Official Police contact- What do you say?

[ChattanoogaPhil]

If the police around here were routinely asking people if they were armed and disarming everyone who said yes, both the Mayor and Sherrif would be tarred and feathered. Free people don't put up with such nonsense.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

Bit off topic, sort of, but the dumbest thing I ever saw on a traffic stop was an idiot who had purchased a 'Concealed Carry Permit' badge. Yeah, a badge. Had it in a wallet, flipped it out like he was Kojak.

I presume we all love guns on this forum, but that is too far out, man. Whack job. Best advice I can give anyone vis-à-vis CHL's and police contact is DON'T BUY A DUMB CCW BADGE! And if you do, leave it at home as a desktop decoration or something.

Somebody must be buying these stupid things because Amazon has a bunch for sale The Vintage one looks like an old Texas Ranger badge.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Concealed-Weapon-Emblem-Holder/dp/B00FBR6YU2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435603903&sr=8-1&keywords=ccw+badges"]Amazon.com : Vintage Concealed Weapon Badge Emblem Gold Color & Neck Chain Holder : Office Products@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DckWBV2nL.@@AMEPARAM@@51DckWBV2nL[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ccw+badges"]Amazon.com: ccw badges@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DckWBV2nL.@@AMEPARAM@@51DckWBV2nL[/ame]

 

[TexasRaider]

Yeah, that's brilliant. Just think how happy your friendly neighborhood police offer will be when he contacts someone for speeding and they flip this thing out. There's places, I imagine, that that might get you arrested for impersonating an LEO.

 

[RSanch111]

IF I am stopped for lights out, rolling through a stop sign, exceeding speed limit; whatever - what reason does the officer have to inquire what I may or may not have in my vehicle???
I don't understand the question!!! JMHO.............

Because a lot of criminals are pretty stupid and some of them actually answer honestly when you ask them a question like that and they're carrying a gun. Same goes for: "Do you have any drugs in the car?" They answer to questions like that, more often than you might think, is something like: "Just a small one that I carry for protection because I live in a rough neighborhood" or "Just a blunt in the glove box". Even when you say "no", the next question may be: "Do you mind if I check your glove box?" It's not our fault some people practically jump into the back seat of our cars and put the cuffs on themselves.... On a typical stop for traffic, the police really don't need a reason to ask you anything they want to ask you. "Do you walk to work or take your lunch?" "No officer, just one dime bag of weed and it's not even mine!" Some people are just dying to talk to you. You just have to talk to them first sometimes.....

 

[ladder13]

Here in oppressive NY, no duty to inform, no link to DMV(yet), and able to carry in restaurants selling liquor.

Haven't been stopped in 20 years.

 

[kbm6893]

And how do you think NY will treat you if you shoot a guy after drinking 2 beers? They locked up an off duty cop about 5 years ago when he stopped a robbery or rape or some other serious felony. The cop had a few beers in his own backyard and was going to be fired. I believe the PC spared him after the outrage made it to the public.

 

[Old TexMex]

Those numbers seem awfully high to me. I'll bet it's more like 10% with 20% in rural areas.

Hey, you really ARE from California, aren't ya!



(Just kiddin' Rastoff, you have my respect)

 

[Fred_G]

Hey, you really ARE from California, aren't ya!



(Just kiddin' Rastoff, you have my respect)

LOL! Ras, you ain't spent much time in the south have you?

 

[Beemer-mark]

1st, if you have a CCW permit, it's on your record, not just your DL. The LEO scans your plate into the computer. He knows your whole life history before he gets out of the car. Assuming it's your car he knows you have a CCW permit before he gets to the car. Keep you hands on the top of the steering wheel until he asks for your DL. You definitely don't want to reaching for anything that removes your hands from his line of sight.

 

[Rastoff]

1st, if you have a CCW permit, it's on your record, not just your DL.

Not all states include ccw info with DMV info.

