FLEOA urges President Obama to authorize all LEO to carry aboard aircraft.

[Dogman]

Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Urges President Obama to Authorize All Law Enforcement Officers to Carry Firearms Aboard Aircraft

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Comp]

Personally, I believe that would be very awesome. I would feel safer myself and its just a good step in the general direction of letting civilians carry under less restrictions.

 

[Robert Richardson]

Sounds good to me but, probably won't happen.

 

[rambone]

One step closer to honoring LTCH on airlines again. I'd support it.

 

[Denny347]

 

[Ashkelon]

Love to see it but think there is a better chance of North and South Korea uniting first.

There is no money in it or for it. Local LEOs carrying on planes? Sheesh. There would have to be a federal credentialing agency followed by mental and physical fitness requirements, followed by polygraphs, followed by standardized review by case handlers, followed by case supervisors, followed by interagency cooperation. Get the drift? Be great but just can't see it.

 

[glockman49]

LEO

one thing for sure. There would have to be a qualification set up to prove you can hit what you are aiming at. Too many of our bretheren need alot of work on their handgun skills. You don't need lead flying around on a airplane.

 

[AJBB87]

Wouldn't (shouldn't) the requirements be the same for the air marshals already flying now?

Anyone know what kind of qualifications air marshals have to go through?

AJB

 

[360]

I always heard Air Marshals use special ammo in their P229 .357 SIGs designed to not penetrate seat backs or the fuselage.

 

[mrjarrell]

I'm against it. If the average citizen is forbidden then enforcers should also be denied the opportunity, (other than air marshals ) no special class of people should be created and allowed to carry. The enforcer community, active and retired, like to say they are just average citizens, too. Well, prove it. Leave your gun at home or lobby for all legal carriers to carry on board planes.

 

[Bill of Rights]

I'm against it. If the average citizen is forbidden then enforcers should also be denied the opportunity, (other than air marshals ) no special class of people should be created and allowed to carry. The enforcer community, active and retired, like to say they are just average citizens, too. Well, prove it. Leave your gun at home or lobby for all legal carriers to carry on board planes.

I'm kind of torn on this, too. On the one hand, I agree that there should be no "special classes" of people. The rights or privileges appertaining to some should be available to all. On the other, I can see that it's one step closer to LTCHs being recognized likewise, but... when LEOSA was being debated, IIRC, LEOs asked for help fighting for it from "the rest of us", promising that once it passed, they would fight for the same to be extended to non-LEOs. How many years have passed and that promise has yet to be kept?

Please note that I am not in any way directing the comments about failing to keep that promise at LEOs in general, only at those in charge of the organizations who promised that help and never delivered.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[iamaclone45]

I always heard Air Marshals use special ammo in their P229 .357 SIGs designed to not penetrate seat backs or the fuselage.

frangible ammo

Rounds will easily penetrate soft fleshy objects but then break up into a lot of small pieces when they come in contact w/ anything harder then the bullet itself.

 

[ATF Consumer]

I'm against it. If the average citizen is forbidden then enforcers should also be denied the opportunity, (other than air marshals ) no special class of people should be created and allowed to carry. The enforcer community, active and retired, like to say they are just average citizens, too. Well, prove it. Leave your gun at home or lobby for all legal carriers to carry on board planes.

Why are you for infringement on everyone except air marshals? Isn't that a special class that you say your are against?

What you suggest is exactly what a typical Democrat or Republican would be for...and I thought you were more liberal thinking than that....I know I am

 

[wtfd661]

It make sense so I'm sure it won't happen, especially since the great turd is in charge.

 

[mrjarrell]

Why are you for infringement on everyone except air marshals? Isn't that a special class that you say your are against?

What you suggest is exactly what a typical Democrat or Republican would be for...and I thought you were more liberal thinking than that....I know I am

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see all of us armed before any of them. Make US the special class for once. But, the AM's are already there and have been for decades. They're unlikely to go away anytime soon. In a perfect world we'd all be armed. In the meantime, no special perks just because you carry or carried a badge.

