To tell or not to tell...

[Moosie]

So, I was reading a very good discussion on another forum about whether or not to tell a police officer (without being asked) if you're carrying concealed or not.  Most often, this is via a vehicle stop but it can be during other routine encounters.  Delaware doesn't have a law that states you must automatically notify an LEO that you're authorized to carry concealed or that you are carrying concealed. 

Recently, I was stopped for speeding.  I did not notify the trooper I was carrying.  Why? Because it wasnt relevant.  He didnt ask, I didnt tell.  I didnt have to go anywhere near my gun to get my license, registration, or insurance card.  If I had, I would have certainly told him. 

What's your thought / take on telling or keeping quiet? 

Moosie

[glock9]

i  agree with you. there is no need to tell him,unless he needs to search you or your car. not for a routine traffic stop.

[Hank]

I would most definitely tell the officer that I was carring a firearm, In this case It can't hurt, and I think It may just get you out of a ticket, now that he knows that you have a clean record and you are one of the good guys!!! This Is just how I feel about it, but to each his own. I'm not to sure If It's mandatory or not In Delaware, I will look Into it. But like I said, I don't think it would do any harm to say so.
 

Lets put It another way, and I'm not crazy about " what Ifs " I get stopped by Tim the trooper, for whatever? and I have to bend over to get my paper work from my glove box and while doing so my jacket pulls up enough so that Tim the Trooper spots my handgun, what do you think Is going to bang Tim right on top of his head, If Tim's light does not go on, then Tim was not trained to well and he should go right back to the Police Academy!!! Lets bring this up a notch or two.

Lets say that Tim the Trooper just found out that one of his class mates from the same Academy was just shot and killed at a traffic stop by some nut job that looked like a school teacher, She was having a bad hair day and she just had a fight with her husband, who also beat her up, Hows that for " What Ifs " The two most dangerous things a cop has to deal with Is " Traffic stops and " Domestic violence "

Think about It at your next traffic stop gang??? And have a nice day, Hank

[Sigarms12]

I have to agree with Hank on this after talking to numerous Officer both County, State, Wilmington and New Castle I think its best to let them know in this case its better to let them know then find out by accident. I have nothing to hide. I would just give them my permit with my drivers license.

[GunEnvy]

I wouldn't tell unless he asks or wants me to exit the vehicle. Any time I've been pulled over I've always gotten my drivers license, proof of insurance etc out before he even gets out of the car, no matter what he wants that info, so if you have it ready there's no way you will accidentaly show your gun. I've asked several officers that I know and almost all have said they would rather not know. One of them had had somebody tell them they were carrying and his words were "all I heard is I have a gun on me".IMHO get everything ready to go, have your wallet in your hand and comply but no need to give him too much info.

[glock9]

again i agree with gun envy. dont ask dont tell

[norwood]

when i enter my car, my wallet comes out of my pocket and sits right in the console,, registration and insurance is right over the visor. if i ever get stopped i pull to the side and immediately turn on interior lights and both hands remain on the wheel until asked to show drivers license and registration. Then i can simply hand it to him in plain sight with out going in my pockets or into the glove box and not making the officer nervous for any reason. if i carried i don't think i would mention it unless the law required that i do so or i was asked to step from the vehicle or asked if i had any weapons on me. to me it would be none of their business to know i was carrying and i wouldn't tell them for the same reason i would never allow a search of my vehicle even though i have nothing in it to hide. it can be a slippery slope and you may run into an officer who think he has just solved the last shooting when he finds out you are carrying and will do a further investigation. and even though i would have nothing to hide i wouldn't want to go through all that and waste my time. get the ticket and go on my way, good evening officer = )

[Hank]

Hi again all.
Sinse I  wrote on 1-17-10 I have given this a little more think time. And I have something to add. As of now I have a CCW from DE. FL. & PA. In that order, and with the reciprocity laws being different In all states, I carry my drivers license and all my CCWs In a small folder. I have my drivers license and my DE. CCW up front, or on top and the other two states behind them and that small folder sits right In the main part of my wallet, when I open my wallet that the first thing you will see. I have had my CCW from PA. for ten years ( that's when we lived In PA. ) and not the one I just got. The out of state,CCW.

I will always state that I'm carrying a license firearm, This way I don't have to remember what state I'm In, and what are the laws In this state!!! I will never say the word GUN, that's akin to shouting fire In a theater to some??? I must also say here that I have not been stopped In more than 15-18 years??? The last time I was stopped was when we did live In PA. and that was before I had my first CCW from there, WOW! We have lived here In DE. for 6 years now, And It's a Joy!!!

I would also not let anyone search my car, Maybe if they were looking for a missing rattle snake that was last seen by my car, Maybe??? More " What If's " You never know what's comming next!!!

I only say what I would do and I'm not telling others what to do or say, I hope we are all adults on here, and you all can makeup your own minds.

One more little tid bit, I talked to someone that was a cop and I ask him, If you stopped someone that had a CCW, but did not tell you, and you then found out, would you give this person a worning or a ticket? He said I would by all means give that person a ticket!!! Now lets turn that around and say that same person told you of there CCW up front, what would you now do, and he said I would give them a worning, If all things were equil!!! And please remember, that this Is just one cop, and like us, they all think differently.
Semper Fi all. Hank. 

[Moosie]

Hank you bring up some very good points! 

