Alaska - Tell a cop that you have a gun?

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I would argue the fact that cops are "on our side". I'm not saying they are on "the other side", but every cop is a different guy. Some are angry, some are nuts and some are actually great publics servants. Generalizations are pointless, every cop is an individual. When I interact with a cop I don't know, I assume the worst and hope for the best (the worst cop being equivalent to a mad dog). By the by, my brother is a cop and so was my father...
 
Well, I remin confused by the illogic of it.

I'll start by saying I don't have a problem telling any Texas Peace Officer that I'm carrying (and, it is, BTW, required by Tx law).

That being said, that same officer's safety is not affected pro or con by one iota by whether or not he knows.

Texas has a somewhat odd take on the whole thing, anyway.

You are required by law to notify, but there is no penalty for not doing so.

I still would, but don't see that my notification affects the officer's safety in any way.

Best,

Will
 
Officer safety.
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Correct. THe officer is more safe by a law abiding citizen informing him/her of being armed, since a criminal would not volunteer that information.:rolleyes:

Is it a courtesy? Depends on how you look at it.
 
In all my years on the "Job", To the best of my memory,I was informed less than 10 times that the person I had stopped for a traffic violation had a gun in the car. (Not required in N.Y.) All of them were told to keep their hands in sight, and step out of the vehicle. When they displayed their valid carry permit, they were told that I appreciated their honesty, and to have a nice day. No traffic tickets were issued. In my opinion, honesty pays.
Of the few times when drivers had not said anything, and either my partner or I saw the gun, tensions immediately escalated. Having your partner yell "GUN", really gets the heart rate up. So, even though it may not be required, like Wildalaska said, it's the courteous thing to do. May even pay dividends.
For whatever it's worth, if you keep your gun in the glove box with your registration, you had better say something before you open the glovebox. Much better safe than sorry.
 
I never say anything. I just present my CHL with my driver's license and let it speak for itself. I figure they'll know anyway when they run my driver's license. They always ask “Where is it”? I always inform them of its location and they always respond “Just leave it there”. I'm polite, they're polite and I've never had problems and received only warnings... except for just the other week. I was pulled over by a young LEO (looked like he was just out of the academy). He apologized for giving me a ticket, but said he had too. The Federal government had given the city grant money under the conditions that all traffic violations are ticketed for the holiday season. Saw something about this in the news, so I knew he was telling the truth and just doing what he was told. Now, I have to take driver training :barf:.
 
I think the concept is: if you are carrying legally, inform the LEO, so if discovery occurs, it does not appear to be a threat. If you are not carrying legally, ditto, even if the result is less agreeable. If discovery occurs without notification, carrying legally or not, the consequences of not advising the officer could be ugly. In most circumstances, you will be considered to be a threat, even if not inherently a criminal. If you are carrying legally, why would you not advise a officer who is constantly under threat by criminals who, if carrying, are doing so with malicious intent?
 
Of the few times when drivers had not said anything, and either my partner or I saw the gun, tensions immediately escalated. Having your partner yell "GUN", really gets the heart rate up.
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If folks are putting their ego needs ahead of a few simple words that will usually ensure a situation does not escalate, then perhaps they should consider whether they have the necessary mindset to be carrying a gun.

Morality and ethics mandate that the concealed carrier do everything he or she can to avoid any conflict whatsoever. Just because you tell "the man" you are carrying doesnt mean you are a serf.

It shows you are responsible.


WildandthatleadstoanewthreadAlaska ™©2002-2010
 
I fully agree with the notification laws, including the seemingly silly provision TX has for removing any penalty for failure to do so.

The law (when followed of course) allows the officer to more rapidly determine that he is likely dealing with a safer situation.

My only point was that the law (and the admittedly polite, courteous, and useful action) is totally unrelated to any actual safety the officer enjoys.

I think it can be argued however, that the law and associated requirements do serve to increase my own actual safety (possibly even from some fairly consequential misunderstandings).

I have invariably been treated with respect and courtesy when being stopped in TX (at least is the past 20 years or so).

Happy travelling and Merry Christmas to all.

Best,

Will
 
Heres an idea, DONT BREAK THE LAW AND YOU WONT GET PULLED OVER! Yes I understand there are traffic accidents and face it some people are hot headed when it comes to their vehicles. Thats why they have laws like that. IMO.
I personaly always have a rifle in my pickup. I was recently rear ended by an old lady and the police were called (by myself) when he arrived he asked for our information, I retrived it from my pickup and met him at his squad car. I quietly told him that there is a rifle in my vehicle and if he would feel safer if I were to stay out of my vehicle, he told me since I informed him right away that I obviously wasnt going to use it and I could exit and enter my vehicle freely. We filled out the paperwork and went on our way, my rifle wasnt ceased or I wasnt thrown down and handcuffed. If you let them know they are most of the time going to treat you with courtesy. Yes they MAY disarm you but when things are said and done they will give you your firearm back.
 
