//If it was the better tactical choice to stay concealed, then shouldn't the majority of cops be plain clothed?//
id like to hear the answer to this.
I'll be fair...guns are just one of many tools LEOs have at their disposal. And also to be fair, there are those who would target a uniformed LEO just because they are a LEO. Sick, twisted individuals...
Yes, LEOs have to run toward trouble when we can run away. Yes, they have a far greater chance of needing to draw their weapon than we do. And yes, a uniformed cop presents a visual deterrent to criminals.
They represent the authority of the state to remove freedom, and that is shown in the uniform and the badge.
The gun on their hip represents the ultimate authority and responsibility, the ability to take life in order to protect life. The rules may be different, but the same principles apply to armed citizens. There is an argument to be made that a gun says, "I am a free citizen, and I will defend my life and right to remain free with lethal force should you try to take either from me."
What's the true purpose of alarm systems, whether they be in home or car? To deter criminals, right? And how do they do that? By making your house or car just a little harder to rob or steal than the one next to it. Criminals, on the whole, want easy targets. Ever hear of the book "Games People Play"? There's a similar book that is popular with corrections personnel called "Games Criminals Play". It discusses the criminal mindset, and covers the "interview" process that criminals use when selecting a victim. It's an awful lot like being the meek looking guy at the carnival...the carnies are going to LOVE you, because you're enough of a sucker to play their crooked games. They don't waste their time with the big guy who walks upright and doesn't give them the time of day.
Are there truly bad guys out there? Yup.
I remember a book by Marc MacYoung I read years ago, where he talked about how a professional knows when they are up against a regular thug, or a hardened opponent. He said something to the effect of, "...you know you've gone and treed a bad one..."
If you find yourself against a criminal who is truly ruthless and has tactical sense, you're in deep, deep, deep trouble. Are you going to run into that criminal in a Kwik-e-Mart? I'd guess...no, unless they are stopping off for a Squishy or other treat on the way to their next heist. If you do run into them, could they in theory shoot you to remove a threat? Sure. I'll grant that it could happen. More likely that those guys aren't robbing convenience stores, unless they're aiming for the armored car drivers. And yes, then you have a problem. If a bad guy is going into a situation expecting armed resistance, people are going to get hurt. Your average street-level choirboy doesn't have that mentality.
Now, the problem with your average punk is that they are jumpy little hamsters, prone to reacting first, thinking later. The good news is that because of that very trait, they also have the attention span of me trying to read the latest iteration of the healthcare bill, and the situational awareness of a college student in Hooters. Watch the videos, and read the cases. Most of the time when a victim DOES put up a fight, it destroys the choirboy's OODA loop to the point of utter shock. When they do fight back, it's panicky and random. But even bad guys can get lucky...
However, at that point your method of carry is moot. You've already made the choice to deploy your weapon.
Are there exceptions? Sure. There always are. I don't want to be the lone guy with a gun if MS-13 comes busting through a door. Then again, I try to avoid areas where MS-13 comes busting through doors.
There's always a chance of anything happening. That's the joy of statistics.
I've had more interesting discussions, handed out more business cards, and gotten more students via open carrying than by any other method. I've never had a negative law enforcement experience or been asked to leave because of it. Like I said, I carry concealed most of the time, and I'm selective of where I open carry. But it's nothing to be afraid of.
ETA - In my time working corrections (mainly halfway facilities), I can count on one hand the number of truly bad folks I met in those few years...and only one gave me an honest case of the heebie-jeebies. I was right...his track record involved assaults on law enforcement, and he later escaped from a different facility, followed by a brutal attack on a cop resulting in him stealing the cop's pistol (but not killing the cop, mind you...when he was caught and asked why he didn't kill the cop, he replied that he didn't want to face a murder charge if he didn't have to). How do you know when you've got someone like that in front of you? You'll know. You're facing a predator at that point, and your only options are to play dead, or be the tougher predator.
The greater danger is being on the wrong end of a panicky idiot, not of a cold, calculated villain.
Know your environment, know what you're more likely to run into. There are members of this forum who may live in areas overrun by cold-blooded killers. It's the exception, not the rule.
-Mark
BUT, if you are dealing with a criminal who KNOWS you are armed and wants to party ANYWAY, he is very dangerous and unpredictable.
