CCW Badge

[QuietShootr]

Not the brightest idea in the world.

 

[dasmi]

Stupid, pathetic and idiotic idea. Badges are for cops. I'm not a cop, I don't want to be a cop, and I don't want anyone thinking I am a cop.
And, I don't need to pretend to be a cop to be comfotable carrying a firearm.

 

[Justin]

This cracks me up: I realize it's the apparent style at the moment to scoff at CCW badges as "unneccessary" and, arguably, they very well may be. But I notice that members on this board (I won't name names, it doesn't matter) use precisely the same sort of derisive language and condescending attitude for badges as plenty of anti-gunners use on us for our guns. I have to ask you: If it's not illegal wherever someone has one, what's it do you if they do?

It reflects poorly on those who carry concealed by fostering the notion that people who choose to carry concealed are wannabes.

The point of having a concealed weapons permit is so that you can carry a weapon while moving amongst the public in your day-to-day goings without drawing undue attention to yourself.

Slapping a tin badge on your chest kinda defeats that purpose.

 

[Robo_Railer]

Meaningless, useless gimmick. That they sell them in the back of crappy magazines only bolsters this argument.

Yeah, but there's also one company with an ad in the back of American COP magazine. They offer an "H.R. 218" shield, and require department ID before they'll sell one.
Then again, one would think an officer's department-issue credentials would suffice in another state.

So, you advocate impersonating "the Man".

No, I think he was saying that if the bad guy makes a bad assumption and leaves without doing any bad guy stuff, then he's not going to correct Mr. BG's mistaken impression.
The other side of the coin would be some dirtbag who, as someone else mentioned, wants "street cred" for shooting a cop. I think the more likely scenario would be the BG thinking he'd pushed his luck enough and therefore evacuating the vicinity, but ya never know.

From the Maine Criminal Code (Title 17-A M.R.S.A.):
§457. Impersonating a public servant
1. A person is guilty of impersonating a public servant if he falsely pretends to be a public servant and engages in any conduct in that capacity with the intent to deceive anyone.
{"Intent" can be kinda hard to prove sometimes.}

2. It is no defense to a prosecution under this section that the office the person pretended to hold did not in fact exist.
{Well, now that's just plain discouraging to all those who wanted to be Batman. }

I have to give some serious thought to this: If I'm on duty (in uniform) and roll up on a guy I don't know (in plain clothes) holding a gun on another guy I don't know (also in plain clothes), whether I'd make the armed guy drop the gun and prone out if I saw he had a badge as well as the gun.
The safe course says yes, unless he can talk real fast and real convincingly.
Now a change of scene: This time I'm the guy with the badge clipped next to his holster, and I'm in a county where not every officer knows me. Geez, I hope they'll either accept who I am (can't really blame them if they don't), or at least let me set my gun carefully on the ground before they confirm who I am.
Decisions, decisions. :banghead:

 

[.cheese.]

Somebody asked how he was wearing it.

It was on his belt on a leather/pleather clippy belt thing.

 

[grampster]

Re post 29. Where is that "tongue planted firmly in cheek" smiley or the
smiley. It's a joke Hemi and Ceetee.

Please go back and note the follow up comment.

 

[.cheese.]

Just to slightly progress the topic a little bit towards a thought of mine.

You guys don't think the govt. will ever require CCW badges do you? I hope not, but with the proposals of a federal CCW program, I'm wondering what kinds of strange requirements might arise.

I get the impression that there are many in govt. who don't like the idea of somebody next to them being armed and them not knowing about it.

My worry is that if one day it is required, people are going to confuse CCW'ers with cops, and that could cause all kinds of problems IMO.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

WHAT A FLIPPIN' BAD IDEA... my CCW is LEGAL, and if it happens to show, and some nincimpoop calls the cops, they can check it and me out, and then go tell the nincompoop to go pound sand...

Say what you want about badges, but if you really think that most police are just going to talk to you and then go yell at the guy who called, you're kidding yourself.

If a call goes out that there is a man with a gun(you), even if you're 100% legal, plan on getting drawn on, yelled at, cuffed, lectured, and maybe tossed in the back of a squad car. And plan on taking about 2 hours out of your day for all this hassle to go down. That 20 minute trip to the store at 8pm to get some ice cream for your wife just turned into a 2 and a half hour ordeal. Have a good time.

And I say that as one who is almost always in favor/defense of the police on "anti-LEO" threads on THR and TFL.

 

[Jeff White]

If you are 100% legal and you are displaying one of these CCW badges, plan on getting cuffed, stuffed in the back of a squad car, read your Miranda rights and asked a whole lot of uncomfortable questions about things like if you planned on impersonating an officer to abduct your next rape victim.

The chances of have a very unpleasant encounter with the police are much greater if you are displaying some kind of quasi-police identification then if a citizen saw your CCW and reported you as a man with gun.

We all have to make our own decisions. If you think the chance that flashing fake tin will save you from an unpleasant encounter with the police is greater then the chance that flashing fake tin will make what would have probably been a fairly painless encounter with the police, then carry one.

Jeff

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

I think I would rather no one know I even had a firearm on me that way if I were in a situation like Salt lake city I wouldnt be immediatley accused of being one of the shooters and get shot by the police when they arrived.

 

[BsChoy]

A badge, if not immediately readable, denotes police. If, as one poster in the beginning of this thread, put it you reach to the top shelf and your OWB 1911 peeks out and the sheeplesee it and call the cops. Now what if that wasn't a sheeple but a wolf and he hates cops. That could make one dead wanna be. I am a cop and I make sure my gun is covered well and no one knows I am a cop. The badge isn't for display its a sign of office.

