DPS Encounter at the Capital on 1/19/2013

[JALLEN]

As if I needed further encouragement to hi-tail it back home, this DL "veteran" designation, combined with the Texas birth certificate which is actually suitable for framing as a Native Texan is the neatest idea I've heard about in a long time.

For those who have not seen the heirloom birth certificates and are eligible for one, http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/reqproc/heirloom.shtm

[Andrew]

Wanted to throw in my experience with the DPS Troopers at the Capitol on that day as well (for the Guns Across America rally, of course). Went through the CHL line on my way in to the Capitol, it was easy/breezy, officer was very professional.

During the rally (and before) I kept my head on a swivel just to keep an eye on who was watching us and who might be there to stir up trouble. Our group (from DFW) was at the back, I was standing on the raised landscaping area so I had a pretty good view from the high ground, so-to-speak. I notice a good-sized DPS presence and they were all pretty relaxed and every now and then a trooper would walk across from one side to the other.

The engagements I saw:
-When we first got there someone affixed a flag to one of the structures near the landscaping (it was sort of a fence between two columns. A female trooper on a bicycle came by and said: "Do me a favor and take that down, no items are to be attached to the structure" (or something very similar to that affect) and then she rode off. The folks immediately took the flag down.
-Before the rally started a fruitloop rode by on his bicycle (he was wearing headphones too) and shouted "guns kill and people with guns kill" and such other nonsense. He was not really looking where he was going, I'm surprised he didn't crash. A trooper went and had a chat with him and the fruitloop went on his merry way. I did not hear the convo but it probably went something like this, at least that's how our group surmised it: "Listen son, this may not be the smartest place to practice your 1st Amendment rights, I'm not telling you not to, but I'm advising you that it might be a bad idea..."

There was an individual there with some kind of militia outfit (and a militia "badge" of some type...I still wonder if it was the CHL Badge that we all ridicule?) that had an AR on a sling, muzzle down. I did not witness a trooper chatting with him, but other folks mentioned that at least one trooper had a chat with him.

After the rally I stopped by and chatted with the trooper who engaged the fruitloop. He was very friendly and professional, we all shook his hand and thanked him for being there.

The guys badge said something about the TX militia or something similar.

[ Image ]

His name is Alan Daves, Austin area insurance and real estate broker. here's his quote from a UK paper's article about the Texas Succession movement.

But not all their members agree. Alan Daves, 70, an insurance and real estate broker who calls himself “The Texas Mob-Father”, wore a military-style poncho to the rally, to protect himself from the drizzle. “We’re liable to fight the Alamo all over again,” he said. “We’re not interested in legislation; we’re interested in bullets, body-bags and bayonets. If the ‘Gestapo Government’ starts trying to take away our guns, we’re going to have another revolution.”

Link to the article http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 92246.html

[trdvet]

I didnt' know DPS had motorcycles. Is that a capital thing?

All I can tell you is that the DPS warning ticket I received was from a State Trooper on a Motorcycle. I also observed State Troopers patrolling on bicycles.

Only a capitol thing, they have 3 motor officers and two motorcycles. It's a test to see if they want to bring back motorcycles to DPS. They wrecked one motorcycle, unsure if it is back in service. I suspect that DPS will do what they always do when they try out motorcycles....cancel them. Most urban areas already have motorcycles and the need for extra motor officers from DPS is a moot point considering DPS is not very big on city patrolling and who is going to transport your prisoner when you arrest someone.

[kingalls]

This past week I went to State Capitol with a business group to meet with our State Representative. I was carrying under my suit coat and approached the CHL side as my friends went through the metal detectors. A very nice female DPS officer moved over to the CHL scanner, handed her my license, she scanned it, waved her finger for me to go through with a smile. Got to the other side and watched my friends walking through the detectors, getting wand and putting everything back in their pockets. I smiled and asked, "what took you boys so long?" Overall, nice experience with Capitol DPS.