Spoke to MSP...Bad Info!

[Dale Holcomb]

Spoke with a MSP Lieutenant today over the phone that's in charge of the gun board in my county (St. Clair). The conversation started out about me being a state Department of Corrections Lieutenant and getting an exemption on my CPL. It was denied, but the conversation led into open-carry when I told him that my reason for wanting the exemption status is because I've run into a couple ex-convicts of late and am concerned about me not being able to carry concealed at one of the places (hockey arena...pistol-free zone) I frequent. This is where I ran into the convicts, due to some community service work they were doing. I'm there about 4-5 times a week with my son and his hockey. I told him, "I know that with my CPL, I can carry open there even though it's a pistol-free zone, but I'd rather not advertise if I don't have to." We went round and round with it for a little while. IMHO, he had a lot of misinformed information about CPL's and open-carry laws. He first said that my CPL meant that I had to carry it concealed. He seemed to keep telling me information that I knew wasn't correct, and when I called him on it he would then retract it somewhat, like when I responded "I know for a fact, per your "MSP Alert Bulletin" that I receive at work, that open-carry is legal in Michigan. I can walk down the street and carry a pistol in the open even without a CPL." He then retracted somewhat by saying, "Yes, but if a business says you can't, then you have to leave." I agreed. He said he wasn't concerned with open-carry, only concealed issues. I was polite and told him about several of the MCL's concerning CPL's, where open-carry issues are involved with them directly.

I then told him that..."per the MSP website, regarding pistol-free zones, it states that a person with a CPL is exemept, so that means I can carry open there if I have a CPL...right?" I decided to end the conversation with him when he responded, "If you carry open in any of the pistol-free zones, even with a CPL, you'll be arrested." He did give me his email address and said that I could send him some information that I thought might be helpful regarding our conversation.

I wasn't really prepared to start quoting MCL numbers during the phone call, nor do I think it would have helped at the time. I know I wouldn't have listened much to me over the phone, especially when he was about to go on vacation after today. I at least got a window of opportunity by getting his email address and phone # to start the process of educating him.

Any suggestions on how best to approach this?


I at least plan on sending him this:


AG Opinions No. 7097 January 11, 2002 and No. 7097 January 11, 2002. “Your analysis is correct. Non-CPL pistol free zones do not apply to CPL holders. The CPL pistol free zones only apply to CPL holders carrying a concealed pistol. Therefore, a CPL holder may openly carry a pistol in Michigan's pistol free zones.” Sgt. Thomas Deasy, Michigan State Police Executive Resource Section, (517) 336-6441.)