I just wanted to post this info because I thought some folks might find it interesting/useful. I know some of you will piss and moan about the fact that you don't need to ask the police permission to OC etc.. I get it, but there's a new police chief here so I wanted to know how they handle these situations and how much experience their officers have with this . So, here's the email I received back, take it or leave it.
Good Morning,
Great Question...
As you know, the 2nd Amendment gives every citizen the right to "Bear
Arms." Consequently, in the state of Wisconsin we have an "Open Carry"
law, rather than a "Concealed Carry" as some states do. So what does this
mean for you?
As long as you meet certain criteria, you are allowed to openly carry a
firearm in the City of Neenah.
First, the key word is "open", as the firearm cannot be concealed in any
manner (under a jacket, in your waist band etc.).
Second, there are certain buildings and businesses where firearms are not
allowed, openly carried or not.
Government buildings, within 1000 feet of a school, bars and liquor stores
and/or any private business that posts that firearms are not allowed or
asks a person to leave carrying a firearm. Private businesses are within
their rights to ask someone to leave their business for any reason at any
time, including possessing a firearm. If the individual carrying the
firearm refuses to leave the business, the police may get called to assist.
Third, a citizen of Wisconsin may not carry an open firearm if they are a
convicted felon.
So, how are our police officers handling these situations?
If we receive a call that an individual is walking along the street with a
handgun holstered (because many citizens are unaware of this right, and
therefore get scared and call the police), we may make contact with the
individual with the handgun or we may not. It really depends on the
totality of the circumstances (time of day, knowledge of recent crime in
the area, conduct of the individual etc.) If the officer makes contact
with the individual, the officer will most likely identify that they see a
weapon is being openly carried, and advise the person to refrain from
placing their hand on the weapon during the contact. The officer will ask
for identification from the individual and try to determine why they are
carrying the handgun. if the officer is able to determine that no laws are
being broken (as stated above), the individual will go about their
business. This will be done in a very non-threatening and professional
manner, but until an officer is able to determine the circumstances they
are faced with, their safety comes first. Officers WILL NOT be detaining
these individuals at gun point, unless a direct threat to the officer's
safety is observed.
Bottom line is, if the individual is simply exercising their right to carry
their handgun, as Wisconsin law allows, and is following all laws
pertaining to Open Carry, there would not be any problem. We as a
department have had a few calls about individuals carrying handguns in
public, and there have been no problems. However, it sounds as though you
can appreciate how this makes our jobs a bit more difficult, as we consider
our safety as well as the public's safety.
Thanks for the question!
Officer Cory M McKone
Crime Prevention Coordinator
Neenah Police Department
2111 Marathon Ave
Neenah, WI 54956
Phone: 886-6022
e-mail: cmckone@ci.neenah.wi.us