I talked to an armed security guard last night. He said something that made me smile

I was in Victorville last night at a Chevron station on Bear Valley Rd. I guess it's a high crime area there as they have an armed security guard. I know that to be an armed security guard you have to apply for a license. So I thought I'd ask him a few questions. I asked if he carried off duty. He said yes. I asked him if he concealed carried. He said yes. I then asked so you do have a CCW then. He said yes. I asked him well if you have a CCW why dont you concealed carry here. This was his answer. "BECAUSE OPEN CARRYING IS MORE OF A DETERANT". Hmmmmmmmmm

I then asked him if he had heard of "open carry". He said yes. I asked him what he would do if someone came in with a sidearm strapped on. He said "nothing, unless it had a magazine in it". I told him he was wrong on that point, as it is legal to have a magazine in the pistol, as long as it had no ammo.

I was working so I had to break off the convo then.

PincheOgro1 said:

I asked him what he would do if someone came in with a sidearm strapped on. He said "nothing, unless it had a magazine in it".

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The 'unless' is what bothers me here. So what would he do if it did? What does he plan on doing if someone walks into his security beat with a semi-suto that appears to be charged with a mag? Will he attempt to contact and detain the person? Epically bad idea. He'd be stepping into civil liabilty as well as possible criminal charges.

I know you didnt have time, but I think I would have gotten to the root of that just for curiosities sake.

ConditionThree said:

The 'unless' is what bothers me here. So what would he do if it did? What does he plan on doing if someone walks into his security beat with a semi-suto that appears to be charged with a mag? Will he attempt to contact and detain the person? Epically bad idea. He'd be stepping into civil liabilty as well as possible criminal charges.

I know you didnt have time, but I think I would have gotten to the root of that just for curiosities sake.

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I wish I could have pressed him further, but I was under time constraints, and after I told him it was legal to have an empty mag in the well, I think he got offended like I was tellin him his job... When I finished my paperwork he was on the other side of the store glaring at me, so I just walked out.

The last time a "security guard" tried to manhandle an open carrier, he got more than he bargained for.

http://www.georgiapacking.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=40381

Any rent-a-cop that has a problem with me open carrying and tries to physically confront me will wish that he didn't.

first off gentleman,i whole heartedly agree that this security guard was obviosly a little out of his mind,secondly,last i checked,regardless if we are "legal" to open carry or not,if we are on private property and asked to remove our side arm,then by law we are rquiered todo so,and if not it does become a matter of breaking the law, secondly,im a security officer,not a cop,not by anymeans,and i am armed,and though you make think its fine to call us rent a cops,its not,if you worked at mcdonalds i wouldnt call you a fry techniciand,rent-a-cop is still demeaning, but then again,most people think that Security Guards and Security Officers are the same,they are not.

while yes most "guards" are little old men,i assure you ,i have been through specialty training,both outside my job and in, once upon a time i was an armored car driver, i hold governemnt clearence,im proud of that most security personel dont have that and never will,i apologise if it seemed as though i was pointing fingers,not my intenet,just wanted to clear up that rent a cop thing,unfortunatly movies like "paul blart" and "observe and report" though funny,still only depict stereo types

jpagan said:

last i checked,regardless if we are "legal" to open carry or not,if we are on private property and asked to remove our side arm,then by law we are rquiered todo so,and if not it does become a matter of breaking the law

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First off, Welcome to OCDO.

Second - There is no private authority anywhere (with force of law) that can require someone legally armed to disarm. The best they can do is ask someone to leave...if they don't they could be violating trespass laws.

Third...
Forum Rules:
http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/misc.php?do=showrules

(5) CITE TO AUTHORITY: If you state a rule of law, it is incumbent upon you to try to cite, as best you can, to authority. Citing to authority, using links when available,is what makes OCDO so successful. An authority is a published source of law that can back your claim up - statute, ordinance, court case, newspaper article covering a legal issue, etc.

wewd said:

The last time a "security guard" tried to manhandle an open carrier, he got more than he bargained for.

http://www.georgiapacking.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=40381

Any rent-a-cop that has a problem with me open carrying and tries to physically confront me will wish that he didn't.

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I've seen that story before...but with years having passed since it was originally posted, and not even a police incident report shown in support of it, I have to withhold judgment on its veracity. This is the internet, after all.

In defense of jpagan and others in similar professions and demeaning comments thereto.

Old hands should know the rules, noobs should take the time to learn them i.e. no bashing based on occupation:
http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/misc.php?do=showrules

I am a security officer and for good reason it is in a low stakes position, but I do have a license to carry. Aside from the fact that having the license to carry is an expensive endeavor even if I had a position where I had to use it I doubt would do anything to anyone carrying any weapon. Unless, he was threatening someone with the weapon it is just too much of a gamble to risk your life for that job. We are not law enforcement and our job is simply to observe and report. The most I'd have to do is ask the gentlemen/ladies to leave if instructed to do so by those that hired me and/or report it to the police or again the ones who hired me. I'm not risking any form of violence against me or others for any reason, but that's just one security officers opinion. Face it, security officers do not get paid enough to do that. Our weapons are simply for protection and should only be used in that capacity.