 

[ATF Consumer]

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see all of us armed before any of them. Make US the special class for once. But, the AM's are already there and have been for decades. They're unlikely to go away anytime soon. In a perfect world we'd all be armed. In the meantime, no special perks just because you carry or carried a badge.

Gottcha...I think it is a step in the right direction...in fact, as it is being pushed, it should be lobbied for all licensed owners to have the ability to do so.

I don't like the mentality that if one group isn't allowed, then no one is allowed...it should be just the opposite, if one group is allowed, then all groups should be allowed...as no one group should have more rights than any other. Just as no one person should be exempt from particular laws to enforce others...one of the main reasons I am against the death penalty and corporal punishment. I don't believe there should be any "licensed" law breakers.

 

[AJBB87]

I think LEO's being allowed to carry on flights is possible. Personally, I would rather have a LEO carrying on a plane than NO ONE carrying on a plane.

However...

Realistically, I think it would be a cold day in hell before "they" would let a LTCH holding citizen carry.

First, all the states in the union would have to allow reciprocity. If you fly out of Indy to go wherever, the Indiana license would have to be recognized. Since only half the union honors our permit (just checked), that means that there would almost have to be a national firearms license which many on this board are against.

Second, a plane is a highly *controllable, highly confined, and highly volatile space.

*controllable = metal detectors, x-ray machines, pat downs, everything else the TSA does to ensure our safety

Example: Loaded, holstered guns are not allowed to be carried by non-air marshals on commercial flights. There are no if's, and's or but's about it. When I get on a plane, no other citizen aboard has a holstered gun. I don't have to worry about getting mugged at gunpoint, raped at gunpoint, murdered by gun, or any other gun crime, because they're just not present in the small tube that I'm in.

Example 2: A flight loaded to capacity (as they tend to do nowadays) with people from all different walks of life. Very old, Very young, middle aged, married, single, divorced. Some people are nervous fliers, some are relaxed, some are upset or frustrated for one reason or another, others just trying to make it to their next destination. The plane is too hot and there have been delays from takeoff. Babies crying, people talking, and citizens carrying guns scattered among the sheeple.

Plane travel these days is a b*tch and I just don't see the benefit of allowing Jo Schmo to carry on a plane. I KNOW I could responsibly handle it but I can't be sure about anyone else. Since I am confined to this small space with these multitudes of people I don't know or trust, and cannot easily escape, I would rather everyone be unarmed.

As far as someone trying to storm the cockpit, or light his shoe on fire, or blow up the plane with his underpants, flying lead is not going to help the situation. Beware of whats behind your target. That is one of four rules we must always follow as responsible gun carriers. Unless the target is floating on the ceiling, it's going to be tough to get a clear shot. A gun is, most likely, not the best way to deal with one of the situations above.

AJB

 

[ddenny5]

Who is allowed to fly armed? I do know that federal agents and some Bail Enforcement Agents can carry on a plane. Can local police carry on a plane if they are on official business? My dad was able to carry on a plane while on official police business but that was over 30 years ago.

 

[360]

The last time I flew was on Air Tran. I checked my firearm at the counter, and the guy automatically gave me a LEO declaration to fill out. I started to glance it over and told him I wasn't a LEO, and he apologized and said I looked like one. I'm not certain, but I think I could have carried it on the plane? It appeared that document said so.

 

[Tallenn]

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see all of us armed before any of them. Make US the special class for once. But, the AM's are already there and have been for decades. They're unlikely to go away anytime soon. In a perfect world we'd all be armed. In the meantime, no special perks just because you carry or carried a badge.

I see where you're coming from, and I agree with the principle. However, from a practical standpoint, I'm for it. Ideally, it would be best if airplanes were not treated any differently than anything else, and anyone who wanted to could carry on them. Laws don't stop the determined criminal or terrorist, after all. But the ideal world simply doesn't exist. We both know that's NEVER going to happen. Looking at it from a strictly practical point of view, having SOME law-abiding citizens armed on aircraft WILL make air travel safer.

Guns save lives!