Solving The LEO Problem With Open Carry
BY Herschel Smith
7 years, 7 months ago
Robert Farago at TTAG writes about Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook’s invective against open carry. Two days after I did. One commenter writes:
“Open-carry law or not, when citizens see someone with a gun, they will call the police. When responding to “person with a gun” calls…”
When someone calls 911 to report a ‘man with a gun’ ask what he was doing. Unless the answer establishes reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, tell the person that open carrying is lawful and end the call.
Hey look, I solved the problem.
Um, except that I solved it two days earlier when I said this.
It would be a good opportunity for 911 services to educate people on the new state law. “Ma’am, what was he doing with the gun? Was he brandishing it or pointing it at someone?” No. “Well then, he wasn’t breaking any laws. Open carry is legal in South Carolina.”
Well, he was acting erratically. “Hmmm … what do you mean by that?” Well, I don’t know, he just seemed shifty. “Ma’am, seeming shifty isn’t illegal. Please hang up and call us when there is a law or regulation being broken. Otherwise, you are wasting our time.”
This conversation is entirely plausible. Don’t discount it as an example to follow for 911 operators, or classroom material.
Or more than a year ago when I dealt with Texas open carry and LEOs objected the same thing. Or even longer ago than that whenever open carry comes up in whatever state it does.
But Robert’s readers wouldn’t know anything about what other gun rights bloggers say because Robert doesn’t link other gun rights bloggers. Or if they do know anything about what other people are saying, they’re not getting it from Robert.
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On May 25, 2017 at 8:47 am, Fred said:
Every time I have open carried exactly zero people cared.
On May 25, 2017 at 10:06 am, Drew in Michigan said:
Stopped going to their site about a year and half ago, for mostly the same reason you stated. And the near constant pc attacks (pop ups) when clicking their site. Never get that here, thanks.
The only thing I get here is brutal honesty in a well worded essay, not to mention the awesome Christian undertones that guide our daily lives.
Keep up the good fight Mr. Smith
On May 25, 2017 at 11:03 pm, Herschel Smith said:
Thanks Drew. It means more than you know to hear this from time to time.