Badges

[OldStar]

The only people impressed by badges are the (non-law enforcement) people who carry them.

A couple of deputy sheriff friends of mine told me of an experience that they had once, while working in plainclothes, when they approached a street hood and flashed their badges.

He looked at them and said, "That don't mean nothin' man. Show me some paper!" He wanted to see photo ID.

Wise law enforcement officers carry a folder which permits display of the badge and the photo ID at the same time.

When I was a fed (no uniform) we were trained that if we got into a shooting or had to draw our weapon that we should display our badges prominently so that local police would know our identity. BUT, when local police came on the scene we disarmed until they could come closer and verify the photo ID.

With regard to "badge" or "shield" - it's geographic. Different areas have different frames of reference. In big cities in the northeast, "shield" predominates. In the southeast we tend to say "badge." That may be, in part because in the south you see a lot more badges configured as a star rather than as a shield.

It seems to me that anyone who wants to display a CCW badge is saying "Look at me, look at me."

Spot 77 said it best, "Concealed means concealed."

 

[tcsd1236]

Bad.Screams wanna be.

 

[Unisaw]

Bad. You might as well have "I'm stupid" tattoed on your forehead.

 

[Edmond]

I wonder if Mr. Brinks lost his job over being a dumb@$$...

 

[CentralTexas]

I agree with the posts but-

would there be a use at a crime scene?
Say you are holding criminals at gunpoint or have intervened in a Columbine and awaiting police?
Would it be a way to keep the local cops from just killing you?
I could see holding it up as they arrive so they don't assume you are the bad guy and take you out- they would never take the chance of hurting a fellow officer.
CT

 

[iiibdsiil]

If you actually had to have a CCW permit to get one and possess it, I could see it being a good thing. There is one on ebay though...

I mean, it might be kinda nice to have something that in the even something happens, you could flash it, and people won't totally trip out when you open fire. Maybe they would just think you are an off duty officer, just don't yell POLICE!

But, next thing you know, you have the BG's getting away because they flashed some damn badge and Officer Farva didn't check ID, and now they are gone.

 

[borderguy]

What's the point? Even the badge I wear says it conveys no authority unless accompanied by credentials. It's more likely to get you into trouble than save your ass. Some people like flashing em at the checkout when they pay for their goceries.

 

[Sistema1927]

G. Indicia of licensure. No person may carry a badge, patch, card, or any other indication of authority to carry a concealed handgun in New Mexico other than the license issued by the department.

Non-issue in New Mexico (thank goodness).

 

[gunsmith]

it appears you may be wrong Furious Styles

I thought open carry was legal in PA,of course I could be wrong.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=89564&highlight=open+AND+carry
I'm guessing you're talking about PA.
As to the armed guards choice of weapon some companies and some states have confusing regs,like FL for instance you can CCW allmost anything off duty (if you have a CCW) but armed guards there are only permitted to have .38's on duty (though I've heard some may get to carry 9mm with a lot of bureacratic judo) it may be that was the only gun he had that was acceptable to his employer.
When I first started looking for work in that field I went to wacky hut. Wacky hut in Frisco only lets you carry .38 revolvers,the company I work for now lets you carry just about anything except 1911 .45's -but a glock in .45 acp is fine!.
Wacky hut in Frisco insist that only their firearms and ammo may be carried by their guards,so you get a crappy not very well taken cared of abused revolver instead of your own well taken care of Ruger that you have fired accurately a million times.

 

[El Rojo]

My plan for not getting shot while I wait for the cops to arrive after I shoot or hold someone at gun point is to be on my cell phone. I have the local jurisdictions on speed dial and you can bet I will be talking to them directly and giving them a person discription of myself and the perp(s), emphasizing what I look like and to not immediately shoot me. That is my plan. A CCW badge is a sure sign of stupidity and will not look well to anyone there wanting to investigate why you drew your gun and/or shot someone.

 

[borderguy]

Well said El Rojo. Thinking a shiny badge will keep you from getting shot is the first sign of poor judgement. Rather than flash the badge at oncoming LEO's like your one of the boys, let the 911 operator know what's going on.

You never know if someone called 911 and said a cop impersonater just shot somebody.

In any case, chances are you be asked (ordered) to drop the weapon when the LEO's arrive.

 

[CentralTexas]

Uh Huh...."

"You never know if someone called 911 and said a cop impersonater just shot somebody."

And the person calling 911 would know this how? Psychic ability?
-CT

 

[OldStar]

"You never know if someone called 911 and said a cop impersonater just shot somebody."

And the person calling 911 would know this how? Psychic ability?

Easy. The person calling 911 saw what a crummy wannabe badge you had.

AND, if it looks too much like a real badge, you ARE a cop impersonator.


By the way. If a cop says "DROP the gun," that doesn't mean lay it down - DROP it. I know of a cop friend of mine who shot a man who wouldn't DROP his gun because he didn't want to get it scratched up.

The best course of action is to lay it down as you see the police approach. Keep it close enough to retrieve it if the bad guy makes a move, but when the police get to you, step away from it.

And - use your voice. Shout to the cops that you are the one who stopped the crime, and point to the bad guy and tell them he is the bad guy.

The cops will trust no one until they have complete control of the scene, which might mean that they handcuff you as well as the bad guy. Don't resist. It will all get ironed out.

 

[Archangel]

Just to play devil's advocate, what about this:

In Virginia, concealed carry in any establishment that sells alcohol is illegal, but open carry is still ok. So a CCW'er going into a restaurant for dinner has to go from concealed to open carry, which brings up the possibility of a blissninny freaking out and causing a scene.

Now, if the CCW'er had a badge on their belt next to their gun, the blissninny could happily assume they had just seen a cop, and the CCW'er could enjoy their dinner without a big drama being made, and without having to explain to the management / responding officers that yes, open carry is in fact legal.



I agree that any badge flashing / waving around / impersonating of an officer is a big no-no, and that CCW badges are more likely to be owned by posers and wannabes, but in the above scenario it does seem like a useful conflict avoidance tool, no?

 

[OldStar]

Absolutely makes sense to me.

However, I've got to believe that the Virginia legislature is going to say "Ooops," and change the open carry law.

As paranoid as Northern Virginia county governments are about firearms, I find it hard to believe that the open carry law ever passed.