How do LEO's see CCWer's?

[PRM]

Been an LEO since 1977 and I am a Life Member of the NRA. Can't answer for everyone - the LEO community is like all others (some good, some....) I will say that most of the guys I have worked with are all pro-2nd Amendment and are as much against what as currently being proposed as the rest of the firearms owners in this country.

In the rural South, guns are just a part of the culture. Unless someone is breaking the law, I don't see it as any more of a threat than any other tool.

 

[9MMare]

I see no reason not to tell them. They know eventually when they run the tag, so its best to be honest from the start.

Disclaimer-this is my opinion and yours may vary.

It is not dishonest not to tell them either. They do know the potential is there if they run your plate (in many jurisdictions). If it matters to them, they can ask but to remain safe, they have to assume EVERYONE is armed everytime....so it shouldnt really matter if you tell them or not.

Nor is it illegal in my state to refrain.

 

[Eleanor416Rigby]

Got pulled over headed down IH45 from Houston to Galveston when a pickup started following me. It turned out to be an off-duty LEO who got a call from a concerned citizen who saw my CCW because I was on my motorcycle and the wind blew my shirt up.

I exited and pulled into a gas station and did a 180 so I could see him coming. He stopped his vehicle well shy of me and got out, raised his hands as if to say "this is a friendly encounter" and then proceeded to come and ask for my license and remind me that it must remain concealed. He said that he saw my weapon when he was behind me, and he knew it must have been licensed.

Two more officers showed up before we finished the conversation, and everybody gave me suggestions on how to ride my motorcycle without letting this happen. NONE of what they said suggested I shouldn't carry. They did not issue me any paper.

I hand over my carry permit even when I'm not carrying. Officers thank me for it. Whether I'm carrying or not, they don't ask where it is or to see it, and they surely do not handle it.

 

[KLL]

It is not dishonest not to tell them either. They do know the potential is there if they run your plate (in many jurisdictions). If it matters to them, they can ask but to remain safe, they have to assume EVERYONE is armed everytime....so it shouldnt really matter if you tell them or not.

Nor is it illegal in my state to refrain.

My thought is this (could vary by jurisdiction, I can't speak for other areas) - you do not have to turn engine off, you do not have to roll down your window prior to the officer's arrival at said window, you do not have to put your hands on the steering wheel or turn your interior lights on, and you do not have to notify the officer of your legal ability to carry and/or whether you are currently carrying. However, these are all things which I believe will make a stressful situation for the officer a little less tense. I would never tell anyone they are obligated or have to tell an officer, however I believe it is regarded as a positive thing to share that information up front.

 

[9MMare]

My thought is this (could vary by jurisdiction, I can't speak for other areas) - you do not have to turn engine off, you do not have to roll down your window prior to the officer's arrival at said window, you do not have to put your hands on the steering wheel or turn your interior lights on, and you do not have to notify the officer of your legal ability to carry and/or whether you are currently carrying. However, these are all things which I believe will make a stressful situation for the officer a little less tense. I would never tell anyone they are obligated or have to tell an officer, however I believe it is regarded as a positive thing to share that information up front.

Interesting. From my perspective in having had been in this position (making car stops) I will say that hands on the wheel.....a very obvious but small thing...makes an officer more confident....than some 'statement'.

And I dont care how 'stressful' it is for the cop. They are expected to act professionally. Questioning my legal right to do something is not their purview. If police are uncomfortable with permit holders....um....they shouldnt be pulling over cars at all, so really....you cant make them 'comfortable.' LEOs shouldnt trust anyone.

If your hands are on the wheel however, they are NOT holding a gun. Seems like an obvious physical thing you can do to give 'peace of mind' or 'courtesy.' But words are cheap.

I've been pulled over a few times since carrying (light out 2 nights in a row, tabs cuz I have about 5 vehicles I need to track and sometimes forget)...not once have I informed and not once has it been brought up, at all. I did have 2 of them go out of their way to thank me about my hands on the wheel tho. I've also only gotten one ticket...tabs...out of all of them.