S.C. Law Enforcement on the New Constitutional Carry Law
BY Herschel Smith7 months, 3 weeks ago
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Some law enforcement agencies are weighing in on Gov. Henry McMaster’s decision to sign a constitutional carry ― or permitless carry ― bill into law.
McMaster signed the constitutional carry into law on Thursday just a day after the South Carolina Senate passed a compromise.
It would allow a person 18 or older who can legally own a gun to openly carry their weapons without a permit or training.
Last year, several law enforcement agencies from across the state testified before legislators on why the legislature should not pass a bill like this.
But of course they did, just like in every other state (who considered constitutional carry) where they said there would be blood in the streets, and the wild, wild west, and that cops are “the only ones.”
Academy Director Jackie Swindler said he believes this new law will have an impact on the dynamic between law enforcement and the community.
“The potential is there for a lot of things to happen,” Swindler said.
Because of that, Swindler said officers and deputies may approach situations differently than they would before the constitutional carry bill was signed into law.
“People seem to have lost patience, people seem to have different temperaments,” he said.
“Now with the readily available of anyone having a gun or carrying a gun, that certainly does have the potential for different interactions between people. It certainly changes the dynamic of police answering calls and stopping cars,” he continued.
Newbery County Sheriff Lee Foster said, “I think the training should be mandatory, because I think a lot of people with good intentions, may get into trouble because they don’t know what the laws are.”
Let’s examine his objections so far: the nature of mankind has changed, it changes dynamics, people may get into trouble. Well, the nature of mankind hasn’t changed in millennia, cops should have always assumed that good and bad men carry weapons because that’s the way it’s always been, and criminals don’t care about the law.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division sent this guidance to law enforcement immediately after the governor signed constitutional carry into law.
Some of the points included in the guidance were possession of a firearm alone is not a reason to stop an individual, a person carrying a weapon does not have to notify law enforcement, and there are no restrictions on having a gun inside of your vehicle.
Well, at least the SLED, led by a corrupt leader, got that part right. S.C. isn’t a stop and identify state, and that would be unconstitutional even if it was.
We also reached out to Sheriff Leon Lott for a response to this law. He sent this statement which reads in part:
“I said a prayer last night that Richland County does not turn into the wild wild west,” he said. “This is a win for the criminals, who can now walk around with a gun and law enforcement cannot do anything about it.”
“I support the right to carry and it was already in place with conceal weapons permit and the proper training, but this does nothing to make our communities safer; instead of getting guns off the street we just put more guns on the street,” the statement continues.
The wild, wild west. Like every cop everywhere has said in every state so far. It never happens. Oh, and you left out the part about “blood running in the streets.” As for putting more guns on the streets, you don’t know that. You just made that part up.
Oh my, such emotion, such drama. But if this law does one thing good – causing cops to become more respectful of the folks they’re interacting with and less tyrannical – it will have been worth it.
On March 12, 2024 at 10:51 pm, 41mag said:
Mmmkay. Go visit Arizona. It’s not the Wild West and folks who carry have a BETTER demeanor than cops like YOU have.
On March 13, 2024 at 9:50 am, george 1 said:
“I support the right to carry and it was already in place with conceal weapons permit and the proper training.”
At least in my state the training available to people is, to put it politely, under par. Most of the trainers around here are mostly ex cops, or employed cops and, in my experience the methods they teach for actual marksmanship and weapons handling are mostly obsolete.
I don’t claim to be an expert but after one class I attended my performance suffered when I used the trainers methods. I am not talking about safety issues here but mechanics of shooting.
People around here would mostly be better off getting some videos from people who know what they are doing, buy a shot timer and practice ammo, then building skill on their own or with like minded friends.
In other words, as usual, you can safely ignore what the cops have to say about most subjects.
On March 13, 2024 at 10:58 am, Chief Acid Rain said:
If Sheriff Lott doesn’t want to do his job under the conditions The People permit, then perhaps Meter Maid School would be more to his liking.
On March 13, 2024 at 11:16 am, Longbow said:
You mean mere Mortals can go around acting like Free Men? And they don’t have to beg no permission from nobody? Like Free men?
Well, fuck!
On March 13, 2024 at 3:51 pm, CPL Antero Rokka said:
LEO ought to be grateful for having Constitutional carry, because it will really help the situation out when the violent illegal criminals (some 9,000,000+ and counting) want to rob, rape, and pillage what we TRADS have built up over the years.
Trust me–me and mine are not giving anything up without a fight.
If LEO is too cowardly to actually do their statutory duty of enforcing the laws, then they should stand down, remain in the Police Station or Sheriff’s Office and keep muttering their mantra: “Muh pension…muh pension.”
We can handle things ourselves thank you very much with Mssrs. Colt, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, FN, SIG, Remington, Mossberg and AR 15.
Like Washington said: “FREEDOM’S TEEETH.”
On March 14, 2024 at 8:33 am, Matt said:
The cops are the hired mercenaries of the politicians. They know who butters their bread and march accordingly. They are not keepers of the piece, upholders of law, protectors of the public. They’re tyrants, and what’s worse is that they’re beta tyrants.
More guns in the hands of people, especially when they don’t have a list of who they are increases the risk to them when the order comes to subdue the populace. That’s what they’re afraid of.