Traffic stops?

[ghitch75]

Actually that's not really true.

Although this thread does deal with traffic stops in particular, people still get hassled about carrying outside of traffic stops.

well if your not speedin',cuttin' ppl off,all your lights are workin' or just generally not drivin' like a idiot.....guess what you won't get pulled over!!......oh then theres road blocks and those yes you will get checked......i thought this was about traffic stops?......my

 

[firecop9774]

Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I get grumpy at bedtime, don't I?? My apologies for being so blunt (for lack of better terms). Perhaps I need to keep my opinions to myself late at night.

After a good night's sleep, I'm off to catch bad guys. I hope everyone has a safe and blessed day!

 

[00BlasterResto]

Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I get grumpy at bedtime, don't I?? My apologies for being so blunt (for lack of better terms). Perhaps I need to keep my opinions to myself late at night.

After a good night's sleep, I'm off to catch bad guys. I hope everyone has a safe and blessed day!

I know all about the bedtime grumpy's. My keyboard should probly be on a timer that cuts out at 8PM.

 

[CountryBoy19]

....i thought this was about traffic stops?......my

It is about traffic stops... your post was just a bit "unclear", and gave the impression that people only get hassled about carrying during traffic stops, and then you mentioned that if you don't do anything to get pulled over you won't have to worry about being hassled. I simply pointed out that you still have to worry about being hassled, just not during a traffic stop.

 

[Pocketman]

... We are not issued X-ray vision or crystal balls to help us distinguish between law-abiding citizens with a valid LTCH, and thugs who would much prefer to cap our ass to prevent their 5th trip to prison.

... as a law abiding citizen there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

Herein lies the rub:
Person being stopped knows (s)he is a law abiding citizen, carrying legally and responsibly. Officer has no idea what (s)he is getting into, especially during the first few minutes of a traffic stop.

There is nothing better than good honest and open dialogue to keep things civil. If an officer decides to make an a$$ of himself by taking my weapon and/or dragging me out of the car, that's something I cannot help and would just go with the flow. A very small minority of officers are like that. A very small minority of motorists are out to hurt cops. Therefore the odds of a good experience between two responsible adults are in our favor.

Been stopped several times (mostly when I was younger) and as I've done all my adult life, I had interior lights on and both hands on the steering wheel. Never had a bad experience in Indiana, Ohio or Pennsylvania. We won't talk about Wisconsin.

 

[dross]

Herein lies the rub:
Person being stopped knows (s)he is a law abiding citizen, carrying legally and responsibly. Officer has no idea what (s)he is getting into, especially during the first few minutes of a traffic stop.

Herein lies the rub:
Officer doing the stopping knows if he's going to treat someone who politely informs with respect, or if under the guise of officer safety he is going to disarm the citizen, or disassemble his weapon, or unload it, or submit the citizen to intrusive questions about why he's armed, or give a lecture.

The citizen doesn't know. The folks we elected who make the laws decided not to require the citizen to inform. There should be no negative consequence for not informing.

You want folks to inform out of politeness and respect? Come down hard on those officers who act like jerks when someone does that.

On this forum I've read many times where officers who don't disarm law-abiding citizens at best make excuses and come up with hypothetical scenarios about why another officer acted like a jerk, and at worst defend them tooth and nail.

I'll inform when I stop hearing stories about people being harrassed when they did inform, or as one officer here often writes, "if you don't like the law, get it changed."

 

[Pocketman]

^^ in reply to dross ^^

Herein lies the (alternate) rub:
Armed, law abiding motorist has no idea whether (s)he is being approached by a polite and courteous officer, or one who is suffering from testosterone poisoning.

Might be time for a discussion concerning "police mentality?"

 

[CountryBoy19]

Might be time for a discussion concerning "police mentality?"

No, absolutely not. It's been discussed a million times before and it always turns into a bashing thread and gets locked. Don't turn this one into it.


The basics of this whole scenario is. If you feel that being an "honest" man, and that telling an officer about a firearm that should be of no concern to him is more important than your right to not be hassled and harrassed then feel free to inform.

However, if you feel that your right to go on your merry way after the business at hand is taken care of, then there is no need to inform unless asked (and even then you don't have to inform).

If asked I will inform, just for the simple fact I don't want the LEO to think I'm making an attempt to hide anything. But I won't go out of my way to inform him.

BTW, the handgun on your side (assuming you have an LTCH) are no different than the shoes on your feet, or the text-book you have in the passenger seat, or the car-seat in the back. But you don't find it necessary to inform an officer of those do you?

I can just imagine now, "Officer, I would like to inform you that I have shoes on my feet, and a book on the floor, and a can of coke in the trunk, and bread-crumbs in the crack of the back right seat.... and there might be a cd in the cd player too."

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I have the right to protect myself.

As do I. I will protect myself and the general public by not telling the police officer so I do not see the muzzle of my own weapon.

A good friend of mine has a horror story of ISP taking his P99 (leaving his back up alone), pointing it at him, his passengers and passing traffic, and then struggle to remove the magazine for several minutes before handing it back to my friend so he could remove the magazine.

