OC in Bloomington

[dbiernesser]

I am fairly new to the area and live right in the only blue city south of Gary. How have your experiences in Bloomington Open Carrying been? I work in the mall and have seen a few people open carrying but have any of you done it?
Thanks for your feedback.

 

[rbMPSH12]

I live in Bloomington but I don't OC. However, the few times I've read on INGO of people OC'ing in Bloomington, it seems to have gone smoothly. It seems like most people are oblivious to even OCing. However, I'd be interested to hear how it goes for you in Btown, being what it is.

 

[dbiernesser]

I live in Bloomington but I don't OC. However, the few times I've read on INGO of people OC'ing in Bloomington, it seems to have gone smoothly. It seems like most people are oblivious to even OCing. However, I'd be interested to hear how it goes for you in Btown, being what it is.

Tell me about it. I get flak for eating tasty Chick-fil-a. Ill keep ya'll posted. still waiting for the license but thats for another thread

 

[CountryBoy19]

IIRC, its against mall rules to carry there so the people you saw OC in there are lucky some mall-cop didn't kick them out... other than that... I've never had problems... but I CC most of the time and only occasionally I will discreetly OC (as in, OWB holster but not necessarily tuck my shirt in and leave my jacket in the car to make it truly open)

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

I OC all over the place when I visit my kids. Never a problem.

A few looks at the Vil Del but that could be caused by the patron's hangovers. The pancakes are delicious, BTW!

I usually CC at the tailgate fields on football weekends, though. Lotsa drunks there.

 

[SideArmed]

Haven had an issue yet. But I have heard reports of some officers not knowing the law, or having been directed to tell people to cover up. Also has been reported that some officers in the monroe county area like to take your gun "for officer safety" or to "run the numbers", just a heads up.

 

[CarmelHP]

I've not known anyone to have a problem, but if you're employed at the mall, you may get flak from your employer or the landlord. Tread wisely.

 

[SteviGX]

I haven't seen many open carry's. Unfortunately seen a few "concealed" guys a couple place.

When I applied for my LTCH in January they were backlogged almost 2 weeks just to get their part done, so I would bet there are quite a few people that feel a little bit safer now.

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

Unfortunately seen a few "concealed" guys a couple place.

Why is that unfortunate?

 

[MattyLite]

Why is that unfortunate?

I am assuming because if they were carrying concealed they should not have been so easy to spot?

 

[dbiernesser]

I am assuming because if they were carrying concealed they should not have been so easy to spot?

Nope, I have seen 2 different people open carrying in the mall.

 

[Movealongmovealong]

Nope, I have seen 2 different people open carrying in the mall.

Hmm... I'm not sure how your reply follows from that question, but...

Just because you saw someone OC'ing at College Mall doesn't mean that Simon Malls considers it Kosher. They are the property owners and their rules are what matters.

As far as Bloomington goes, it really depends on where you are. You have to remember that about half of the population of the city (during the fall and spring semesters) is students from other places than Bloomington. A solid chunk of the students are from areas where firearms are completely common place, and so they have no problem with them.

The places where you are sure to get odd or even pissed looks (and possibly a consequent call to the cops of a MWAG) are places where you are most likely to find garden variety ultra-lefty ideologists. So, a place like Bloomingfoods - completely a no-go. Ditto for SaharaMart. Probably don't want to OC in any place near campus where you are going to find a lot of ultra-lefty profs, staff or students.

OTOH there are lots of places in and near Bloomington that are much more like the rest of IN - that is, relatively gun friendly.

IMO it just takes a bit of thinking to figure out where you are likely to encounter MWAG anger and or freaking out, and then figure out the other places where you won't. As usual, good judgement generally prevails in deciding such matters.

 

[Captain Morgan]

Hmm... I'm not sure how your reply follows from that question, but...

Just because you saw someone OC'ing at College Mall doesn't mean that Simon Malls considers it Kosher. They are the property owners and their rules are what matters.

As far as Bloomington goes, it really depends on where you are. You have to remember that about half of the population of the city (during the fall and spring semesters) is students from other places than Bloomington. A solid chunk of the students are from areas where firearms are completely common place, and so they have no problem with them.

The places where you are sure to get odd or even pissed looks (and possibly a consequent call to the cops of a MWAG) are places where you are most likely to find garden variety ultra-lefty ideologists. So, a place like Bloomingfoods - completely a no-go. Ditto for SaharaMart. Probably don't want to OC in any place near campus where you are going to find a lot of ultra-lefty profs, staff or students.

OTOH there are lots of places in and near Bloomington that are much more like the rest of IN - that is, relatively gun friendly.

IMO it just takes a bit of thinking to figure out where you are likely to encounter MWAG anger and or freaking out, and then figure out the other places where you won't. As usual, good judgement generally prevails in deciding such matters.

This can apply just about anywhere. I cc when I take my daughter to dance practice . I figure an "artsy" place like that has a bunch of liberal moms sitting around and I don't feel like listening to the bs like "why would you bring a gun someplace with a bunch of kids?!" So I just make sure to keep my jacket on when I'm waiting for my daughter to get done with practice.

 

[Spencir]

I go to school at IU and I've talked to IUPD about it. If you're on the campus with a gun, they confiscate it and you have to go to the PD to get it back.

 

[CathyInBlue]

A campus safety and security officer would seize a visitor's private property and hold it for ransom?

 

[MattyLite]

Nope, I have seen 2 different people open carrying in the mall.

I think you misread what I was referring to in the thread.

 

[SideArmed]

I go to school at IU and I've talked to IUPD about it. If you're on the campus with a gun, they confiscate it and you have to go to the PD to get it back.

That would be awesome if they did that, I see it going over very well.
You may want to go back to those officers you talked to and let them know that the most that they are able to do is verify the persons LTCH and then ask them to leave the school property. But they better be very sure that the person is on school property and not on city property. The boundries can be kind of muddy.

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

I go to school at IU and I've talked to IUPD about it. If you're on the campus with a gun, they confiscate it and you have to go to the PD to get it back.

That would be a very expensive mistake on their part. VERY expensive.

 

[Redtbird]

That would be awesome if they did that, I see it going over very well.
You may want to go back to those officers you talked to and let them know that the most that they are able to do is verify the persons LTCH and then ask them to leave the school property. But they better be very sure that the person is on school property and not on city property. The boundries can be kind of muddy.

I have noticed this. Is a street running past a school building considered "being on campus"? Just curious about a possible traffic stop and how campus police would handle that. I have seen the campus stop a car on a city street before, so it is difficult to know for sure if you are on or off the campus.

I try to avoid that part of town as much as I can...

 

[CathyInBlue]

If the campus safety and security force is properly constituted, it can constitute a legal law enforcement agency, which, if they observe established standards, grant their officers full law enforcement powers in the state of Indiana, which is why SideArmed above referenced verifying LTCH status. A campus mall cop could arrest someone under IC 35-47-2-1 if they're found on (or off) campus with a handgun and without being licensed (as opposed to being in possession of their license).

Having verified the LTCH, the campus mall cops' powers become greatly circumscribed. They are, at that point, no different than literal mall cops. Order you to leave. See that you do. Only if you refuse to leave could they then revert to their LEO roll and arrest you for violation of IC 35-43-2-2, criminal tresspass.

At no time, exclusive of an arrest, which requires PC, or if you are being stupid with the handgun and do something overt which gives the safety and security officer a reasonable, articulable basis for a concern for officer safety, does a campus mall cop have the authority to confiscate or seize your handgun.