 

[stormspotter]

Have to agree that its not a good idea to wear one. As a member of our local Emergency Management Agency, we carry badges stating such. I always keep it on me but never in view, unless we are on call and have been instructed to do so by our EMA director.

I have a CCW permit, but do not want to be mistaken for any law enforcement officer. Its not worth the trouble.

 

[.cheese.]

I think I would rather no one know I even had a firearm on me that way if I were in a situation like Salt lake city I wouldnt be immediatley accused of being one of the shooters and get shot by the police when they arrived.

Or worse. If you were wearing a CCW badge, and people mistakenly thought you're a cop, they're going to flock to you to save them or something.

Not a good position to be in IMO.

 

[Rey B]

Hey Biker!

I knew you could get a DILLIGAF t-shirt and other stuff but I didn't know they made a badge too! I must have one for my very own.

 

[BOOM-BOOM]

I'm from Ohio and the Attorney General Strongly suggest that Ohioans do not buy these badges, although there not illegal to have... But do to the confusion that they may cause...

Also, I've heard alot of you refer to this badge as cheap.. them bugers cost $45 to $50 bucks here.. thats not cheap, at least not to me....

 

[PrimaryB]

I agree no one should wear any emblem or certainly a brazen gold or silver badge to identify him or herself as a CCW holder. My question is why something similar to those who have lost their lives in their profession? Protection and care giving, assistance or what ever the case may be? My bro is a high level LEO. My stepson is a fireman. They never show their colors out of uniform. In most states ALLOWING your carry to be seen is against the law. Printing is against the law. If you need some sort of tatoo on your forehead to let people know that you are a CCW permit holder than your not doing your job. When things go down in a bad situation and you have your brazen badge out I'm running from you not the perp. Maybe having a bad day but I've tried to rationalize this thread and it's a NO GO.

 

[JCF]

Like the magazine ad says "This badge could save your life."

Particularly if it is strategically placed in your shirt pocket when some idiot tries to shoot you in the chest with his Jennings.

 

[Biker]

Rey...

Actually, it's a DILLIGAF patch my OL outlined and highlighted in sparkly thread then sewed to my wallet.
I am the Official Sheriff of DILLIGAF!
Behold my Badge, and fear me...but if ya don't, I don't really give a...well, you know.

Biker

 

[wcwhitey]

Bad idea IMHO. But it does bring up the issue of how to properly identify yourself as a good guy in the case you ever have to take action.

 

[.cheese.]

wcwhitley - there was an article on this topic in last months "Guns and Weaspons for Law Enforcemet" or it might have been "SWAT" magazine.

If I figure out which one it was I'll PM you with it.

 

[.cheese.]

Somebody mentioned printing is against the law.

At least down here in Fl, I don't think you can get in that much trouble for printing. You might get scolded, but arrested I think would be unlikely.

Or if you get a nice officer who is pro ccw and 2A, he might even take the time to give you some tips on better techniques to carry and better shirts to buy.

 

[mustanger98]

In my first post on this thread, I mentioned that legislatures can and do make laws nobody understands why they did. Somebody also mentioned a possible federal CCW deal.

I agree that it's a bad idea to be flashing a badge, but as I also said, there's a right way and several wrong ways to use a badge. The right way being to keep the separate wallet (badge/permit) out of sight until such time as it may be needed. That's IF some goofy legislation made it mandatory. Now, if said goofy law were passed, that'd mean people keeping with the law wouldn't be posers.

Now, the matter of impersonating an officer... it would be a bad idea to use the badge when making a citizen's arrest. The private citizen should not act like a cop and say "STOP! POLICE! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!", but rather use the term "citizen's arrest" to make the distinction that the arresting citizen isn't a cop and isn't trying to make anyone beleive they are.

That said, police officers and private citizens are all in this- country, community, legal situation- together. We all need to be on the same page. If some goofy badge-requiring legislation were passed, police and private citizens would both need to know the legal aspects.

 

[raytracer]

A well regulated mall, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and wear badges, shall not be infringed.

If some blissninny sheep were to bleat at me "You're allowed to have a gun?!?", I'd proudly tell them that "Yes. Yes I am. And so are you, assuming you're not a convicted felon or the subject of a full order of protection. Isn't America great?" and go on about my business.

Q. What is the difference between a gun and a badge?

A. One is the physical embodiment of freedom - the source of a power that can be used to subjugate the weak or as the instrument of freedom. The other is pinned on your chest. If you're a cop.

You already have the power - why the fascination with the trappings of power?

Joe

 

[Hemicuda]

Taurusowner...

I HAVE had a Sheeple call the cops on my "gun"... the cops showed up, approached me and asked if I had a gun and a permit for it...

I said yes, they asked where they were... I told them...

they asked for the permit... looked to see it was legal, and handed it back...

THEN they told me that someone had called it in... they got the Sheeple to come over, explained that NOTHING ILLEGAL had happened, and that the SHeeple needed to be a little more careful and a little less nosy...

we were all then sent on our way...

they never cuffed me, stuffed me, or hell, even asked to secure the weapon... (one DID ask what I choosed to carry... and liked my choice)

this all happened in downtown Detroit... NOT my small town home!

WHERE do you figure I'd get raped anally by the cops?

 

[JCF]

they never cuffed me, stuffed me, or hell, even asked to secure the weapon... (one DID ask what I choosed to carry... and liked my choice)

this all happened in downtown Detroit... NOT my small town home!

WHERE do you figure I'd get raped anally by the cops?

The overwhelming probability is that you wouldn't. At least not in any jurisdiction where you are lawfully permitted to carry.

It's just more sensationalism directed at the police.