imported post
I work with six twp PD , two boro PD, and PSP. I want to know what their policies are to OC. I plan on contacting all to find out.
Click on the
already-
mentioned link:
http://paopencarry.org/pdfs/mpoetc_oc.pdf
The link will take you to the annual training that
each and every police officer in your six township police departments, two borough police departments and the State Police all received last year, 2009. Note the training on the third page of the MPOETC extract:
Question No. 3 - What can police legally do when they observe a person engaging in open carry?
Answer - In most cases, the police cannot engage the person in anything other than a mere encounter. ... Therefore, a stop and frisk or any other seizure would not be legally justified.
Of course, you are free to contact all six township police departments, two borough police departments and the State Police in order to find out what their "policies" are, but if you're doing that, you might as well also inquire about their "policies" concerning your speaking your mind, going where you want to go, associating with certain people, and worshiping (or not worshiping) as you please. If you feel you have to inquire about exercising one of your rights, as specifically guaranteed by Article 1, Section 21 of the Pennsylvania State Constitution, you might as well inquire about exercising the other rights, too.
I can't make it any clearer to you -
OPEN CARRY OF FIREARMS IS LEGAL THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH. That concept, strange as it may seem, is guaranteed by not only the Pennsylvania State Constitution, but also
two Pennsylvania Supreme Court rulings. Any police officers who think otherwise may well find themselves on the receiving end of a federal civil rights lawsuit (and there are presently two such lawsuits currently working their way through the courts as of this moment - Dickson City and Allentown).