I had a friend (Monroe County Sheriff) who was shot during a traffic stop by a distressed teen who then ran into the woods and killed himself, the Officer was wearing a vest and survived. Most Officers shot in the line of duty are shot during traffic stops. They should be on their guard during a stop, so informing them helps diffuse a tense situation.
Most of us started carrying to keep ourselves and our families safe, so if you don't want to inform them out of courtesy do it out of selfishness. If an Officer catches a glimpse of a gun and draws you just succeeded in putting the lives of you and everyone in youir car at risk.
Why?
Pride?
Because the law didn't say you had to?
Because you didn't think he had the right to know?

If I get killed due to a poor decision by an Officer I'll be just as dead as if I were mowed down by a bunch of dirtbags. And I don't even want to think about how I would live with myself if one of my kids or my wife were hit because I decided not to say anything.

Be Safe... I'll get off my soapbox now.
 
In Oklahoma it is required by law for a licensed permit holder to verbally notify the Law Officer that he has a weapon in the car or on your person. As to the argument of need-to-know right-to-know, I remember way back reading a story by Elmer Keith (us old-timers remember him) to the effect that when he was a boy in Montana most men carried a gun on horseback, or in their wagon, or on their person. And then he pointed out that people back then were a lot more polite to one another, not from fear but from a common respect for another human. Nuff Said....
 
I'm in Arizona, not Alaska, but I hope a comment on the general subject won't be inappropriate. I stopped quite a few people over the years who were nice enough to let me know they were CCW and I always appreciated it. With rare exception, I just asked folks to leave their gun wherever it was. I believe most of us in LE in Arizona, probably like LE in Alaska, just assume people will have a gun and don't get all freaked out about it. I don't think passage of the recent "constitutional carry" law in Arizona really changes much from the LE perspective. I did stop a guy for a traffic violation one night who had an Arizona permit and advised me he had a loaded gun in the console. I guess that's one stop where I should have taken charge of the gun until the stop was over. Turned out he had a warrant for his arrest and a pocket full of dope. No fight or shootout, he "came along peaceably" as they say.
 
By telling the officer you are armed, you ensure that neither of you makes a mistake the will leave you on the short end of the stick. He or she's not going to be surprised if the gun is observed as some point in the interview. Rodfac
 
Prob'ly shouldn't yell out, "I've got a gun" though huh?
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Well now that you mention it, wait till one of your buddies is in the passenger seat, and as soon as the gumballs light up and you see the cop get out, slam your door open, roll out on the pavement and scream "hes got a gun, hes got a gun".

Toss a few grams of Happy Herb on the floorboard next to him first for the fullest possible effect:eek::p

For additional guffaws, do it to your girlfriend:D Make sure you have a comfy couch

[Insert joke smiley here for future net searches]

WildthatssomethingyoureallyshouldntdoAlaska ™©2002-2010
 
catches a glimpse of your gun
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Assuming you are CCW, if this happens, you are just dumb. It should never happen. You are carrying a concealed weapon. If it is not concealed, shame on you. If I was carrying openly (which is illegal in my state) I would immediately inform the officer. If it were required by law, I would also immediately inform the officer. That aside, if I am not getting out of the car he is not going to know I am carrying. So few people carry in my state that if you volunteer this information, you are likely to extend your stop by at least another 20 minutes. And time is money. If I am asked to get out of the car, I will tell the cop I am a legal CCW and have a gun on me. I will tell him where it is and allow him to remove it from my person. Unless that happens, I would just be asking for trouble to volunteer that information. If the cop said, "do you have anything I should know about in your vehicle", like cops are wont to do, I would tell him about the CCW. I'm not going to jerk the guy around but I am not going to jam myself up for no reason either.
 
Stopped by a deputy in Colorado for curve carving on the Harley (50 in a 25) in Big Thompson Canyon. Told him I had a gun. He said "well, just don't point it at me". After an NCIC check, we walked away with a warning.

Bill
 
The CCW instructor that I had eight years ago made a point of telling us that if we are stopped for any traffic offense or otherwise to produce both our drivers license and our CCW license. I have done this on two occasions while being stopped for traffic offenses:mad:. Both times the officers asked where the firearm was and what I was carrying. Neither times did I experience any negative treatment. One time I informed the officer I was carrying a BHP and the comment was "that's a great gun".:D

Vince
 
One time I informed the officer I was carrying a BHP and the comment was "that's a great gun".
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I would say that too if I was FORCED to carry a Glock all day:D:D:D


WildoyeahhighfiveyoubeenownedfanboysoooooooooyeahbabyAlaska ™©2002-2010
 
Post 35

Haha WildAlaska, thanks for my great laugh of the day!


Also, I don't see the big deal with just telling the officer about the weapon(s). They might even appreciate it and let you off with whatever they pulled you over for.
 
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