I placed a call to Wal-Mart Corporate.
They directed me back down to the Regional Marketing Office.
They gave me POC name Cory Confer @ 570-821-6180.
I called – he’s out today but the Regional Management Assistant took my info and told me that one of the other Regional Mangers would return my call.
So….Mr Robert Reck called me back. 717 Area Code. He was absolutely confident in his tone. He was “at-his-fingertips” clear about Wal-Mart policy. And was absolutely FIRM with his answer.
And I was bowled over SHOCKED at how friendly and supportive Mr Reck was.
I told him the details of the incident.
I didn’t tell Mr. Reck that his manager was condescending at one point. And I didn’t tell Mr. Reck that I drew attention to the manager’s weight.
I DID tell Mr Reck that the two managers handled the entire situation without drawing any attention whatsoever to what we were talking about.
Now for the shocker – and this is from coming from the Regional Manager servicing areas south of us (717 area code).
Mr. Reck was pleased that his managers did not draw attention to the situation.
HOWEVER – he was alarmed that the managers made me cover up and even more alarmed that I was told that if I am seen OC’ing in Wal-Mart again…..they’d call DCPD and have me escorted out. He flat out told me that is untrue and his managers were WRONG. They absolutely CANNOT ask customers to cover. Reason is that the managers have no right to demand you to produce your carry permit (though he said they can ask???) and therefore cannot definitively prove that you ARE a valid LTCF holder. Mr Reck was immediately alarmed because he knew that that practice could, invariable, cause a customer to be in a situation where they ARE breaking the law (concealed with no permit). Kudos to him.
Point#1 – Wal-Mart Regional Manager Robert Reck said managers are NOT permitted to tell customers to cover….ever.
Mr. Reck was even more alarmed that I was told that the DCPD would escort me out if I were seen OC’ing again. He said that is absolutely untrue and that I should NOT be asked to leave the store based on the fact that I have a firearm on my hip. Lawfully armed citizens are welcome in Wal-Mart.
Mr. Reck acknowledged that there is new management in place and said that he will absolutely be getting in touch with store #1884 (Dickson City) management to refresh them on how to handle lawfully armed customers.
Point#2 – Wal-Mart Regional Manager Robert Reck said managers are NOT permitted to tell customers to leave the store because of lawful firearms carry.
SO……how ARE they supposed to handle us? Mr. Reck explained.
If another customer were to notify management that they are nervous because they saw another customer with a firearm…..then management WILL approach the armed customer and ask if they have a permit (why he was saying this, I dunno). There isn’t much more that management can do – Mr. Reck says that he trains all his managers to, if in such a situation, approach and introduce and ask if the gun carrier is a permit holder (but they cannot demand it produced). Then the manager is supposed to go BACK to the initial customer who complained and reassure them that the armed customer, for all intensive purposes, is lawfully carrying a firearm.
Another thing that Mr. Reck made ABSOLUTELY clear is that managers ARE NOT to tell customers to go back and secure their firearm in their vehicle. Because, he said, first of all, lawfully armed citizens are welcome in Wal-Mart. Secondly, he briefly shared a story about an incident that occurred recently in his jurisdiction…….a manager wrongfully instructed a customer to leave the store and lock the gun in his car….then he may return to the store. Wellllll somebody overheard this and when the gun guy went back into the store, his firearm was stolen from his vehicle. Mr Reck said that incident turned into quite a mess.
Point#3 – Wal-Mart Regional Manager Robert Reck said managers are NOT permitted to tell customers to go lock their firearms in their vehicles.
So towards the end of our conversation I asked Mr. Reck……”So the next time I visit the Dickson City Wal-Mart, may I be permitted to continue to wear my firearm as I always had?” He said “Absolutely.” He’ll be getting in touch with the 1884 management team to clarify Wal-Marts firearm policy.
I’ll let you know next Saturday!
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Gary in Pennsylvania