I have a horror story of IMPD taking my 1911 (but leaving me two other guns on me) and then pointing it at passing joggers, moms with strollers and most importantly me and then deny that he was pointing it at me while he looked at it like an ape in 2001 attempting to cycle the weapon.

If one can point a firearm at a fellow human being for the offense of having a pistol in his holster is it not justified to point a gun as someone who is pointing a gun at you?

It's not that cops in particular are undisciplined and untrained (just spend a few minutes at the Indy 1500 and your knees will be jelly); it is the fact that I have no idea what I am dealing with. Is the officer trained up? Or is he an ignorant screamer like Officer Cowboy at the Broad Ripple coffee shop?

If they don't ask, I don't tell.

 

[mms]

Not most areas of Indiana.

A very few counties keep a local record for licenses issued from their department which will show up on a local check. That's it.

well thank you for that i was not aware

for the record tippecanoe co, issued mine and a west laf cop was who told me

 

[Kirk Freeman]

well if your not speedin',cuttin' ppl off,all your lights are workin' or just generally not drivin' like a idiot.....guess what you won't get pulled over!!......

Well, most of the time.

I have a horror story about being pulled over by IMPD for obeying the traffic regulations and was not commiting any offense (which the officer later admitted).

 

[modelflyer2003]

I haven't been pulled over since carrying concealed, but I would not mention it unless he asks me to step out if the vehicle. If he is going to frisk me I don't want him to find it on his own and end up in a choke hold with him yelling in my ear, "Don't you f'n move!" Trying to talk him down once is in that frame of mind is harder than if I was up front when I stepped out. If all I get is a ticket and a lecture while sitting in my vehicle then I'm keeping my mouth shut.

 

[.40caltrucker]

I would just hand him my License and LTCH at the same time.

However, when I first moved back to IN from TX I was headed to work and kept my handgun in my duffel bag pocket and was pulled over. When the deputy asked if I had any weapons I said NO. That was before I got my LTCH and before I knew it was illegal to have a handgun in the car with out one so I am glad I lied.

 

[Cemetery-man]

I have one of those 2-window registration wallets. One side holds my registration and the other has my LTCH. If ever needed, I will simply hand the officer both.

 

[Sylvain]

I was wondering sometimes ...
Lots of people show their gun licence with their driver's licence to the cop so they dont have to say "I have a gun on me" and maybe scare the cop.
But what if you are not the one driving?
If you sit next to the driver will you let the cop know that you are armed even if he didnt talk to you and only ask to see the driver's licence?

 

[Roadie]

Personally, I have never been in that situation. However, my take on it is, if I am a passenger, and my forearm is concealed, I am not saying a word unless directly asked.

I would think, technically, a passenger in a traffic stop, without other probable cause, would have no reason to be questioned by the Officer..

 

[88GT]

I would venture a guess that 95% of officers that were informed in advance of the LTCH and the location of the weapon carried would utilize the information accordingly, and handle the situation appropriately and professionally.

Respectfully, you'll understand if the rest of us don't want to roll the dice on whether it's a 95%-er or a 5%-er making that walk from his car to ours.

I had a similar discussion on CPS with some people last week. I was adamant about requiring a warrant and taking the proper precautions to protect yourself (third party witness, video/audio tape, etc) when CPS knocks at the door and [strike]requests[/strike] demands entry without previous notice. I was told my approach was confrontational and put myself in a bad light because guilty people do the same thing, that CPS was going to get what it wanted regardless (which, ironically, did nothing to improve my opinion of them), and that if I had nothing to hide (oh, yes, you knew that was coming, didn't you?), I would comply readily because overall CPS does more good than harm.

My rebuttal was exactly this: If I'm wrong (and CPS isn't out to get me) and I exercise my rights, no harm-no foul as they say. If you're wrong (and CPS isn't the fair and honest agency some claim) and you don't exercise your rights, are you willing to risk the consequences associated with being found "guilty" by CPS? Are you willing to risk losing your children, your family, your life (not meant literally, by the way)?

Some of us aren't so willing, you might say.

That said, I've never been stopped (I cringe just typing that knowing I've jinxed myself) so I've never been put in that situation. I lean towards the "no inform" camp. Plus, as a mom with 2 kids who are usually in the car with me, I've got a few more things going for me to help alleviate any concerns the LE might have without having to inform. I don't know what I'll do [strike]if[/strike] when I'm stopped though.

 

[.40caltrucker]

Personally, I have never been in that situation. However, my take on it is, if I am a passenger, and my forearm is concealed, I am not saying a word unless directly asked.

I would think, technically, a passenger in a traffic stop, without other probable cause, would have no reason to be questioned by the Officer..

I like to open carry my forearm and CC my firearm!! Had to say it sorry.

 

[AndersonIN]

Exactly what are you people posting to give him your permit and tell him you have a weapon going to tell the jury when they ask you how the officer was shot and killed outside of your window with YOUR WEAPON because the dip stick didn't know how to handle it or unload it.

Leave it where it's at and SHUT your mouth......everyone is safer that way!

 

[Roadie]

I like to open carry my forearm and CC my firearm!! Had to say it sorry.