Wednesday, October 23, 2013

New Concealed Carry Law in Illinois Raises Questions

Lake Forest Deputy Police Chief Karl Walldorf told a League of Women Voters forum on the new concealed carry law in Illinois that officers are being trained on how and when to ask whether individuals have weapons and what to do about violations.
"A permit person is not required to tell us they have a gun unless we ask," he said at last week's event. "We're going to be training the officers to always ask drivers if they're armed."
Walldorf said state police still are determining several administrative elements of the law that was passed in July and takes effect in January, including how police will be notified of a violator and local law enforcement's ability to object to a person's application to carry.
Whether concealed carry permit holders are required to tell the cops they have a gun or not is a good question. I think this is required in some states, most even, but I always thought it was more a common sense thing.  Wouldn't telling them you're carrying legally be the best way of avoiding misunderstandings?
What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

4 comments:

  1. It's the law in Arkansas. I don't have a strong opinion either way, but it's best to hand over your carry license with your driver's license--or other ID if not a driver--when having an official contact with a police officer. From what I've read in various sources, officers recognize that we're less likely to try something violent in that encounter.

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  2. "A permit person is not required to tell us they have a gun unless we ask," he said at last week's event. "We're going to be training the officers to always ask drivers if they're armed."

    Minnesota requires you to show your permit on request. In years I've been carrying, I've honestly never had an official interaction with the police other than to chat with the Chief in passing. He does know I've got a permit, (small town) and I'm presuming the other three officers in the department know also.
    Though not required, I've already decided to do pretty much what Greg said if an officer asks for ID. How that goes, if it ever happens will determine whether I do it after that.
    What isn't answered is whether the officers will then be trained how to reasonably respond when someone says yes. Hopefully it wont turn into anything involving drawn weapons.
    Right now everyone in Illinois is still getting the vapors over carry permits. The same thing happened in Minnesota when they adopted a shall issue permit system. And after a period of time, everyone discovers that it isn't the crisis they thought it was going to be since permit holders have been shown to be much more law abiding that the general public.

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  3. It seems inconsistent with your position on government interference in private affairs that you (both of you) would voluntarily offer a policeman your permit. Doesn't it bother you just thinking about that?

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  4. Mike, I cant speak for Greg, but my reasoning for me doing it is that is safety for both of us. On an official encounter with police, be it a traffic stop or anything else, you will be normally be asked for some ID. I normally carry my pistol just behind the hip in the back pocket area, opposite from my wallet. (Extra mags are on the wallet side.)
    If its a traffic stop, I want to have my license and permit in my hand by the time he is up to the car. My fumbling for my wallet and him catching a glimpse of my gun or mags could make things more stressful, and I want things to remain calm because stressed people can make mistakes.
    As a caveat, some officers have been known to show their displeasure of citizens carrying by taking your firearm during the stop and returning it unloaded and sometimes disassembled. It has never happened to me, but it has happened.
    This is the law enforcement version of being a dick. If I have an encounter like this, I might rethink my intent of informing up front.

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