Getting stopped while CCing

[johnwilliamson062]

It's against the law to not inform the officer in many states. If it's the law, follow it or don't carry

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In Ohio it comes up when they run your tags. It is the law to inform. I highly recommend just telling the officer whether it is mandatory or not. If the officer catches a glimpse of your sidearm when you haven't told him, there is a good chance he will draw on you.
I have had a speed since I received my CCW, and the officer was very tense when he first approached the car. It was a pretty young officer with an older officer with him, so I assume he was a rookie. May have been his first CCW stop. It is much more important to sit still in the car with both hands on the steering wheel. I was not carrying at the time and he untensed as soon as I told him so. He did not ask me to exit the vehicle or anything like that to check. I had a tie on as I was working at the time, so that probably put him at ease also. Had I been dressed head to toe in camo it may have been different.
Most police officers are not against civilians having weapons. Most police officers realize it takes them 3-5 minutes to respond to a location after a 911 call is made. A whole lot can happen in 3-5 minutes. I do not mind telling them I am or am not carrying. It simply removes a chance for a misunderstanding and someone being hurt.

If they pull you out of the car when you are blatantly legal and haul you off to jail get a lawyer. Get a psychiatrist and claim psychological damage along with the damage to your reputation. If the police officer takes advantage of his legal authority get back at him by taking advantage of your legal authority as a citizen.

 

[AK103K]

Ah, I love Philadelphia lawyers! LEOs are allowed to search anywhere within reach of the subject when approached - for weapons only.

Seems to me that this would have been a very gray area for the cop if things went down as described. What would have been his need or probable cause to do it at all, if he was informed and presented with documentation? The fact that you spoke up? Are we saying here that even with a permit, one they gave you because you are a good guy, we are still suspect? Sounds like a clear cut case of harassment to me, and I would have made a point to, at the very least have my complaint entered into his file, if they did nothing else.

If the officer catches a glimpse of your sidearm....

Why would he? The only way thins can happen is if you let it.

May have been his first CCW stop.

Hmmm, is this to insinuate that all law abiding people who went to the trouble of getting a permit are somehow a threat to the cop because they in fact did the proper thing and might have a gun in the car? I thought we are law abiding citizens and he has nothing to worry about?

Had I been dressed head to toe in camo it may have been different.

Yea, he might have had to search the car for the driver.

Most police officers realize it takes them 3-5 minutes to respond to a location after a 911 call is made.

Add a zero to those numbers and whats 911?

If the police officer takes advantage of his legal authority get back at him by taking advantage of your legal authority as a citizen.

Absolutely! And be VERY vocal about it right to the top.

 

[copenhagen]

So we had a liberty brief last night. The California Highway Patrol came to give it. The Officer touched on weapons. He said something like this: "I know it sucks, but your CCW is not valid in California. Your weapon needs to be unloaded and out of sight/out of reach. If you do have a weapon in the car, and I know you Marines, you have weapons all over the place, knives are floating around everywhere, make sure it is out of sight, and don't tell us about it, because then we will have to draw our weapons and it will be a mess until we prove you are not a threat." Basically, I understood him to mean that if you have a weapon in the vehicle, and you are stopped for a routine traffic violation, etc., just be respectful, and pretend your weapon is not there. He did not advocate illegal carrying, but he basically said to avoid hot water, don't inform the LEO. Obviously, if you were questioned, I wouldn't advise lying, but it isn't something you need to bring up. "Out of sight, out of mind."