Police not happy about relazation of TX CHL law

[03Lightningrocks]

While I believe in cooperating with the police .. showing the CHL .. I am wondering whether its a good idea to show our CHL to a Houston cop, or Harris county Deputy. They have proven they are the enemy and not to be trusted. If they are out to get us as CHLers maybe we probably shouldn't be giving them ammunition.

I'm still trying to sort this out, buy it does seem as though they are the ones that have picked this battle .. Starting with Chuck Rosenthal.

I only get to Houston maybe once a month or so but the times I am there I dread getting pulled over by that geztapo law enforcement community. The couple times I had the pleasure of meeting Houstons finest reminded me of little punk kids in high school with an axe to grind. Rude is not a strong enough word for how they acted but is all that will be allowed on this forum.

I am always polite to cops hoping they won't taze me. My thought when the Houston cops walked back to the car was..."please get run over".

To be more serious. The first time I was pulled over in Houston, I thought maybe the guy was just having a bad day. then the next time was just as unpleasant and I thought "no, this isn't just a coincidence, Houston cops have a major bad attitude going on".

I've never had these problems and never had these issues.
Maybe you should drive better and avoid all these times you get pulled over. Obeying traffic laws does wonders for limiting being pulled over.
People that don't like Houston can leave or don't come here. Don't let the door hit your rear on the way out.

You may be the only driver in Houston that subscribes to this belief. 90% of the drivers I observed will run over you if your doing less than 20 mph over the speed limit. Regardless, I drive just fine, thank you. Especially when compared to some of the crazy drivers around Houston. Trust me, I only go there when I have to and I keep my visit just as short as possible.

[frazzled]

Hey can't handle the big city then sorry.

[DONT TREAD ON ME]

Hey can't handle the big city then sorry.

If this is an example of a person from Houston, then...

[KD5NRH]

Hey can't handle the big city then sorry.

If this is an example of a person from Houston, then...

They're just frustrated because they never manage to be number one at anything.

On the other hand, they're:
70th most dangerous
9th worst for dating
8th worst place to raise a family
8th worst for commuters
2nd worst for skin

Of course, if they keep trying that hard, they're bound to be number one in something eventually.

[Crapshoot]

LEO's are as individual as you or me.

I have three cop friends, one HPD, one LaPorte PD, one Baytown PD and a number of cop acquaintances who are all pro-CHL.

In fact, I've yet to know one who isn't.

So, please don't lump them all into a anti-CHL category.

It just isn't so.

Keep in mind that when you are stopped, you may not realize that you too are projecting an attitude (be it positive or negative). That can have alot of bearing on how the LEO handles your particular stop.

I always try to project courtesy (not fawning adoration), and I can only recall getting the same in return even while the LEO merrily writes my citation.

+1

[roberts]

As long as Gary Blankinship is their spokesman, I will keep on driving and mind my own business if I ever see a Houston cop in trouble. I don't want them to wet themselves if they observe my weapon. Or shoot me for trying to help.

[lonewolf]

All this talk about the Houston cops, and their apparent paranoia makes me wonder if they aren't running scared. Are things out of control there? It appears that they are seriously on the defensive, and rather than ever being proactive with regards to crime and criminals are being reactive.....

I can see where there might be a preference to patrolling the crazy highways rather than cruising some of the rabbit warrens of lower income apartments, or cruising the dark warehouse areas.

[bdickens]

I've been stopped by HPD and the officer didn't seem too concerned.

[srothstein]

When it comes to Gary Blankinship, I just wanted to point out one thing. He is the union president. I mention this because of a conversation I had a long time ago. Many cops were wondering why the police unions were endorsing a specific candidate for office that none of the cops were known to support. I asked the union president about it. He explained to me that unions exist for one thing only, and that is labor negotiations. They support candidates that will benefit labor. They endorse these candidates (and take political positions) based on this labor position.

So, I asked how come they keep getting identified as police endorsements. This leads the public to believe that they are endorsed based on their crime/criminal/public safety attitudes and not on their labor attitudes. He said he understood that and that this is one of the reasons so many politicians ask for police labor endorsements. It gives them a lot more political clout because the politicians cannot afford to be seen as anti-police or soft on crime. And cops keep electing these type of labor leaders because they do what they are supposed to as labor leaders. They get better contracts and benefits for the officers. Cops are human and like better paychecks as much as anyone else.

