Having a CCW and getting pulled over by the police

[RVSinOK]

This thread is great info, and good to see many different points of view. My personal opinion is that it is a good idea to tell LEO's that you are licensed (or "permitted" or whatever!) and that you are armed, whether you are required to do so by law or not.

That being said, it sounds like there are a lot of people here who seem to get pulled over pretty regularly! Am I just a more cautious driver, or do I happen to live in an area where the police aren't quite so, um, agressive in pulling people over? I have been driving now for (yikes!) 25 years, and have been pulled over exactly once.....and that was for an expired inspection sticker. Am I just "lucky", or am I just missing out on all the fun? Just curious.....

 

[ChickenHawk]

I love these Texas stories where the LEO sees the CHL and then lets the driver go. Why didn't I get one of those??

I have gotten 2 tickets in the past 5 years. Both for minor offenses and in both cases I (stupidly) didn't realize I was breaking the law.

1. Made RIGHT turn onto a street with a NO RIGHT TURN between certain hours sign I should have seen (to keep the traffic down during rush hour I guess).

2. Going 40 in a 30 (which I thought WAS a 40 and was actually being careful not to speed because my 16 year-old new driver daughter was in the car with me).

I sound like a pretty treacherous guy don't I?

In both cases I was very respectful. In both cases I handed over my DL along with my CHL and told the officer where my gun was before he could ask.

Got a ticket BOTH times. :banghead: Go figure.

Cheers,
ChickenHawk

 

[scbair]

Two incidents:

My brother & I both hold CWPs in SC. I was recently stopped at a DUI checkpoint, and asked for my DL & vehicle registration. By SC law, when carrying the weapon I am required to provide the officer my CWP. He asked if I were armed. I replied that I was. I was wearing a t-shirt and jean shorts (it's pretty hot down here, folks), and had my Kimber in a fanny pack. The officer eyed me and said, "Must be in the fanny pack; that's the best idea in years, isn't it?" He thanked me, returned my paperwork, and waved me through.

My brother was stopped for speeding last week, in a fairly notorious "speed trap" small town. The officer noted his CWP, told my brother he (my brother) was obviously not a "problem" sort of person, asked him to slow down in that area, and sent him on his way (no citation!).

The Southern LEOs are, by & large, supportive of the CWP process, and appreciate knowing up front they're dealing with law-abiding citizens rather than a violent criminal type.

 

[BrokenPaw]

I sound like a pretty treacherous guy don't I?

ChickenHawk,
Not as treacherous as I. I've been pulled over twice in one night, you see. The first was legitimate; I was going 65 in a 45 zone[0]. Took the ticket, and was driving as absolutely carefully as I could for the rest of the way home. So carefully was I watching my speed, in fact, that I missed the sign that dropped the limit from 45 to 35. So I was going exactly 45 when I got pulled over. Again.[1] I explained to LEO #2, and I must have looked scared enough, because he let me go with a verbal warning.

Now, so as to stay on topic: Now that I'm old enough and I carry concealed, I always tell an officer who has specifically pulled me over that I have a permit, and I'm carrying. (I say "specifically", because I generally don't tell the officer anything at a sobriety checkpoint, unless it progresses beyond the "had anything to drink tonight, sir?", "No, officer, I don't drink.", "Have a nice evening, sir" point).

Usually when I tell the officer, he or she thanks me, and doesn't seem to mind. Once, it went very badly, and I'm not entirely sure why. Probably that particular officer was either having a bad day or felt like private citizens shouldn't have guns or something. ::shrug::

I've had more trouble with LEO when I wasn't carrying, than when I was. Maybe it's because I'm more...circumspect and self-effacing when I know I'm carrying deadly force on my hip. Or maybe it's because I don't drive the 380ci Camaro IROC any more, and have graduated to an SUV, so I can go get lattes and espressos from even the most off-road Starbucks establishments.

-BP

[0] With the tenuous excuse of "there was a guy in a big SUV tailgating me with his brights on" combined with the inconvenient adjustment "and I, being 16, was too stupid to pull over to let him pass, so instead I sped up and did so right in front of you, officer."
[1] "Ever gotten a ticket before, kid?" "Yes, officer, about 10 mintues ago."

 

[Partisan Ranger]

In Va., your DMV record is flagged if you have a CCW, so the LEO sees it when he runs your plate on a stop. You aren't required to notify the LEO when he pulls you over, but I think I would politely tell him/her that I have a CCW and am/am not armed. I have found when I've been stopped in the past that being extremely polite and helpful tends to get one off the hook w/o a ticket.

I once got pulled over on the Pa. turnpike doing about 80 in a 55 contruction zone. The LEO could have cleaned out my savings account, but I pulled over IMMEDIATELY after he nailed me, like 200 yards down the road. He was initially suspicious of why I pulled over so quick. But after he sized me up, he let me go without even a written warning.

Oh, I imagine having my wife and son in the car kinda helped too.

 

[spacemanspiff]

my plan is to have my DL and CHL in my hand when the officer approaches the vehicle, give them to him/her, and then say "I am required to show this to you, and tell you I am carrying."

my office building has a view of a busy intersection (minnesota & benson for you fellow alaskans) and i usually see between one to six traffic stops per day who pull over into our parking lot. not once have i seen any driver get disarmed. since the estimates were reduced on how many CHLs have been issued here in Anchorage, at 17000, about 1 in 15 or so have been issued a CHL. that figure isnt too accurate, as the number of residents under the age of 21 havent been removed from my calculations.

 

[ChickenHawk]

BrokenPaw,

That's a great story!

I'll tell you. I don't get pulled over often, but I can't remember a time I was pulled over that I didn't get a ticket (about 5 in my lifetime).

I drive newish cars in well maintained shape. I'm a decent looking guy, and I treat the officers with respect. I've just never gotten a break ... even since getting my CHL.

Of course, that's not the reason I got my CHL, so it's fine as far as that goes.

When I think about it, it always bugs me though because -here in Austin- you don't have to drive very far before you see someone run a red light or drive WAY too aggressively for traffic conditions. I consider myself to be a careful, considerate driver, and I want to know why some cop took the time to pull me over for missing that sign and making a friggin RIGHT turn onto a two-way public street when he could have been stopping someone who runs red lights every day.

I'm sure the officer doesn't know me from Adam, but he can see my record.

Enough of that! I'll stop whining now.

Regards,
ChickenHawk