Posted on 11/30/2005 10:01:39 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
MADISON, Wis. One of law enforcement's biggest objections to allowing people to carry concealed weapons may have been overcome.
Sponsors of a Republican concealed-carry bill say they've reached a compromise with police groups. An amendment would allow officers on the road to run checks on cars they stop, to see if the owner has a permit to pack a weapon.
Casey Perry is executive director of the Wisconsin Troopers Association. He says the change would protect both people in the car and officers on the approach.
The bill's creators have insisted the list of permit holders remain secret to ensure criminals don't prey on people who aren't carrying.
Perry says under the amendment, any officer caught running registrations excessively to find out who has permits would be charged with a misdemeanor.
Melanie Fonder is a spokeswoman for Governor Doyle. She says Doyle still won't sign the bill.
He vetoed a previous concealed carry bill that cleared the Legislature.
Authors of the bill plan a news conference with police representatives tomorrow to give details of the amendment.
No, your cops are more paranoid.
I have never seen any statistics of action against police by drivers of cars who are stopped and have a concealed weapons permit. Maybe that is because the statistics are rare. Why else aren't they used?
And when the officer does find a permit, then what?
Granted Virginia is a lot more gun friendly than WI, but I don't see this as a show stopper. If you don't like the bill I would say take it, and work on getting it changed during subsequent legislative sessions. That is how we do it here and have been quite sucessful at it.
Also, if you do not have a state Conceal Carry lobbying group like the VCDL here in Virginia, I suggest it is past time to get one organized.
In 1985 I was stopped on Westbound I-10 just 40 miles outside of San Antonio. The graying, statuesque officer told me as long as I slowed down within 50 miles of the city I wouldn't have much of a problem with him. I had out of state plates and was going close to 90 m.p.h.
He ran a plate and warrant check on my Michigan drivers' license.
He asked me if I had a firearm in my pickup and I said I did under the seat. I was instructed to exit the vehicle, was politely escorted to sit in the back of the patrol car. He retrieved my weapon, inspected it, looked around the inside of the cab, released me and returned it to me. He told me just to leave it lying on the seat next to me in the holster.
I stood there waiting for him to start writing a citation and he looked me in the eye and said ‘what are you waiting for, you can go now.’ Off I went, no ticket, no hassle... and a great appreciation for the state of Texas...
You've got it wrong. We don't have to show, not because the cops are all that paranoid, but because that is the state law. I was only kidding about the cops getting hyper if they found out. In this state it is not the cops business if we are carrying or not. This is one of very few good gun laws on the books.
Cross-linking.
IIRC, Arizona recently became more liberal with their CCW laws because it's proving to be a successful law. Can't remember what the changes were, though... Need my morning coffee.
http://www.scsun-news.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051130/NEWS01/511300314/-1/SILVERCITY
Why? If criminals are stopped, they don't hand over permits, because they're fricking criminals. Why should law-abiding citizens do the same? What is the police afraid of?
The one time I had to show my TX CHL (I was rear-ended in traffic) the cop said, "I don't care about that."
So true. Socialism has advanced incrementally and we often need to make compromises to advance our cause incrementally. The real question is would you rather be able legally to carry and have a cop who stops you for an alleged speeding violation check on whether you have a permit, or not be able to carry legally at all. Let's not let the prefect sabotage the feasible.
That won't work in Missouri. In that state one may carry a concealed firearm in one's auto without a permit. It is part of the concealed carry law.
All that is required is to be a resident of the state, be twenty one years of age and not be a felon or a mental case.
same in Ohio
I'm with you, they know you've had training and a backround check; lets them relax....
They already do this in Virginia and the policeman who spoke to our CCW class told us that he would run the numbers on the gun to see if it was legal (not stolen).
In Texas, since september; you don't need a permit to have a gun in your vehicle, you are assumed by law to be traveling and that allows carry under the Texas constitution.
Of course this does not apply to longarms, which can still legaly be carried in the gunrack on the back window at any time.... LOL..
GREAT RELATED WEBSITE: http://www.packing.org/
Gives lots of state by state gun law information....
Hope no one has made this point, but if I were a cop, I'd find this useful. If the car operator turned out to have a CCL, I'd think "OK, this is one of the good guys" and be less apprehensive approaching the car. No CCL, I'd be more alert. Hard core crooks don't get CCLs...
Minor quibble... since September, we now have the presumption of travel given by law, but presumption is not fact. A prosecutor could still charge you with illegally carrying a concealed firearm and use the circumstances of your trip (car full of groceries, you were in-between the grocery store and your house heading towards your house, etc) to prove that you were not traveling. You'd have to have a real jerk prosecutor, or a lot of other mitigating circumstances to be prosecuted this way, but you could be.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.