First encounter with police since permit issue - a much different outcome

I'll post a different topic that addresses an interesting aspect of what we are talking about here and on other "got stopped and here's what happened" posts.

It has a lot to do with what you look like, what you drive, and your demeanor. That's just a fact of life, is the heavily tattood rough customer treated the same as the mild mannered computer nerd? Of course not.
 
Why turn an ordinary stop into a 'high stress' stop for the officer if your not required to declare as is the case here in CT.
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I don't find stops where someone mentions they have a gun to raise the stress level on the stop at all. Ordinarily it's either "good for you" or "mind if I hold onto that for a couple minutes?" and that's it. If it were to evolve into something more (DUI/warrant/whatever) and I then found them in possession of a gun, *that* might increase my stress level -- but admittedly, that's coming from the perspective of operating in a state where declaring is legally required. An absence of declaration might just be an innocent oversight or ignorance of the law (I've talked to a number of people who are legitimately unsure of the requirement), but it might also reflect an intent to, say, shoot me during the stop . . .
 
I was recently stopped for making a rolling stop in a residential area. When I gave the policeman my license, he noticed my carry permit in my wallet and asked if I had a gun. I told him I did, and told him where it was. He asked to run the serial number to see if it came back stolen. I told him it is a Glock with a round in the chamber, and I wanted to make sure he would not touch the trigger since they have no external safety. He pointed out that his service weapon was a Glock and said he was well aware of how they work.

I gave him the gun and he ran the number and gave it back to me, wrote me a warning for not quite stopping at the sign, and we went our separate ways.

Now I'm wondering, what is in the record of that encounter, and what happens to it? Prior to that stop, my name was connected to that serial number in one official place I know about: forms kept by the selling dealer until they were lawfully destroyed.

It sounded to me like he was reading the serial number to someone who was typing it into a computer. I don't know a lot of things here:

Does the Punta Gorda police department now have my name connected to the serial number of my carry gun on their computer system?

If so, what happens to that information? Who has official access to it, and how secure is it against unofficial access? Is this info shared with other levels of government?

The officer was nice, and did not seem anti-gun at all. He did not seem to approve of keeping a round in the chamber. I'm aware of differing opinions on that subject and did not want to argue the point at the time, so I just shrugged. Other than that small difference of opinion, I had no problem with his actions or anything he said. I definitely did NOT get the impression that I was dealing with an anti-gun cop who was trying to collect serial numbers for later confiscation, and I do not want this to go in a tinfoil direction.

I'm just a bit concerned about information in the information age. The government does not really have a good way of knowing which guns I own, and I like it that way. Now one government has my name attached to one serial number, and I don't really like that.
 
That probably went nowhere unless he wrote it down somewhere. I can run weapons info on my MDT and it doesn't save it. I can call the Troop and have them run it and they can print the screen off the computer, but thats it. Just a paper printout. And all it would say is "No record found" if it's not stolen. Thats just my experience, I know nothing about any other agency. 99.9% of what we write is never seen by human eyes again.
 
1776, the only way you "come up on the computer" is if I physically check weapons database myself. It is not attached to your license or registration. DMV can't even link suspension files to your plates, that has to be checked in another spot, your permit doesn't just pop up.
 
Thank you Conn. Trooper. The reason I brought that up is because the way the Officers approached his car, with guns to there sides. This hasn't happened to anyone in our family prior to them both getting there permits. They were stopped for a minor traffic violation, and in fact were told by the Manchester officers that that was there 'policy' when stopping citizens who may be carrying firearms. I don't know, It may be a local issue in which some towns have this information in there database? Either way, I don't think that is a good 'policy' for law abiding citizens.

Steve
 
Conn Trooper,

The officer did not write down the number. He was standing right by my truck, holding the gun in one hand and his microphone key with the other and reading the number to someone downtown. If that someone was just punching it into a database of stolen guns and it came back "not found" then you're probably right that it is not stored anywhere. Thanks for the additional info.
 
publius42...

What are you talking about "the government has no way of knowing what guns you have"?

Unless it's different in your state where do you think the felony check and serial number information goes if the federal government doesn't know exactly what guns are registered to you?

The only guns you might have that big brother doesn't have a record of are those you bought from a private party and not registered to you or handed down or bought from relatives or friends.
 
1776, I have never walked up to a vehicle with a gun drawn as a regular course of business, I don't know anyone who does around me. If the stop is a felony stop it's the old " Open the door and get out with hands up and turn around, walk backwards towards me" type of stop everyone sees on Cops.:D Otherwise it's like every other old traffic stop.

There may be more to the story, I was working one night when we had an armed robbery and I was right in the area. The suspect vehicle was a red four door car. I happened to drive up on a red four door Dodge Neon. I walked up on the car with gun drawn, saw it wasn't the suspect, just a kid I knew and cut him loose. I don't believe he ever even saw my gun was out, and I told him we were looking for a suspect in a red car, so he wasn't scratching his head going " What the heck was that?" If that was the case I would have explained that, not left people wondering. Manchester is a big, busy town. They are right next to Hartford and deal with a good amount of bad guys, I can't see them getting worked up over two people with permit's carrying, there may have been something else going on.
 
