Police Perspective on Open Carry

April 26, 2011 | by Calvin R.

PoliceOne is a popular law enforcement news website and they recently ran an article on how to approach open carriers. It is good insight for anyone open carrying to understand how law enforcement views you and how we can work to be a good ambassador for the second amendment.

Open carry is gaining momentum in areas of the country that won’t allow concealed carry permits, or where those permits are so highly restricted as to be all but impossible to obtain. Debates and arguments for and against open carry are fueling increasing concerns and outright alarm on both sides.

Proponents for open carry argue that government officials in certain areas of the country routinely deny issuance of concealed carry permits and generally have an anti-gun or elitist mentality. Proponents argue also that in so doing, the government denies the right of self protection to the individual, which has in turn, helped to spark the growth of open carry as an alternative strategy for self defense.

Read on: PoliceOne

featured, open carry, policeone

Smileycj305
Well, having been a Police Officer, and now, licensed to carry concealed,
I do have thoughts about open carry… As an Officer, although under different
circumstances, meaning my State at the time, did not have any provisions for
issuing a permit to private citizens… Do now, but not then, so anyone with a
weapon exposed, was automatically a person of interest… There were times
that an open cary was allowed, and almost expected.. Deer season, being one
example.. during those times even an open hunting knife was allowed, in spite
of the fact that a Dirk, Dagger, or any other fixed blade knife, on the belt was
a prohibited carry weapon…and some would go into “Convenience” stores and buy
items of need for the day out in the Deer Woods…that being said, some would
have a pistol on… Watched but usually not harrassed… STILL, a person of
interest..And all the time it was illegal as an in town carry…
Out of sight, out of mind, is one thought… Not to say that the good guys have
them out of sight as opposed to any of the bad people, but a weapon out in the
open, not accompanied by a badge on or near the weapon, raises a lot of
eyebrows… Any Law Enforcement Officer would be on the alert, regardless…
I am not certain if open carry would be as much a deterent as concealed..
In the first place, one of the reasons “the bad guys’ are more careful, is because
they DON’T know if someone is carrying or not… Open carry would eliminate the
hesitation..And allow a bad guy to plan for the weapon, and accompanying
confrontation… There are those, regardless of record or other psychological
maladies, that are permitted to carry, that only behave because it’s against
most CCW provisions, to allow weapon to be seen…. WITH open carry
there would, definately, be some that would flaunt, and act a fool…
So, in general, I am not really an advocate of open carry.. fearing it could
cause more harm than good….but that is only MY opinion…
serving in Iraq
i am against the national concealed carry for law enforcement.
There are different laws in every state and if the officer is out of his jurusdiction then the same rules should apply,
If they have it than normal citizens should be able to have national carry.
- Tuckerzz
  First let me thank you for your service to our country. I respect your opinion but would like to disagree on the strategy. I think it is unwise to call for the curtailing of someone else’s freedom to carry just because yours are currently restricted. It would be far better to argue that an officer outside his/her jurisdiction is just a citizen like you and me. If they can carry concealed in all these locations, then we should argue for, and elect individuals who will, make these freedoms (which are currently curtailed in contradiction of our protected constitutional rights) available to all citizen.

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