Law Enforcement Complaining About Open Carry
BY Herschel Smith
8 years, 4 months ago
As the 2017 legislative session approaches, some in law enforcement are asking lawmakers to revise the open carry law.
During the 2015 legislative session, lawmakers approved the open carrying of handguns by licensed Texans. As the 2017 session approaches, some in law enforcement are asking those lawmakers to revise the current law.
After the ambush in Dallas, their police chief, David Brown, mentioned that open carry complicated things at the scene of the shooting. He says law enforcement had a difficult time figuring out who was exercising their right to openly carry, and who may be a criminal. The executive director of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas says they won’t push for a repeal of the law, but will make suggestions for changes to help law enforcement.
Brazos County Chief Deputy Jim Stewart says he supports revisions to the open carry law.
“The open carry is focused more on pistols, and in my personal experience, I’ve seen one person since the law went into effect openly carrying a pistol. I think these folks with the long guns, with rifles slung over their shoulders, that is of concern of me,” said Stewart. “That’s not covered under open carry. They’ve been able to do that for years, but particularly as we experienced in Dallas where the shooter was shooting with a long gun, how are they to know who the shooter actually was when you have so many people going around with long guns?”
Here’s a hint for you. The bad guys are the ones shooting at you. As a matter of fact, your officers went to the sound of the shooting without regard for tactical advantage. That’s partly why so many perished. The fact that some guy was seen in a picture openly carrying a long gun was investigated by other people, not the ones who responded to the shooter. Your officers were pinned down, and a picture of someone carrying a rifle was the last thing on their minds.
You’re lying about this. And that annoys me.
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On August 1, 2016 at 7:53 am, Billy Mullins said:
They got neither the rivers of blood in the streets nor the floods of phone calls yet they still want to eliminate open carry. Figures. Considering the City governments and chiefs of police of Austin, Houston, S.A., Dallas, Ft. Worth and others it comes as no surprise. Most of the rank-and-file cops with whom I’ve spoken have no problem with OC. There have been NO incidents reported in the media (and you know full well we’d have heard abut them if any had happened) where open carriers acted up. I wonder what their justification for taking back the privilege we were so graciously granted by the legislature. It’s not like Texas has suddenly morphed into an L. Neil Smith-style everybody-packing libertarian paradise. Heck, I’ve only seen a couple of guys besides myself carrying.
On August 1, 2016 at 8:43 am, Fred said:
It’s the rifles that they want.
On August 1, 2016 at 8:43 am, john said:
The open carry law doesn’t focus primarily on hand guns – it is SPECIFIC to hand guns. Open-carry of long guns (unlicensed, at that) has always been legal in Texas.
While I’m here, the license requirement(s) for hand guns is patently absurd and is a violation of our 2nd Amendment right. Requiring a license to own/carry a firearm of ANY KIND reduces the *right* to keep and bear to the status of “privilege”, and privileges are revocable.