Would you bring a gun when expecting the police?

[SMLE]

Just to throw in MY two cents.
I would have driven to a good vantage point and watched the place from a distance to see if any vehicles or people left the building. I would have called the police and advised tham that I was observing the place and given them my description. I then would have stayed the heck out of the way until they had arrived and checked the scene themselves. THEN I would have made contact with the officers on the scene and told them who I was and why I was there. Only after making contact with the officers, would I have examined the place myself and contacted the neighbor to advise him of what was going on. I would have been armed, but kept it out of sight. I would have assumed a "observe and report" status. Until the police had arrived.

And the Police did arrive within 10 minutes while I was outside with my flashlight.

AND I would NOT NOT NOT have been poking around the yard with a flashlight BEFORE the cops arrived! That's just too darn good a way to win a Darwin award!

 

[Alan Fud]

I saw the police car pull up and I approached the car with my hands at my side and identified myself as a neighbor as the deputy got out of the car.

Posted by BluesBear: ... But conjuring up a scenario and falsely passing it off as real events isn't exactly taking the High Road is it? ...

Neither is accusing someone of lying taking the high road. Is it?

 

[tyme]

You're putting your life at risk so the owner could get there maybe 10-30 minutes sooner? (No doubt the police would call him if there were really a break-in.) That sounds like a good way to satisfy those who are tired of reading fud-files.

Please tell me there's something I'm missing. Did this neighbor have lots of diamonds or something else of substantial value? Why would there be a big rush to get there if it had been burglarized?

I agree with SMLE... surveilling from a distance, looking for obvious suspicious vehicles, etc. is about all I'd ever do absent the potential of human victims. Take along a rifle if you're really worried, but why oh why would you go poking around the outside of a house when there is some fear that there's an armed criminal inside?

 

[Alan Fud]

Why? Because he asked me to. Because if the shoe was on the other foot, I would also appreciate if a neighbor would check things out for me.

 

[444]

"I saw the police car pull up and I approached the car with my hands at my side and identified myself as a neighbor as the deputy got out of the car."

I am not sure where you live, you don't say, but here, this is an certain method of getting yourself held at gunpoint and cuffed until the situation sorts itself out. This isn't a guess or a worst case senario, this is a guarantee.

 

[Alan Fud]

I live in Lehigh Valley, PA in the middle of nowhere; where the nearest house is a football field away (at least for now ... they are building two new homes across the street which will be a lot closer to me).

I approached the car slowly maintaining eye contact with the deputy and stood several feet back as he opened his door. As he was getting out, I said "Good Afternoon Officer" and he replied with "Do you live here?" to which I answered: "No, I live in the house over there and my neighbor called me and asked me to check on his house because his alarm was going off." He then asked me for ID, which I produced and everything was cool from that point forward.

But you're right, I could have found myself being held at gunpoint which is why I wasn't sure if bring my CCW along would have been a good idea or not.

 

[Smoke]

Just to throw in another perspective.

If my neighbor called me and asked me to go check his house. I would have a gun. And I would be on private proerty at the owners request. So CCW/CHL is moot.

Whether it would be prudent to go is up for grabs. Too many variables to cover on BBS.

SMoke

 

[Baba Louie]

Robbery or Burglary? You describe one thing (alarm going off, no one at home = potential burglary) and use the word robbery later... two different things in my opinion.

If I knew the police were en route?
Legal and licensed CCW? Sure.

Get on/in neighbor's property?
NO. NEVER.

I'm not going to corrupt a potential crime scene or get into a gun battle with BG or have the po-po think I'm the BG, over my neighbor's property...
I'm there as a witness if I should see anyone drive off before the police arrive. If nothing occurred while I was waiting, fine. Tell John Law, give him my info, my thanks and go back home. Maybe invite him in for a late night cup o' joe.

I probably would note the response time, tho' for future reference.

But thats just me.

 

[Edward429451]

But conjuring up a scenario and falsely passing it off as real events isn't exactly taking the High Road is it?

Oh give me a break. That is the High Road thing to do. What if scenarios are what the prudent man is supposed to do before the fact. You can't wait until the ballon goes up to start what iffing.

If what iffing isn't the High Road, then I suppose all of Oleg's posters aren't the High Road either? Same difference, less illustration.



Glassing the house from a safe vantage point is a good idea though.

 

[cratz2]

I hate to be un-neighborly and all, but if an alarm was going off on someone's property and police were en route, I wouldn't go onto that property armed or not.

I might break out a pair of binoculars to see if I see anyone and jot down a description of the guy and/or vehicle but I wouldn't go over there at all.

 

[SMLE]

On further refelction, I might consider going in ahead of the police if there were a resident in the house who might be in danger from an intruder. If a life were at stake (even possibly) I wouldn't want to bet that life on the response time of the police. That would fall under the robbery scenario. If it was simple "cold" burglary and no one was home, I would still stay back and observe and report.

If I were to enter the house, I would immediatly locate the resident and get them out or hunker down behind a locked door and be on the phone to 911. I would not try clearing the house without back up. I'll leave that to the mall ninja

 

[ksnecktieman]

It appears I am the only one that went in, armed, of course. The situation I was entering, I was expecting to find a man and his wife, and two daughters inside. I made it apparent from outside the house that I was there for a preplanned fishing trip, by yelling and asking if he was ready yet. (Trying to increase my surprise element.) Even having only checked the ground floor of the house, I considered it empty. The police had me in their files as an emergency contact, so I do not expect arrest as an unconfirmed stranger.

I do agree, I would not have gone in for an intruder alert. I would have responded, to witness from around the corner, and I would have flagged down the first LEO on scene and identified myself.

 

[Sunray]

The guy calls the cops, then calls you to go see if he should come home? Why would you go out of the house seeing as he has got the flatfeet coming? I supect you'd end up with your face in the dirt if you went with a firearm. Cops won't take chances and ask to see your licence before they have your in cuffs on the ground.

 

[Thumper]

If I'm awake and out of the house, I'm armed. Interestingly, every interaction I've had with the police in the south (Texas, Arkansas, Georgia and FLorida, respectively) has been positive.

Most common police expression heard: "Don't shoot me and I won't shoot you." I think they must teach it at the academy.

 

[MarkDido]

"I'd imagine it would be determined on certain factors. Is there any immediate reason for you to go there, i.e. would anyone's life be in danger?"

At least here in Florida, LE usually requires the owner or a representative to respond to the location when an alarm system is activated (those provided by alarm companies)

The LEO's who respond to the alarm might find nothing, or they might actually find that a home/business was burglarized. If in fact there was a break-in for example, at a business, the cops aren't going to babysit the property until someone comes to work the next morning.

 

[artherd]

If I had to go in, I would call the police, ask dispatch to connect me straight to the lead car, and give them my description, tell them I am CCWing, and to please not shoot me.

I'd just check the house from a distance if nobody's life is in danger (telescope, look for open door, etc.)

 

[BluesBear]

Edward429451, please read and reread my quote, all of the words, not just some of them, until you fully understand what I was saying.

 

[Highland Ranger]

Leave the Cannoli's - TAKE the gun.

 

[Edward429451]

BluesBear

Done. I don't see sarcasm or anything to indicate you were joking.

Maybe you're subtle humor is lost on me?