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LEO Contact Best Buy

sudden valley gunner

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'Are you undercover', a man says as he approaches me at Best Buy.

'NO, just a regular guy' I say.

'Really? and you can carry like that, do you have a permit'

'Not necessary, we are an open carry state'

'Well I am a police officer' my awareness instantly notched u in the split second between the next words ( you would understand why if you knew the history I have with Bellingham PD, 'from Canada'. Ahhh relief.

We ended up in a great discussion, this guy's look of incredulous disbelief is hard to describe. He was amazed that we can do this. He asked why I would need to. I told him for self defense and more of a means of detterant is why I carry openly. I also told him another reason I do so is to raise awareness that in the States this is our right. He was very understanding.

I told him about Tyler and I being at Starbucks and the police were called he states

"I bet you were taken down at gun point", I said no not at all. They saw we were engaged in no crime and left. He again was amazed. We chatted for a little bit he wondered what caliber (calibre if you are Canadian) I was carrying, he knew the model.

A few minutes later my wife came in to meet me and the conversation ended very positively. But since my wife wanted to browse a little I went to the car, got some of the brochures and brought them back in for him to have. He thanked me, and we talked about the relaxation of Canada's long gun registration (he is supportive of relaxing this). I told him I was thinking of asking the mods to make a Canada section since we have a U.K. section that way we can all work for more gun rights.

He seemed to like the brochures and I feel it was a positive encounter overall.
 

Glock17

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Sounds likea really good LEO experience. Especially when they take the brochure and thank you for the info. Cheers
 

tyguy808

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sudden valley gunner wrote:
I told him about Tyler and I being at Starbucks and the police were called he states

"I bet you were taken down at gun point", I said no not at all. They saw we were engaged in no crime and left. He again was amazed.
I reached for my wallet for ID and the cop told me he didn't need it because I hadn't done anything wrong.

OT- A month or so later I ran into a Canadian citizen at a rest stop when he parked next to me as I was out smoking, he asked if I was legal OC'ing. I told him that I was a regular guy, looking out for my family. He was amazed, but, his wife wouldn't even get out of the car.
 

sudden valley gunner

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G22Paddy wrote:
I'd like to see Canada lax their gun laws.
They are edging that way, I told him I was glad about Canada relaxing their long gun registration and he was too, and hinted that he hoped it would go further.
 

Aaron1124

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gogodawgs wrote:
Canadians are taught to be "Peace Officers"

Americans are taught to be "Law Enforcement Officers"
Aren't the duties of "Peace Officers" include enforcing the law? I've never understood the separation of terms.
 

gogodawgs

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Aaron1124 wrote:
gogodawgs wrote:
Canadians are taught to be "Peace Officers"

Americans are taught to be "Law Enforcement Officers"
Aren't the duties of "Peace Officers" include enforcing the law? I've never understood the separation of terms.
I golfed years ago with a Canadian Peace Officer and I wish I could recount his explanation that he gave me after 4 hours on the golf course in Bellingham. I can't sum it up in a short enough story. However, I have never forgot what he planted in the back of my head. It makes total sense (to me) and I imagine it would to most. I would say this, they would never harass an OCer, just to do it.
 

ManInBlack

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Aaron1124 wrote:
gogodawgs wrote:
Canadians are taught to be "Peace Officers"

Americans are taught to be "Law Enforcement Officers"
Aren't the duties of "Peace Officers" include enforcing the law? I've never understood the separation of terms.

It's the difference between mala in se crimes (acts which are by their very nature, because they transgress another's person, property or rights - murder, rape, robbery, etc. are examples) and mala prohibita crimes (acts which are against the law only because 51% of people in a room raised their hands and made it so - things like concealing a weapon without a permit, drug possession, non-reckless speeding, etc.).

Peace officers protect people, property and rights. Law enforcement officers are agents of state oppression.
 

sudden valley gunner

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ManInBlack wrote:
Aaron1124 wrote:
gogodawgs wrote:
Canadians are taught to be "Peace Officers"

Americans are taught to be "Law Enforcement Officers"
Aren't the duties of "Peace Officers" include enforcing the law? I've never understood the separation of terms.

It's the difference between mala in se crimes (acts which are by their very nature, because they transgress another's person, property or rights - murder, rape, robbery, etc. are examples) and mala prohibita crimes (acts which are against the law only because 51% of people in a room raised their hands and made it so - things like concealing a weapon without a permit, drug possession, non-reckless speeding, etc.).

Peace officers protect people, property and rights. Law enforcement officers are agents of state oppression.
Well I am pretty sure, Canada's police enforce their oppressive laws. Except for marijuana laws they are pretty lenient on that one.
 

Aaron1124

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I know a lot of cops who won't charge an individual for marijuana possession. I won't say who or what department, but during a ride along, the officer I was with simply ceased the marijuana from the suspect, and told him to "keep it off of the streets" and let him go.
 

joeroket

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Aaron1124 wrote:
I know a lot of cops who won't charge an individual for marijuana possession. I won't say who or what department, but during a ride along, the officer I was with simply ceased the marijuana from the suspect, and told him to "keep it off of the streets" and let him go.

There are actually a lot of officers like this, but not with just marijuana. I find it is mainly the old timers that are still of the belief that they have almost total discretion on the streets like they did up until the early 90's and the young guys that took the job to try and make a difference.
 

gogodawgs

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joeroket wrote:
Aaron1124 wrote:
I know a lot of cops who won't charge an individual for marijuana possession. I won't say who or what department, but during a ride along, the officer I was with simply ceased the marijuana from the suspect, and told him to "keep it off of the streets" and let him go.

There are actually a lot of officers like this, but not with just marijuana. I find it is mainly the old timers that are still of the belief that they have almost total discretion on the streets like they did up until the early 90's and the young guys that took the job to try and make a difference.

1990 sipping a beer in an empty lot with my girlfriend, I was 20 at the time.

Officer comes up and asks 'who's beer'......'mine'.... he poured it out.
 
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