Earlier last week I recieved a phone call from an associate of mine from across the state. She is an accomplished investigator and BEA in her own right. She is usually very professional and intelligent when conducting her apprehensions.
However, last week she called me kind of upset at a situation she experienced. She stated that she was turning a fugitive into a police department in another county that she doesn't normally work. Therefore she is an "unknown" there. She was wearing "ID Rags" and all of her "Bat toys" on her "Bat Belt" including her sidearm.
1 of the officers there became irritated at her for walking into the PD with her weapon exposed. The officer even stated that had she come in with her weapon concealed, she would have been ok.
Now, our state is an "open carry" state as long as we are walking or outside of a vehicle. The only advantage to having a CCW is to carry a weapon concealed, whether on foot or in a vehicle.
She obviously didn't appreciate being chastised in the PD lobby in front of dozens of other people, including her own fugitive. My response to her was that you don't walk into law enforcement agencies with your sidearm on !
She replied that she does it all the time in her normal AO. Well they know her there right ? But anytime we venture out of our own backyards, the rules change.
1) Do your local LEO check in.
2) Secure all weapons in your vehicles ANYTIME you enter a law enforcement agency.
Sometimes even the best and the brightest of us make the most rookie-ish mistakes.
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Around here we have to use the front entrance as well and although I am known to most of the oficers at all 5 jails, I still do not carry my weapon inside. I did when I was first getting started but started to realize, as I gained experience, I was opening myself and ohers to liability by having my weapon. I have the person in custody, cuffed and do not have to walk them more than 20 yards until we are inside a building with LEO. So I guess I am saying that I see no need to risk the liability or the exposure.