Credit Union carry

[sailor2000]

I live in the south Houston / Clear Lake area and use the Credit Union we had at my former employer for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, they only have one branch in Texas and that is in the I-610 / 59 southwest area, so I use 'CU Service Centers', which are other Credit Unions that allow you to do business at their branches as if you were at your own Credit Union.

I had been using JSC FCU branches for this, but really hated to as they post ALL their branches 30.06 and even if they make no money on the transaction I just hated going in there. Every time I would have to disarm in the parking lot, inviting either a 'man with a gun' call to 911 or an AD from trying too hard to be covert about it. (They also make you go inside for all ‘CU Service Centers' transactions, so using the drive through was not an option.)

I needed to make some deposits yesterday and had some extra time, so I did a search of other 'CU Service Centers' in the area and found one a few miles out of my way, in Alvin.

Not wanting to make a wasted trip, I called and asked the woman who answered the phone if the lobby was posted with a notice prohibiting persons with a CHL from carrying. She seemed stumped by the question and passed me on to another woman who was equally stumped. The process repeated a few times until a woman said, “Your need to talk to Larry, I’ll transfer you”. (All names in this story have been changed to protect the innocent).

When Larry got on the phone I repeated my question and he answered, (paraphrasing here) “Heck no! If some bad guy is here trying to rob the bank, I want all the good guys with guns in the building that I can get”.

My kind of Bank! They get my business from now on!

[sss]

I wish my credit union here in Houston (First Community Credit Union) had a similar opinion. All branches are posted with legal signs... I've been thinking about sending them a letter to see if they might be willing to change the policy, but I'll probably just move my accounts elsewhere.

[austin-tatious]

I wish my credit union here in Houston (First Community Credit Union) had a similar opinion. All branches are posted with legal signs... I've been thinking about sending them a letter to see if they might be willing to change the policy, but I'll probably just move my accounts elsewhere.

Send the letter telling them you ARE moving your accounts and why!

[sailor2000]

I sent a note to JSC FCU about their 30.06 sign and had the following exchange (note, no response was received to my last message);

From: doug XXXXXX
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 6:44 PM
To: Lanclos, Becky
Subject: Re: JSC Federal Credit Union

Thank you for your reply, even though it side stepped answering my question. I really would like the answer to it if you can provide one.

I choose, as have over 300,000 other Texans (a number which is growing daily), to arm myself for the protection of my family, my fellow citizens and myself. In order to do this, I have spent considerable time and money. I have undergone a background check by the State of Texas, which is more rigorous than is required to become a Police Officer. I have undergone the training and testing prescribed by the State of Texas to obtain a CHL. I, and all my fellow CHL holders are certified to have committed no felonies or serious misdemeanors, be free of serious mental illness or incapacity and have no restraining orders or other domestic issues. To paraphrase a Texas State Trooper, my CHL demonstrates that I am a “certified good guy”.

I am sorry that I will not be able to patronize your institution so long as your anti-CHL holder policy is in effect.

I suspect it will not do any good, but I would like to explain my reasons;

1) Your policy forces me, in order to do business in your building, to disarm myself in your parking lot. In order to comply with the law, I must do this in a way that does not reveal that I possess a firearm. This forces me to perform the gymnastics of getting my pistol out of its' holster, where it is perfectly safe and it will not accidentally discharge, and place it in my glove box, while trying to insure that no one walks or drives by and sees the pistol in the process. This maneuver is in itself inherently risky, and can result in either an accidental discharge or someone catching a glimpse of the pistol and placing a 'man with a gun' 911 call. Upon leaving your building I have to reverse the process, creating the same risks again.

2) Your policy forces me, in order to do business in your building, to leave a loaded pistol with a cartridge in the chamber and ready to fire, unattended in my vehicle in your parking lot. Should someone choose to steal or break into my vehicle during that time, I am now unarmed with an armed criminal loose in your parking lot.

3) Your policy forces me, in order to do business in your building, to be unarmed during my walk through your parking lot and while in your building. If I felt that I was safer unarmed than armed, I wouldn’t have a CHL, now would I?

4) Your policy is an implicit statement that your institution does not trust me. Why would I want to do business with (i.e. increase the profits of) any organization that feels that way about me?

I recently had a conversation with the Manager of one of your FCU competitors on this subject. They do not post their lobby with a 30.06 sign. To paraphrase his thoughts on the matter, he said, “If a bad guy starts shooting up my bank, I want all the good guys with guns in the building that I can get”. Even though his location is a few miles out of my way, I will be doing my business with them rather than you as long as your anti-CHL policy remains in effect, and most of my 300,000 friends will be doing the same.

Respectfully yours,

Doug XXXXXXXXXX

CFO, Chaplain

XXXXXXXX Home Health and Hospice

Friendswood, Texas





-----Original Message-----
From: "Lanclos, Becky"
Sent: May 7, 2009 4:46 PM
To: 'dougXXXXXXXXXXX'
Subject: RE: JSC Federal Credit Union


Our police officers are contracted employees of the credit union. Their job is to protect the employees and property of the credit union. We are also very selective in the police officers that we hire and we do not use security firms that may employee “less than trained” individuals.

Becky



From: doug XXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 4:33 PM
To: Lanclos, Becky
Subject: Re: JSC Federal Credit Union



You do on occasion have armed police oficers in your buildings do you not? They are wearing a gun. Since a CHL holder goes through a more rigorous background check than is required to become a peace officer and is trained and certified as competent by the State of Texas, how do they pose a greater hazard than the armed police officer?

