I like to listen to a radio scanner for road conditions during winter storms. It was running in the background for a bit today while I searched the Internet for the latest relevant frequencies. One conversation between a dispatcher and officer caught my attention. At first I thought I heard the dispatcher say something about "CCW." After a pause I heard the same dispatcher come back and clearly say "Use caution. CCW." and wait for an acknowledgment from the officer. The officer acknowledged the message and seemed to go about business.
I don't listen to the scanner regularly, so my apologies if this is a silly question. Is this standard procedure? It was my personal impression that an officer in Wisconsin is supposed to handle the discovery about whether someone is carrying a weapon and is a Concealed Carry License holder before they confirm license validity with a system provided by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Seems to me that what happened in this case was the reverse--The dispatcher searched for a name in a database of CCL holders and provided info back to the officer on the scene. Did I misunderstand how the process is supposed to work? Does this process vary by department? Is every stopped Wisconsin Concealed Carry License holder now branded by a dispatcher as requiring "caution" regardless of whether they are actually carrying a weapon or not? I think some clarity from the experts would be appreciated by all. Thanks in advance!
I don't listen to the scanner regularly, so my apologies if this is a silly question. Is this standard procedure? It was my personal impression that an officer in Wisconsin is supposed to handle the discovery about whether someone is carrying a weapon and is a Concealed Carry License holder before they confirm license validity with a system provided by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Seems to me that what happened in this case was the reverse--The dispatcher searched for a name in a database of CCL holders and provided info back to the officer on the scene. Did I misunderstand how the process is supposed to work? Does this process vary by department? Is every stopped Wisconsin Concealed Carry License holder now branded by a dispatcher as requiring "caution" regardless of whether they are actually carrying a weapon or not? I think some clarity from the experts would be appreciated by all. Thanks in advance!