So, when you see a union president making a statement like "we don't like this law", remember that this is a political statement made from a labor perspective. It may have been a favor called in or being laid out. It is not what the cops on the street necessarily feel. And, for future reference, remember this any time you see a politician claiming an endorsement from a police union. It is almost always going to be based on their labor relations positions and not on their crime positions.

[dac1842]

True Police of any type are not required to notify as we are. But the fact is, most do. I was an LEO for many years, everytime I stopped another LEO he would identify himself immediately as an LEO and let me know if he was packing. Most understand the importance of the notification and the effect that the notificaiton has on the officers state of mind. I know someone will take off on that, and that is your right. Until you have walked in those shoes, don't critisize those that have.

Police will seldom get a ticket if the identify themselves as a "brother officer"

Liberty, that is not the point, true as it is. The point is that most officer, will announce if they are carrying a weapon.

[Liberty]

True Police of any type are not required to notify as we are. But the fact is, most do. I was an LEO for many years, everytime I stopped another LEO he would identify himself immediately as an LEO and let me know if he was packing. Most understand the importance of the notification and the effect that the notificaiton has on the officers state of mind. I know someone will take off on that, and that is your right. Until you have walked in those shoes, don't critisize those that have.

Police will seldom get a ticket if the identify themselves as a "brother officer"

Liberty, that is not the point, true as it is. The point is that most officer, will announce if they are carrying a weapon.

The point is about motivation.
What's in it for me a civilian If I show my CHL?
What's in it for the LEO?

BTW I intend on showing my CHL to most LEOs if asked for an ID, but I must admit I am wondering if I should to Harris county LEOs, I question whether I should out of respect for the department. While I have a lot of respect most officers in Texas, Harris County seems to be in a league of its own, and from what I see and here they don't seem to respect us citizens much..

[dicion]

As long as Gary Blankinship is their spokesman, I will keep on driving and mind my own business if I ever see a Houston cop in trouble. I don't want them to wet themselves if they observe my weapon. Or shoot me for trying to help.

You must be kidding me. If you observed an officer in trouble you would not stop?

I'm sorry, but I can't just drive by someone obviously in trouble, and need of help. Police officer or not.

A few women on the side of the road with a flat, a spare out, and obviously no experience in changing a tire? I'll stop (And yes, you can Easily tell this in about 2 seconds. If you happen to drive by it)
However, if they have a gentleman with them, I will assume that he knows how to change a tire, and will continue on, unless he is standing there scratching his head too.

An Officer on the side of the road in a door-to-door shootout with someone? No, I won't Stop, Rather, I'd aim my vehicle directly into the perp. I have airbags and a seat belt. I'll be fine.

[lonewolf]

People in real trouble need help. Its up to you do decide when, if, and what help you give. Evaluate the scene right quick and make a decision. Two guys and two gals with a flat tire? I'm on down the road. They should have a cell phone and some more friends. And know how to change a tire.

An old lady? I'll stop to help, after approaching in a non-threatening manner with my hands in plain sight. My grandmother had a white handkerchief in her glovebox. If she broke down, she would tie it to the antenna and sit in her car with her hand on her little .25.

Its all a judgement call. Running up to a cop in a shootout is most likely to get me shot. By the cop or the BG. Not good. Taking out the BG with my car is an option, as stated before. Giving the LEO more cover with my car is another. Being a good witness is vital. If I can't safely stop, I'll find a place to observe and report from, in support of the operation. Deliberately walking into a gunfight is not what CHL is about, IMHO. If the officer is hit and the BG bugs out, I'll be there to get him whatever help I can.

To each his own, as long as it doesn't interfere with me or mine.....

I will respect the officer that stops me, I will be polite and professional, as I hope he/she will be. I will not make any move to escalate the situation and will be cooperative as best possible without letting my opinions get the best of me or being confrontational. If he/she wants to act like a goofball, opinionated know it all, that's fine. I won't lose my professionalism and will handle it calmly. If I file a complaint later, it will be knowing with absolute certaintly that it is justified.

[Captain Matt]

As long as Gary Blankinship is their spokesman, I will keep on driving and mind my own business if I ever see a Houston cop in trouble. I don't want them to wet themselves if they observe my weapon. Or shoot me for trying to help.

You must be kidding me. If you observed an officer in trouble you would not stop?

I'm sorry, but I can't just drive by someone obviously in trouble, and need of help. Police officer or not.

I disagree. If a department or union is anti CHL then their members don't deserve our support, our help, or our respect. They want to create an us-vs-them division, then let them reap what they sow.

[DONT TREAD ON ME]

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