Woodguru, that is not always the case.
In Kentucky, if you have a CCDW permit, no call in to NICS is required.
Just fill out the form and hand over the cash and you are on your way.:D
I know other states have the same situation.
 
MLeake said:
To Shane Tuttle, I am not saying not to declare. I am saying I start with the permit. I would follow with verbal, but the trooper beat me to it in this case. I think starting with "I have a gun" could go all sorts of wrong.
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I'm not implying you're willfully breaking the law. On the contrary, I believe you're describing sound practices in dealing with LE officials. I wanted to extract more details out of your encounter to get a better picture of what happened in order to provide my opinion in the form of constructive criticism. As you stated, you didn't have the chance to verbally declare you're currently carrying concealed. That's commonly encountered and is certainly understood. And, no, you don't need to say "I have a gun" to start the conversation. I'd say after the greet "As I have provided my CCW permit, I'm currently exercising my privelages". :D

Above all, I do agree 100% being polite is the best course of action...

woodguru said:
What are you talking about "the government has no way of knowing what guns you have"?
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There are several legal ways of owning a firearm that the government has no knowledge.
 
Just a detail, but here in NC, we are told not to present or reach for permit or ID, just have hands visible on wheel, window open enough to converse or pass documents. When officer approaches, keep hands on wheel & state being a permit holder with a weapon. He will then decide how to handle it. He can ask for the weapon, ask for ID & permit, or just ask for license & registration. Entirely up to his judgment. If not in a vehicle, keep hands in front of you & declare same way.

But I'm sure an officer wouldn't get upset if one had hands on wheel with permit & ID held in sight as well. I just find it easier to wait until he asks.

Most LEO's in our state are very respectful of armed citizens. I've declared 4 or 5 occasions when approached by an officer or vice versa, if I approach him for some reason. Never had one ask me to disarm. Other permit holders I know have similar reports.
 
Conn. Trooper, I think an LEO in NC sees a red flag of some sort. Our permits carry same ID# as drivers license. I've been told, not by anyone official, that it cross references on systems. I'm pretty sure insurance, registration & tax info is now cross referenced here as well.

Your citizens are fortunate to have a man like you in law enforcement. You seem to have the right attitude toward them & I'm sure those who know you appreciate it.
 
Conn. Trooper, I just heard back from a friend who is an NC Highway Patrol officer. When he runs a driver's license #, it flashes on screen if that driver has a ccw permit. I had thought something like that.
 
ncpatriot, when I took my class, the officer told us that we MUST hand our permit with our drivers license at any time whatsoever that we are asked for our license, if we are carrying. Naturally, if we aren't carrying, no need to show CCW. That's what I was told.
Different instructors, different instructions.
I've been thru a few road blocks and not had any 'nervous' cops yet, but did have one that saw my revolver on the truck seat as I was stopping. I didn't know that until I told him I had it and handed over my CCW with my DL. He only asked what the gun's status was. I said loaded, he said ok.

sixgun
 
Conn. Trooper, I thought they were crossreferenced when I saw same #as on driver's license, only with an NC suffix added.

Sixgun67, I'm not sure we are all told the same details. My instructor was a sheriff's deputy, so I assumed he taught what LEO's would prefer to see. Maybe he was avoiding the scenario of an officer seeing someone digging around & wondering what was happening. I've yet to be stopped & disclose from driver's seat, or as a passenger, but I can see his point, that sitting still with hands in sight is the best starting point. If he already suspects I'm armed, digging around for stuff as he approaches may make him nervous. In the scheme of things though, if I can quickly pull my ID's & have them ready, I doubt that would be a problem to any officer stopping me. Conn. Trooper, what would you rather see; is there a prescribed order of things in your state?

When my wife & I were rear ended in an accident was my 1st time disclosing. Other driver & I were directing traffic when 1st officer arrived. We all spoke a second, I faced him with my hands together in front of me & quietly told him I was a permit holder & was armed. He didn't bat an eye, just said "OK, let's get the cars moved to this parking lot". Never asked for my ID's at all. Got my wife's ID, as she was the driver.
 
Maybe in NC, but all I would get is what comes through NCIC. I wouldn't get pistol permit info, I don't think. I have never noticed it, but I work out in the sticks, so I don't stop too many people from NC. Maybe our highway guys would know, they stop a lot more cars from out of state.
 
Connecticut, like Pennsylvania, claims they don't have firearms registration. Nonetheless, EVERY handgun purchase in Connecticut requires a State Police approval, and in addition to the 4473 (or instead of it, if it's a private sale) there is a state form that asks all the same questions and records the data of the buyer and the handgun. This is a 4-part form. One copy goes to the State Police, one copy goes to the local police department where the buyer lives.

It is highly unlikely that both the state and local police don't immediately enter that data into a database. What it requires to access that database is something to which I am not privy.

But, hey -- at least it isn't "registration."
 
My instructor was a sheriff's deputy, so I assumed he taught what LEO's would prefer to see.
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Could be. My instructor was a town cop at the time, now he's a sheriff deputy. He's been teaching for many years--probably teaching what he himself would prefer?

sixgun
 
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