LEO contacts

[Charles L. Cotton]

I suspect that the difference between Baytown's post/experience and Chris' is the passage of time; 10 since the passage of SB60 to be exact. When the CHL battle was ongoing, we saw the older more experienced officers supporting CHL, while the younger officers were clearly among the ranks of the “me but not thee� crowd. This was especially true of the young HPD officers. Of course, the older, high-ranking officers were opposed, but as Chris mentioned, that was the result of political pressure. The experienced street COP’s were solidly on our side.

In the ten years since SB 60 passed, and in the sixteen years since a strong effort to pass CHL began, many of these older, more experienced officers who supported us have retired. The guys who were young when the CHL battle was raging and who opposed us are now the senior officers. While a few of the more vocal and prominent officers who opposed us later admitted they were wrong (like the then-head of the Dallas Police Officers Association), most have not, at least not publically. Currently, the younger officers have had ten years experience with CHL’s and know we are not a problem. I think it is a matter of the guys with “heavy badge syndrom� working through the system. They opposed CHL as young officers, refuse to admit they were wrong, so they still oppose CHL as senior officers. I’m not talking about senior officers who are opposing CHL for purely political reasons. A little more intellectual honesty from those folks would be refreshing, wouldn’t it?

What really amazes me is why would any group (in this case, high-ranking officers) want to alienate the very people who would otherwise be their strongest supporters? Thankfully, law enforcement in Texas as a whole supports CHL.

Regards,
Chas.

[Baytown]

I'm working hard on the younger officers that are in the middle. I have talked several into getting a CHL and am working hard to get them into the NRA.

I think the younger officers that don't support CHL are just from the generation that is prducing sheeple, and the higher ranking brass has to worry about political pressure.

Glenn

[Braden]

I've had two encounters with law enforcement since getting my CHL.

The first was on a return trip from a Lake Whitney striper fishing trip. I was going 60 in a 45 mph zone (I honestly didn't know what the speed limit was and 60 mph seemed reasonable for the road). A DPS trooper was waiting for me as a crested a hill. He pulled me over, I presented my CHL and DL and he asked me where it was. I told him I was wearing it in a concealed holster on my right hip and he simply told me to leave it where it was. We talked a bit about fishing (he asked where I was coming from) and he let me off with a warning. I couldn't have asked for a better traffic stop.

The second was with the Lewisville PD. I had accidently set the alarm off at our church building so I waited for the police to come so that I could explain what happened and save them the trouble of checking the doors. When the officer showed up I already had my CHL and DL in hand. I explained to him what happened as I presented both to him. He didn't seem concerned at all and didn't even mention the CHL or a gun. He just jotted down some notes on his little note pad and thanked me for waiting on him.

I hope they all go that well.

[Charles L. Cotton]

I've heard about many traffic stops since 1995, but one of the funniest was from my youngest son, at least I think it was his story. When he was stopped by a DPS trooper, he handed the trooper his TDL and his CHL. The trooper asked where the gun was and he said in an IWB holster on his right side. The trooper responded, "I'll make you a deal. If you don't go for yours, I won't go for mine." Now that's funny!

Before the stop was over, they had talked about guns and cars. He got a warning only.

Regards,
Chas.

[gigag04]

Gen-Xers just don't understand that there are times when people need to be shot.

I'm 21. I guess that makes me a gen X-er, and I got my CHL asap. Maybe it's because I have militry history in the family and have been raised around firearms. Or, that I realize that one in six CHL's will draw their weapons at some point in their life.

I got it in hopes that it is a waste of $140 and I never need it. But, green beret dad tought me well if I do.

-nick

[Gillster]

I was pulled over by a young DPS trooper on my way home from a match last year. My carry piece was in the console and my wallet was in my range bag buried under a pile of full moonclips. When the trooper came to the window I explained (with both hands on the wheel) that my DL and CHL were in the range bag and a loaded pistol was in the console. He simply told me to dig out my wallet, asked to see DL and CHL and asked me to remove my sunglasses. Very nice, very professional, no ticket, asked if I had a good day at the range. I was actually impressed enough to write a letter to his supervisor with an atta boy for him.

Off topic: just found this forum and like it already. :D

[rickb308]

It seems the younger officers are more concerned with it than the older ones.

you got that backwards. the higher your rank goes, the more anti and liberal your politics become. we have 22 year old officers who don't understand why someone wouldn't carry a gun and high ranking decrepit officers who don't think their mother shouldn't be allowed to carry.

Must be a big city/politics thing, then.
Most older officers (at least in smaller, country type departments), can remember going to school with a gun, then hunting on the way home. Especially during dove & squirrel season. No biggie for them.

[Baytown]

That must have been nice. I don't think I would have paid attention in school though, I would have been thinking about hunting on my way home.

I must point out though that there are more than a few hunters are anti-handgun or anti-concealed carry. They have a different view of gun ownership than we do

glenn

[Chris]

It seems the younger officers are more concerned with it than the older ones.

you got that backwards. the higher your rank goes, the more anti and liberal your politics become. we have 22 year old officers who don't understand why someone wouldn't carry a gun and high ranking decrepit officers who don't think their mother shouldn't be allowed to carry.