 

[Skeet 028]

Being a country type I've almost always has a gun or three in my vehicle. And I lived in Md. I one time went to pick up a gal for a date. She lived in Cambridge Md. The National guard wouldn't let me in town cause I had a shotgun and ammo in the car. There was a fellow Named H. "Rap" Brown inciting riots in Cambridge. So I parked outta town a bit and she came and picked me up... Found out she was a bit wilder than me. Here In Wyoming(mostly rural) the percentage of vehicles with guns in then probably approaches 90% including the people that carry concealed. Montana is probably pretty close to that figure too

 

[LenS]

FWIW, I have been asked, "Do you know why I stopped you?" It happened in Newton MA on a radar setup on a main drag through a residential neghborhood. I answered, "Probably for speeding." I got a warning ticket. Don't know whether that was for honesty, or because he was mainly set up to give warning tickets, or some other reason. I also don't know what my speed was.

Last time I heard from an LEO, LEOs in MA could find out whether the registered owner had a permit, but they had to ask for it, and generally didn't. I have also heard from at least one MA LEO who thought that people who volunteered such information were a little off, and were usually trying to say something that the LEO really didn't want to hear.

Things have changed in MA over the past few years. More and more departments have converted software for their MDTs from text-based to CJISWeb. CJISWeb on a query will pull up the driver (DL query) or registered owner (Reg query) info including DL picture, gun permits, any wants/warrants all up on the header page.

Still no duty to inform however.

IF I am stopped for lights out, rolling through a stop sign, exceeding speed limit; whatever - what reason does the officer have to inquire what I may or may not have in my vehicle???
I don't understand the question!!! JMHO.............

They can "ask" whatever they want. You don't have to answer, but be polite with whatever you do and don't lie.

Why would a GA LEO need to ask? I would think they just automatically assume everyone is armed.

Smart officers anywhere should assume that whoever they stop may be armed and conduct themselves with caution.

Ayoob is generally very knowledgeable, but if he is telling you to have your license out before the cop walks up, then I say he is wrong. Reaching for anything until you are told is not wise. Is it your wallet or a gun? Just sit there with hands at 10 and 2 and wait to be asked. Ignorant but well meaning people reach for it all the time before the cop is even there. Same with getting out of the car.

And as pro-cop as I am, you're not searching my car without probable cause. Shining a light everywhere is fine to make sure there is nothing illegal, but that's it.

I know Mas and like you disagree with him on that point.

Agree with you, you can search my car . . . but need a warrant to do so unless you have PC, in which case you won't be asking.

Yeah, that's brilliant. Just think how happy your friendly neighborhood police offer will be when he contacts someone for speeding and they flip this thing out. There's places, I imagine, that that might get you arrested for impersonating an LEO.

MA is one of those. You will almost certainly be arrested for impersonating an officer (felony).

 

[SC_Mike]

I've been stopped twice since I've had my permit and was carrying each time, once a few miles from the rifle range with half a dozen black bags in the rear seat in view.

Each time I had time enough to have all licenses and paperwork out in left hand with right hand on the wheel. Once he took my intel, my hands stayed on the wheel. When he handed it back I moved slowly to take it back and placed it up on the dash and slowly put my hand back on the wheel and kept them there until he was finished. SC is a must present permit State.

Both times just a warning ticket for excessive velocity.

 

[fixitfred]

I've been stopped for speeding a couple times and went through several "safety" checkpoints (looking for drunks) while carrying. They've never asked. I've had no reason to declare that I was carrying. Always be polite. Turn on the dome light at night. Hands on wheel. etc. If for some reason I was being frisked, I would mention it before it was discovered. I can't imagine ever being suspected of an offense that would warrant a frisk, though.

I do this and also pull over at a safe location and stop as far off the road as possible. This all helps in getting off with a warning instead of a ticket.

This is controversial because it's not a good idea to be seen fidgetting when stopped but I get my license, both driving and gun license, out before hand and hold it while grabbing the wheel with both hands sometimes it's just one hand on the wheel with my other hand hanging way out the window to look cool. Window down looking straight ahead.

