Groups vs Solo carry

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I've been thinking this over for a while, and feel that the reasons I came up with don't completely explain the situation.

We've seen many times that illegal detainments and general hostile behavior(tasers or guns drawn, six or seven squad cars responding, etc.) by the police happen almost only to solo carriers. When in groups, one car may show up, they may or may not do a 12031e check(usually will), and they'll just leave you alone.

The explanations I've come up with are 1) They imagine if we're part of a group, we probably have significant legal resources, and will be more likely to sue and win.
2) witnesses
3) they're just generally more afraid that if they piss off an entire group of people, there's more chance they'll get sued.
4) we seem more peaceful and normal (seems like a bogus explanation, if I do say so myself. Noone's ever doing anything threatening or violent when solo carrying, and they get harassed anyways).

Can anyone think of any other(or better) explanations?

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Not better, just an additional reason.

You rarely ever hear of a group of people walking into a business and shooting the place up.

Youhear about single shooter incidents where the disgruntled ex-employee returns to kill the whole office, or where the single shooter walks into the mall and starts taking out shoppers.

There may be a perception by the LEOs that a group of people walking around armed are actually less of a threat to the public than a single individual.

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What you say makes sense. If you're apart of a group it makes you look like apart of some sort of civil rights movement. Obviously there has been issues in the past with cops infringing on a particular groups civil rights. I mean if you think about it, we feel we are being persecuted and we are excersizing our rights peacefully despite this persecution. Our right to assemble has beenexcersized and because of it there are now many memo's out explaining why we are within the law and there are a lot less false arrests because of it.

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IUOC solo all the time. If I'm going out shopping, I'm not going to call anyone to see if they want to go shopping.

As an example to how it usually goes for me, like it did today, I went to Lowe's, Staples, Frazier Farms, WalMart and Sam's Club and noone freaked out and called the police.

The cashier at WalMart asked if I was an undercover sheriff, I told her no and that it was legal to open carry in CA. I gave her a business card with the pertinent info, which also had www.CaliforniaOpenCarry.org on the front and back.

The only time I've been e-checked was by an Oceanside LEO, who knew me and he had the trainee with him do the check.

I've been accused of still looking like a cop, maybe that's why no one bothers to call the police...if they even notice the holstered pistol.

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Decoligny wrote:

There may be a perception by the LEOs that a group of people walking around armed are actually less of a threat to the public than a single individual.

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That's funny, I have a perception that the more people who are walking around armed is safer for the public in general. That's strangely similar. <cue eerie music here>

Also, I believe the first meetup in Sunnyvale had a large police response in terms of number of cars, but only one officer approached the group.

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This is what I hand out when someone asks me why I'm carrying. It's easier to carry several of these in a shirt pocket.

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yelohamr wrote:

This is what I hand out when someone asks me why I'm carrying. It's easier to carry several of these in a shirt pocket.

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I like it, except I think it should have some sort of fact on it too. Something to help them NOT think "holy shit this is for lunatics" and instead think "This guy is a firm believer in his own duty in protecting himself.

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Streetbikerr6 wrote:

yelohamr wrote:

This is what I hand out when someone asks me why I'm carrying. It's easier to carry several of these in a shirt pocket.

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I like it, except I think it should have some sort of fact on it too.

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There are 2 facts on the front side:

(1) Yes it's legal to open carry a hundgun in California

(2) Firearms carried openly in belt hoilsters are not concealed per California law.

If they have questions, I answer them and tell them to check out the website

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I think a groupOC'ing isdefinitely perceived as a part of an organized activist movement. At Redlands last night while we were being e-checked, I heard someone from the crowd of on-lookers say, "What's going on?" and the response was, "I thinkit's sometype of demonstration."

It's really kind of funny...the only time a crowd gathered to intently observe us was when the LEO was doing the e-check and the fact that some of the uniformed citizen volunteers were trying to divert people from the zone of the e-check only served to draw more attention!

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Open carried all day yesterday in Redlands not any problems... Target, Barnes and Noble, Starbucks... Stater Bros.... Not so much as a peep out of anyone.

Guit

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Captain_Awesome wrote:

...
1) They imagine if we're part of a group, we probably have significant legal resources, and will be more likely to sue and win.
2) witnesses
3) they're just generally more afraid that if they piss off an entire group of people, there's more chance they'll get sued.
4) we seem more peaceful and normal (seems like a bogus explanation, if I do say so myself. Noone's ever doing anything threatening or violent when solo carrying, and they get harassed anyways).

Can anyone think of any other(or better) explanations?

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+1 to #s 1-3.

#4... not so much. Those that wish to oppress us will think we're abnormal no matter how many of us there are.

Those that wish to oppress us fear us, and for good reason. They know that if one of us ever files a federal lawsuit, they're up shit creek without a paddle. (To my knowledge, no such lawsuits have been filed yet.) We have strength in numbers.

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Captain_Awesome wrote:

1) They imagine if we're part of a group, we probably have significant legal resources, and will be more likely to sue and win.

2) witnesses

3) they're just generally more afraid that if they piss off an entire group of people, there's more chance they'll get sued.

4) we seem more peaceful and normal (seems like a bogus explanation, if I do say so myself. Noone's ever doing anything threatening or violent when solo carrying, and they get harassed anyways).

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1) One person's rights being violated is easy to sweep under the rug and disregard the paperwork. Multiple peoples' rights being violated becomes a class-action suit.

2) Witnesses! Always a good thing if they're "freindly witnesses", ex: People you know can provided testimony later.

3) Not so much... They do have more man-power and "riot gear" available.

4) To the general public, yes.