Thanks



-----Original Message-----
From: "Lanclos, Becky"
Sent: May 7, 2009 4:19 PM
To: "doug XXXXXXXXXXXX"
Subject: JSC Federal Credit Union




Dear Mr. XXXXXXX, your email has been forwarded to me. Thanks for your interest in our credit union. We would very much like for you to be a member of our credit union as we have many fine services to offer our members. However, we will not be removing our signage about hand guns. There are several reasons for this, but the most prevalent is that we never want our staff or members to be put in any danger that might be posed by someone wearing and/or using a gun in one of our facilities.



I hope that you will base your decision to join JSC FCU on what you can gain from being a member and using our services.



Sincerely,



Becky Lanclos

Chief Operations Officer

JSC Federal Credit Union

[Darwood]

Then there is my friend who works at a federal credit union corporate office and believes that guns are prohibited from her building because it's a "federal" building.

[jlangton]

I sent a note to JSC FCU about their 30.06 sign and had the following exchange (note, no response was received to my last message);

From: doug XXXXXX
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 6:44 PM
To: Lanclos, Becky
Subject: Re: JSC Federal Credit Union

Thank you for your reply, even though it side stepped answering my question. I really would like the answer to it if you can provide one.

I choose, as have over 300,000 other Texans (a number which is growing daily), to arm myself for the protection of my family, my fellow citizens and myself. In order to do this, I have spent considerable time and money. I have undergone a background check by the State of Texas, which is more rigorous than is required to become a Police Officer. I have undergone the training and testing prescribed by the State of Texas to obtain a CHL. I, and all my fellow CHL holders are certified to have committed no felonies or serious misdemeanors, be free of serious mental illness or incapacity and have no restraining orders or other domestic issues. To paraphrase a Texas State Trooper, my CHL demonstrates that I am a “certified good guy”.

I am sorry that I will not be able to patronize your institution so long as your anti-CHL holder policy is in effect.

I suspect it will not do any good, but I would like to explain my reasons;

1) Your policy forces me, in order to do business in your building, to disarm myself in your parking lot. In order to comply with the law, I must do this in a way that does not reveal that I possess a firearm. This forces me to perform the gymnastics of getting my pistol out of its' holster, where it is perfectly safe and it will not accidentally discharge, and place it in my glove box, while trying to insure that no one walks or drives by and sees the pistol in the process. This maneuver is in itself inherently risky, and can result in either an accidental discharge or someone catching a glimpse of the pistol and placing a 'man with a gun' 911 call. Upon leaving your building I have to reverse the process, creating the same risks again.

2) Your policy forces me, in order to do business in your building, to leave a loaded pistol with a cartridge in the chamber and ready to fire, unattended in my vehicle in your parking lot. Should someone choose to steal or break into my vehicle during that time, I am now unarmed with an armed criminal loose in your parking lot.

3) Your policy forces me, in order to do business in your building, to be unarmed during my walk through your parking lot and while in your building. If I felt that I was safer unarmed than armed, I wouldn’t have a CHL, now would I?

4) Your policy is an implicit statement that your institution does not trust me. Why would I want to do business with (i.e. increase the profits of) any organization that feels that way about me?

I recently had a conversation with the Manager of one of your FCU competitors on this subject. They do not post their lobby with a 30.06 sign. To paraphrase his thoughts on the matter, he said, “If a bad guy starts shooting up my bank, I want all the good guys with guns in the building that I can get”. Even though his location is a few miles out of my way, I will be doing my business with them rather than you as long as your anti-CHL policy remains in effect, and most of my 300,000 friends will be doing the same.

Respectfully yours,

Doug XXXXXXXXXX

CFO, Chaplain

XXXXXXXX Home Health and Hospice

Friendswood, Texas





-----Original Message-----
From: "Lanclos, Becky"
Sent: May 7, 2009 4:46 PM
To: 'dougXXXXXXXXXXX'
Subject: RE: JSC Federal Credit Union


Our police officers are contracted employees of the credit union. Their job is to protect the employees and property of the credit union. We are also very selective in the police officers that we hire and we do not use security firms that may employee “less than trained” individuals.

Becky



From: doug XXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 4:33 PM
To: Lanclos, Becky
Subject: Re: JSC Federal Credit Union



You do on occasion have armed police oficers in your buildings do you not? They are wearing a gun. Since a CHL holder goes through a more rigorous background check than is required to become a peace officer and is trained and certified as competent by the State of Texas, how do they pose a greater hazard than the armed police officer?

Thanks



-----Original Message-----
From: "Lanclos, Becky"
Sent: May 7, 2009 4:19 PM
To: "doug XXXXXXXXXXXX"
Subject: JSC Federal Credit Union




Dear Mr. XXXXXXX, your email has been forwarded to me. Thanks for your interest in our credit union. We would very much like for you to be a member of our credit union as we have many fine services to offer our members. However, we will not be removing our signage about hand guns. There are several reasons for this, but the most prevalent is that we never want our staff or members to be put in any danger that might be posed by someone wearing and/or using a gun in one of our facilities.



I hope that you will base your decision to join JSC FCU on what you can gain from being a member and using our services.



Sincerely,



Becky Lanclos

Chief Operations Officer

JSC Federal Credit Union

Very well written-firm,but not abusive,and got the point across.
JL