I'm not required so I don't normally tell them if I have a loaded gun with me. I have before and they have freaked out and take it from you and/or unload it which I feel is totally unecessary.

I also sometimes get asked if I'm carrying any illegal weapons or drugs. When I say no and they ask me if I mind if they check and search I always so no, I do mind and you do not have my permission to search. Then they almost always say well if you don't have anything to hide...

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

Must just be me, but the Golden Rule applies. I would notify the cop, if I were a cop, I would want the person I am conversing with to tell me. If the cop somehow found out, there would be an increase in suspicion, not less.
Everyone is different though. We dont seem to a polite society anymore.
I couldnt find my registration in the glove, the cop told me NOT to look for it and to just bring it into the station to prove registration, just gave me a warning.

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

Amazon.com : Vintage Concealed Weapon Badge Emblem Gold Color & Neck Chain Holder : Office Products

here is the matching mask

 

[fixitfred]

I would guess that in most jurisdictions in Georgia, at least 60% of vehicles have firearms in them. In rural areas, you can probably bump that to 90%. It is legal to have a loaded handgun in your vehicle without a Georgia Weapons License.

Why would a GA LEO need to ask? I would think they just automatically assume everyone is armed.

Those numbers seem awfully high to me. I'll bet it's more like 10% with 20% in rural areas.

You're not from around here are you?

How may gun racks do you see in pick up trucks your way with umbrellas in them?

Maybe not that high but It's a lot closer to 90% than 20%

 

[Rastoff]

You're not from around here are you?

What does that have to do with anything?

Most statistics are made up on the spot and this one is no different. 90%? Really?

Let's look at it another way. If we were to poll the members of this site we'd find that a huge percentage have guns in their car often. This is because this is a gun site. So, it stands to reason the bias would be toward guns.

The same goes for you and I in our personal lives. We are gun people so, we tend to surround ourselves with gun people. This it seems that everyone around us has guns.

However, the vast majority of people in the US aren't gun people. Therefore, I suspect that the 90% number is based off those you know and is likely skewed because of it.

 

[cmort666]

We dont seem to a polite society anymore.

I don't get this "polite" thing.

Do you announce to people behind the counter at McDonald's?

The checkout person at the grocery store?

If not, are you "impolite"? After all, in all likelihood they're completely disarmed and helpless in the face of an attack from you. Doesn't their "safety" count for anything?

 

[Skeet 028]

What does that have to do with anything??


Most statistics are made up on the spot and this one is no different. 90%? Really?


However, the vast majority of people in the US aren't gun people. Therefore, I suspect that the 90% number is based off those you know and is likely skewed because of it.

Sometimes it matters coinsiderably. As a case in point..I am originally from Md...a decidedly gun unfriendly state. But I lived on the Eastern Shore of Md...Nothing at all like the wrong side of Maryland. And although carrying concealed was not an option(even as a Licensed dealer) approx. 40% of people usually had a firearm(mostly shotguns or a 22 rifle in their vehicle.. It was country. Things have changed in the last few years with all the people moving out of the city trying to get away from it and bringing it with them. The rate may be higher. More crime ya know?

Statistics quite often are made up even when the lying gummit or a lying media person does it. But having been in many rural areas in the south..the 90% figure may be high..but maybe not as much as you may think. Here in Wyoming it is very high..probably approaching that 90% figure. But most of Wyoming is very rural. In much of rural Arkansas where I spent a little time..that figure of 90% would have probably been close.


You could be correct on this BUT..in the rural regions discussed most people know other people. Heck In the area of Md I lived in I was related to about 40% of 'em(the native residents) and knew most of the rest. There were only about 6000 people in my part of the county excluding the city folk who resided on Kent Island. My family has lived within 10 miles or so of where I lived since the 1660s. So the fact that you may know people also skews the results...in the country anyway. Yeah..the country is changing and becoming more citified..Hopefully it doesn't gain momentum. Living in the country is great as long as you don't try to change IT.