Felid`Maximus
Activist Member
Yeah there are a lot of people in Washoe County that don't care what the law is. The Washoe Sheriff and the District Attorney office basically told me that they don't care what the law says when it comes to open carry within the Sheriffs' Office.
The DMV does seem to recognize the law. I can't take credit for that, some people sent letters and what not and I didn't. But by OCing there in the past and discussing it with them in person I may have helped reduce their confusion.
I like to OC places but I always make sure I have some real business to accomplish where I am going. I only OC to the DMV when I have business with the DMV, for instance.
Generally, public buildings belong to everyone so one cannot be denied access to them arbitrarily. I'm no lawyer but I would be concerned that without having business in a place it might be possible that they can argue that you came specifically to vex or annoy an occupant, which might fall under trespassing.
According to http://www.washoecounty.us/seniorsrv/nutrition.htm, at the senior center, one should be 60+ in order to get the low priced Senior meals. I'm thinking that it would not be a good idea to try and do something like that unless you happen to be a qualifying senior, in that case by all means open carry while you try and utilize the government program.
Even if it is lawful for a non-senior to visit with no apparent purpose, I think it could be bad publicity.
Of course I absolutely agree we ought to be able to OC all public buildings including the senior center, but I think unless we have some 60+ year old members here who can go with a real purpose I think it might be better to try other venues where there is a more legitimate purpose to be there instead of coming just to object to their unlawful behavior.
If a senior comes to get his meal and is turned away because he wants self-protection, that will be a more positive argument to forcing them to follow the law, and it will be less likely that people will push to change the law. If a young guy shows up, unaccompanied by a senior, with the sole purpose being to protest the lack of following the law, even if succeeding in forcing them to follow the law, will they then testify to the legislature that they need to be allowed to ban guns at the senior center because young guys with guns loiter around?
If you aren't a senior, sending them a letter could still be good but I wouldn't visit without a purpose. If you still had your job, carrying on the job could have been a great way to have official business there that would justify your presence in their facility and it would be better publicity than trying to purchase discount senior meals when you aren't a senior.
As for metal detectors, even a metal detector does not legally entitle a government building to make a gun free zone. NRS 202.3673 bans only concealed carry by permit holders, if there is a sign or a metal detector in place.
As for the RPD story, if I was you I would have tried to at least tell the cops they were wrong about the law. If they were truly ignorant, they now remain as ignorant as before. I have been unjustly stopped a few times in the past for open carry and I never filed a complaint. I didn't want to penalize the officers for their ignorance, at the time. However, I have come to find that many officers know the law fully yet try to intimidate people into not carrying. Those people deserve a complaint, in my opinion. A complaint might be the only thing to get them to change their way. Of course, if department policy is to harass OC'ers than it won't do much good, but might form the basis of a future lawsuit if the continue to act inappropriately despite the complaints.
The DMV does seem to recognize the law. I can't take credit for that, some people sent letters and what not and I didn't. But by OCing there in the past and discussing it with them in person I may have helped reduce their confusion.
I like to OC places but I always make sure I have some real business to accomplish where I am going. I only OC to the DMV when I have business with the DMV, for instance.
Generally, public buildings belong to everyone so one cannot be denied access to them arbitrarily. I'm no lawyer but I would be concerned that without having business in a place it might be possible that they can argue that you came specifically to vex or annoy an occupant, which might fall under trespassing.
According to http://www.washoecounty.us/seniorsrv/nutrition.htm, at the senior center, one should be 60+ in order to get the low priced Senior meals. I'm thinking that it would not be a good idea to try and do something like that unless you happen to be a qualifying senior, in that case by all means open carry while you try and utilize the government program.
Even if it is lawful for a non-senior to visit with no apparent purpose, I think it could be bad publicity.
Of course I absolutely agree we ought to be able to OC all public buildings including the senior center, but I think unless we have some 60+ year old members here who can go with a real purpose I think it might be better to try other venues where there is a more legitimate purpose to be there instead of coming just to object to their unlawful behavior.
If a senior comes to get his meal and is turned away because he wants self-protection, that will be a more positive argument to forcing them to follow the law, and it will be less likely that people will push to change the law. If a young guy shows up, unaccompanied by a senior, with the sole purpose being to protest the lack of following the law, even if succeeding in forcing them to follow the law, will they then testify to the legislature that they need to be allowed to ban guns at the senior center because young guys with guns loiter around?
If you aren't a senior, sending them a letter could still be good but I wouldn't visit without a purpose. If you still had your job, carrying on the job could have been a great way to have official business there that would justify your presence in their facility and it would be better publicity than trying to purchase discount senior meals when you aren't a senior.
As for metal detectors, even a metal detector does not legally entitle a government building to make a gun free zone. NRS 202.3673 bans only concealed carry by permit holders, if there is a sign or a metal detector in place.
As for the RPD story, if I was you I would have tried to at least tell the cops they were wrong about the law. If they were truly ignorant, they now remain as ignorant as before. I have been unjustly stopped a few times in the past for open carry and I never filed a complaint. I didn't want to penalize the officers for their ignorance, at the time. However, I have come to find that many officers know the law fully yet try to intimidate people into not carrying. Those people deserve a complaint, in my opinion. A complaint might be the only thing to get them to change their way. Of course, if department policy is to harass OC'ers than it won't do much good, but might form the basis of a future lawsuit if the continue to act inappropriately despite the complaints.
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