“I think it is none of their business and also think their being informed that you have a permit is a despicable practice.”
In some states, it’s a pretty serious crime not to inform an officer if you are carrying. Also, if you are drving a car titled in your name, they will know you have a permit anyway when they run your plates.
Got into a nasty wreck once in OH. Although shaken up, I immediately informed the officer who showed up that I had a CCW permit and there was a firearm in the wreck that used to be my car. I then asked him what he would like me to do: Get it and give it to him, leave it, or give him my keys so he could get it. He calmly requested that I get it, I did (maintaining a safe hold on the holster), and gave it to him. No problems. He even ended up giving me a lift home afterward, and then returned my firearm to me.
Then again, when stopped while walking in another small town in OH (case of mistaken identity), I almost had a female cop draw down on me when she ran my license. I wasn’t carrying, but she all but wigged. Unsnapped the catch on her sidearm, put her hand on the gun, and shifter her feet. Fortunately, I immediately informed her partner that while I had a CCW permit, I wasn’t carrying. Offered them to search me. He calmly verified that I wasn’t the person they were looking for and let me walk away.
Not sure if those experiences have any meaning re: tell or not tell (unless your state requires you to), but thought I’d offer them up for consideration.
PS Forgot about that female cop and her partner in my 4/1 good/bad cop count above. Guess it’s 5/2...
Many years ago, I was driving around the tiny town of Clayhatchee. I was driving a plain unmarked Datsun with only a concealed radio. I was a Federal LEO.
I noticed the local cop eying me as I guess he was curious who I was. Finally he pulled me over and I knew I was not breaking any laws. When he asked for id instead of license, I knew I had him. I pulled out my pocket commission with our agency seal and badge. His reply was “Oh sh**” He then apologized and I just let it go even tho I could have gotten him into a little trouble if I had wanted to. No, I didn’t tell him I was carrying.
“In some states, it’s a pretty serious crime not to inform an officer if you are carrying. “
Gotta know the state laws. In AZ, you are NOT required to volunteer the info, but will be in serious trouble if you lie about it. And in AZ, there in no linkage between you driver’s license and CCW permit...which isn’t much of a requirement anymore.
But if I go out of state and carry, I’d read all the details of their laws first.
Oh...and the instructor of the CCW class I took recommended NOT volunteering the info, after he did and got a face full of .40 Glock, finger on the trigger, with the officer shouting, “Don’t move! Hand it over!” He figured he was about 5-6 lbs away from dying...which is also what I think happened to the Spokane pastor who was shot. An angry cop with his finger on a Glock trigger is an accidental shooting waiting to happen...
The mistaken identity always has me spooked - so I’m always real careful. A brother of a gal I knew back in college got in a LOT of trouble with a buddy. They were pulled over and the cops thought they were killers, theives or something pretty bad.
The cops had them out of the car - roughing them up to get their hands on the trunk, etc. The one kid was resisting - probably out of confusion and such. The cop started hitting him with his baton pretty bad.
That is when the other kid got the gun out of the holster of the other cop and held it on them to get him to stop beating his buddy. But about the same time the backup came. The kid dropped the gun, and the other kid calmed down.
I don’t remember all of the details, but they spent some time in jail - but not as much as I thought they would have for pulling a gun on a cop. Although I think the dad of the kid was a judge in another state and thought that might have played a part.