Yes, I would hope that we are all adults here -- especially if we have a CCDW permit!  That  being said, feedback or hearing from others and the experiences they have had is always good. One person can not think about every angle to every situation.  Thats what I love about the boards here.  Everyone is willing to share their honest opinion about whatever the subject may be. And so far (at least not that I've seen), no one has gotten bent out of shape over the information exchange.  Ok, maybe I did one time LOL.  But it was because I misread what was written.  No harm, no foul. 

I have also decided that if I ever get stopped again, I'll be handing my DL and my CCW permit over at the same time.  I realized after thinking about this whole situation over and over again, that I had never given it any thought about getting stopped while carrying! Nope.. brilliant as it sounds, I just figured, I'd keep my hands on the wheel and say something along the lines of "I'm carrying a concealed firearm".  BUT... I panicked!  Yes, I was all out of sorts when I got stopped.  No idea why..  the worst is that the trooper could give me a ticket, right?! 

Regardless of what I might do, or anyone else chooses to do here, we should all do what is comfortable to us, and depending on what state you're in, what the law tells us to do. 

Thanks for everyone's feedback.


Moosie aka Rebecca

[Hank]

Hi again all.
Just to show how some people do not know the laws In our state and other states. yesterday late afternoon, 400PM or so, I was at J D Defense picking up a new pistol that I ordered from John, and this guy came In to pck up a handgun that he had also ordered. John ask the guy for a drivers license and something else with the same address on it, he gave John a Florida out of state carry license, and John ask him If he had a Delaware Carry license? He said no. John tried to tell him that the Florida license Is only good In Delaware If he lived In FL. and was passing through DE. and he started to give John a somewhat hard time??? John also told him if he was carrying a handgun consealed and a cop stopped him, he would go to jail, and the guy tried to tell John, no that his FL. Around and around we go again!!! John knows the laws.

Some one else on here was also carrying a handgun In PA. on a out of state FL. carry license, and I tried to tell him that It was not alowed, and that he would have to get an out of state PA. Carry license as I did. You can not just read part of the law, you must read It all, or you will get a nice brand new stripped suite for your very own. " Ignorance of the law Is no excuse " And also the laws change from time to time and state to state. If you screw up In another state, the state you live In will not take that to lightly, and there Is a very good chance that It could cost you the right to ever carry a firearm again??? I'm just telling you what I know, so don't give me a hard time, if you don't like what I say!!! A word to the wise!!!.
Semper Fi all. Hank.

[glock9]

the best place to keep track of the changing laws is http://www.handgunlaw.us/. you can read the laws of each state you plan on visting.

[Hank]

Hi all.
I agree with Glock 9. I just ordered the brand new Travelers Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States, for 2010, and I'll bet you before I get It, there will be changes to some state laws!!! The last copy that I had was 2008. The new one goes for $13.95 with ground shipping, Pony Express??? I do hope they feed the pony down here In our little one room post office???
Take care all.Semper Fi all. Hank.



In God we trust, all others pay cash!!!

[trevor]

Some one else on here was also carrying a handgun In PA. on a out of state FL. carry license, and I tried to tell him that It was not alowed, and that he would have to get an out of state PA. Carry license as I did. You can not just read part of the law, you must read It all, or you will get a nice brand new stripped suite for your very own.  

Hank, I may have misunderstood, but the PA Atty General's website has this " It is the position of the Office of Attorney General that recognition within Pennsylvania is based on the issuance to an individual of a valid license/permit by the reciprocal contracting state, and not on the license/permit holder's place of residence. " (http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/crime.aspx?id=184)

Could you show me a cite  where PA says they don't accept FL for nonresidents?

(I have PA LTCF anyway, very easy to obtain, but wanted to check the whole FL nonresident thing)

[Hank]

Hi Trevor.
If that was you I was talking about? I was not taking a cheep shot at you,I was trying to save you some jail time and ever worse, you would loose your right to ever carry again,In any state!!! and that's all. If and when you got your Florida CCW/CCDW? You should have gotten a yellow sheet, telling you what states your CCW Is valid In, and for PA. It has a little#1 & #6 by It, If you turn that yellow sheet over It will tell you just what #1 & #6 are, #6= ( These states issue concealed carry licenses to qualified individuals who are non-residents. These non-residents permits connot be honored under Florida's reciprocity provision. ) I got this yellow sheet from Florida with my out of state, or non residents CCW. I have talked to people In the know and I was told that for me to carry In PA. I would have to get an out of state/ or non-resident CCW from PA. Which I did. I have a FL.and also DE.I didn't get this one just for kicks.

I was In JD Defense picking up a new gun that I ordered from my good friend John Davis, who owend It, and Is a retired Georgetown policemen, He was an instructor on weapons and he also has FBI training. He held the rank of Lt. While I was there another person came Into pick up a pistol that he had also ordered. John needed 2 proofs ( IDs )with the same home address on them, one had to be a Delaware drivers license, and he needed another one with the same address on It. So this person takes out a non-resident CCW from Florida with his address on it, and John then ask him If he had a DE. CCDW with the same adderss, and he said No. He then told John that he carries In DE. on his FL. CCW. John told him that he could not do that and the guy started to give John a list of why he could. John then told him that If gets stopped and he has a gun on him, he will go to jail.

Trevor, you go and do whatever you like, a word to the wise??? Just remember I tried to worn you. Closed case, Good luck, Hank.   

[Hank]

Hi again all.
I see in my rush to answer Trevor, I am repeting myself, I said the same thing twice,I guess I'm as bad as some of the lawyers, that write the law so that no one can understand It, not even themselves??? And everyone that tries to make sense of It, can't. I include myself In that. And most of all, we must look out for the ones that make the rules, and don't have to live by them. I know, Off the soap box Hank.