if anything happens to the homeowner during the duration.
 
By the way, same situation happened at a friend's place a while back. His alarm goes on and, as per our LFI and YFA training, he got the kiddies in the secure area and bunkered down. The cops arrived and searched the premises.

The difference is that these good ole boys never thought to have him disarm, which he wouldn't have done in any event. "Disarm? No way. Thank you for your time but you can go now."
 
It was for the officer's peace of mind, officer safety, etc. Many officers I know support RKBA, private ownership, etc. And, I have headr from several of them about coming into contact with armed citizens while conducting an investigation. In each case, they either personally secured the weapon, or watched as the citizen secured it. The reason, as so well explained by a firearms instructor, is that he has no idead of the skill level of the person he's dealing with. Safest assumption to make is that the owner is incompetent, so securing the weapon avoids a problem.

Best armed citizen story: murder victim's father was reputed to have purchased a .300 Win Mag rifle, complete with bipod and scope. In other words, a nice rifle for long range precision shooting, like maybe taking out the guy who raped and killed his 14 year old daughter while he's being transported to the courthouse. On the chief's orders, the lead detectives go talk to him, tell himn the rumor, and he confirms it. Says the rifle is in the closet over there. They ask if they can secure it until the trial is over. He agrees. No problem. They open the closet, and find the gun case, along with another 15 or 20 other rifles, shotguns, and handguns.

They left the rifle... ;)
 
In each case, they either personally secured the weapon, or watched as the citizen secured it. The reason, as so well explained by a firearms instructor, is that he has no idead of the skill level of the person he's dealing with. Safest assumption to make is that the owner is incompetent, so securing the weapon avoids a problem.
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Interestingly enough, I have the same opinion of most officers I meet. No offense intended but my next door neighbor is a FWPD officer. One day, he came over and was checking out some of the gear and I was quite surprised when he couldn't identify or properly handle a single one. He explained that the only weapons he had ever fired were his service pistol and shotgun and he only ever did that as required for qualification and the practice that was required for it. He also revealed that most of his co-workers had about the same level of experience. I might wind up getting shot one day, but I've made the commitment to clearing any weapon prior to handing it over to an officer when requested. Otherwise, I might get shot anyway.
 
Interestingly enough, I have the same opinion of most officers I meet.
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I won't go that far. I've seen cops who were highly capable and competent but others I wouldn't trust to be anywhere around firearms.
 
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