Must be a big city/politics thing, then.
Most older officers (at least in smaller, country type departments), can remember going to school with a gun, then hunting on the way home. Especially during dove & squirrel season. No biggie for them.

http://www.leaa.org/Cops%20Versus%20Gun ... uncon.html

some of the officers i run into often west of me still carry single action revolvers ON DUTY!

it's not big city politics; it's the IACP. if i was ever a chief of police, the IACP would not be having me as a member.

i'll be sending in my CHL packet monday just to have one. i got to do the $25 and the letter, but you have no idea the resistance i got when i turned in the request for the letter. and to add to that, a chief, by law, cannot refuse to provide the letter, but DPS "has no authority to enforce that rule." so where does that leave me? i played the game and finally got my letter. i was getting ready to go to battle over it. that's how anti-gun my superiors are.

anytime i deal with a CHL holder, it's almost a relief because i have never experienced a problem with any of them. sure some of them whine about their ticket, but they don't get nearly as problematic as some. i have never disarmed a CHL holder. as far as i'm concerned, should something happen in the short time we're conducting our business, i suspect you'll be the first one i order to assist me, but from my experience with CHL holders, i doubt i'll get the opportunity to even make the request because i see a great majority of them eager to assist someone in need.

i'm glad the wilson deal in tyler worked out. i honestly think he made a bad call. that's where CHLs get dinged, but ironically, it went the other way, so good for him. he'll be remembered as a hero. i carry all the time. in my rookie days, i rarely had a gun on me, but after seeing some of the things i have seen, i don't leave the house without one. it's almost like good health insurance. you may never need it, but there's no excuse not to have it.

so as an officer, i'm happy to be joining the rest of the CHL holders. should something ever go down and i end up in an off-duty shoot or even threaten to do so, i'm not identifying myself as a police officer; i have no obligation to. i am joe citizen, the CHL holder looking out for number one.

[ElGato]

Chris this is not something new, over the last ten years I have had several LEO's come to class and pay the full cost to the State because they ran into a very negative attitude or have problems getting the paperwork required from their employer who will recommend that a citizen take my class. ??????
I give them a break on my end because I think they are getting dumped on.
Tomcat

[Chris]

Chris this is not something new, over the last ten years I have had several LEO's come to class and pay the full cost to the State because they ran into a very negative attitude or have problems getting the paperwork required from their employer who will recommend that a citizen take my class. ??????
I give them a break on my end because I think they are getting dumped on.
Tomcat

DOWN WITH IACP!

yea, it sucks, but i'm not the least bit afraid of my adminstration. they were even talking about charging us for fingerprints. silly them, i just waited until everyone left. :) i got my passport photos today so my application will be in the mail monday. it's not really going to change anything, but i'm excited about it. it's kind of like the feeling you get when you vote for the first time.

[Baytown]

I was asked why I would want one. I told them if I ever got suspended I wanted to be able to carry my gun around town.

Not what the wanted to hear.

glenn

[Paladin]

I was asked why I would want one. I told them if I ever got suspended I wanted to be able to carry my gun around town.

Not what the wanted to hear.

glenn

now that's funny, but it would be even funnier to see their faces when you said that!

[Chris]

I was asked why I would want one. I told them if I ever got suspended I wanted to be able to carry my gun around town.

Not what the wanted to hear.

glenn

on the bottom of my letter from the chief, it says..."please be advised that if you are suspended, you will not be authorized to carry a handgun." like that holds any water.

[jimlongley]

I have had two experiences, both positive, I guess.

First was a couple of months after my wife and I sent our apps in. I was coming home from working very late at night, after 2am. As I drove up the highway I could see several cars with their lights off arrayed on each side of the road. I was already doing the limit, but I slowed anyway because I was also coming to my exit.

As I went up the frontage road I passed the cars and could see that they were police set up in what was probably a drunk sweep. One of the cars pulled out of the median onto the frontage road and started to follow me. Just about the time I got the thought, "I wonder what he wants with me?" thought, he lit me up. Having been aware of the cop cars all over, you can bet I wasn't doing anything wrong, so I figured he was stopping me because my exit right before the sweep made it look like I was avoiding it.

The young officer walked up beside my vehicle and asked for my license and insurance, and stuck his head almost all the way into my car while trying to smell my breath (stale coffee breath was all he got for his efforts.) After he went back to his car he came back and asked me if I was "packing." Since I wasn't planning on travelling soon I told him no.

After a couple of trys he finally asked if I was carrying a concealed handgun, I wasn't trying to be difficult, I just didn't have the right frame of reference for "packing", "strapped up", or whatever. I told him that I was not and that I did not have a CHL yet. He responded that I did according to their records and let me go with a warning for my license plate light being out (do you ever check yours?)

The next day my CHL arrived in the mail.



A few months ago I was trying to make my way through a detour area on my way from my house to a friend's house. I got out on Main St. going west through a "No Left Turn" intersection, but I wanted to go east. As I got to the next intersection I started to pull a U turn but just as I started my swing I saw a (obviously temporary from the way it was mounted) "No U Turn" sign hanging from a light pole.

Since I was already half way around and traffic was coming, I quickly decided that I should finish the turn instead of blocking traffic or causing a wreck. The cop that was RIGHT BEHIND ME as I did this agreed that it was probably the best option too, and didn't even give me more than a verbal warning.

When I gave him my DL, insurance, and CHL, all he did was ask if I had the gun on me and where it was, and why did I make the turn. I told him that I didn't see the sign until I started, that I didn't recall its being there before, and that I was just trying to get east after being forced west, and he seemed to think that was reasonable. He told me to be a little more observant in the future and let me go.

Since the construction is finished and the detour is gone, so is that sign.