Should citizens be compelled to show their gun licenses to law enforcement?
City lawmakers in Stamford, Connecticut, are currently pushing state legislators to consider adopting a resolution that would force gun owners to show their concealed carry permits to police officers if asked.
“We’re just asking the state to have a discussion about it and nothing else,” said city Rep. Jeffrey Stella, D-9, a co-sponsor of the measure.
Supporters contend that it would help take illegal guns off the street.
“My situation here is that people that want to carry guns illegally know that the state law allows them to refuse to show their license, so what is to prevent someone who is carrying illegally, who knows the law, to just say ‘I’m sorry but my constitutional rights and state law says I don’t have to show you my gun permit,’” said Jeff Curtis, D-14, another co-sponsor of the measure.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association, pushed back at the notion that this resolution would be an effective crime-fighting tool.
“This proposal looks to be a solution in search of a problem,” said Mark Oliva, NSSF director of public affairs in an email to GunsAmerica. “Gun control advocates, we know, view lawful gun ownership and the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms as a problem.”
“The [real] problem here is unlawful gun possession and city officials are asking state lawmakers to make it legal to target law-abiding gun owners as if they are the problem,” Oliva continued. “Connecticut’s resources would be better spent targeting the criminals who prey upon the most vulnerable in the state and recognize that lawful gun ownership isn’t a problem in search of a remedy.”
SEE ALSO: To Disclose or Not to Disclose: Here is the Answer
In other words, this measure is nothing more than a way to harass law-abiding gun owners, specifically those who carry openly. Because for concealed carriers who do it responsibly, they’re going to go unnoticed by law enforcement the vast majority of the time anyhow.
Criminals, naturally, also carry concealed to avoid scrutiny from police. This means, again, this law is designed to target open carriers. Maybe it’s also a way to suppress gun-rights rallies where attendees often bear arms in view of the public.
One has to ask oneself what would happen if other Constitutional rights were treated this way. Can you imagine having to show police a license to carry a bible? Or a license to speak freely or publish on a blog?
The bottom line is this resolution makes zero sense unless the goal is to put the screws to law-abiding citizens. The good news is the state legislature rejected a similar proposal in 2017. Hopefully, it will once again see the folly of the measure and vote it down again.
Stay tuned for updates.
The reason for the Bill of rights is to stop government restricting our rights. Where I live I do not need a permit to carry. I do carry every now and then…but not all the time. I had a gun shop back east in the very liberal state of MD. I could sell; guns transport them and was not allowed to carry to protect myself or my livelyhood. Unlike the mantra that allowing permitless carry will create blood in the streets…it just doesn’t happen. Government restricting guaranteed rights is just wrong…They don’t trust me?? Why should we trust those who want to restrict constitutional rights? The part that he/she/him/it doesn’t want to see.
Like others, I see no reason not to show a permit, assuming a permit is required by law, if asked — by law enforcement or even a business owner that doesn’t bar carry in their places of business (SC law states a business owner can post a “no concealed carry allowed” sign — I don’t usually frequent those stores — my right!). Should you be required to show if just anybody asks? I could see someone seeing me open carrying in SC and some wise-ass deciding he’d like to see my permit. If asked I’d say yes, I have one, but I would ask if they were the store manager or law enforcement before I’d show it.
Would a copy of the Constitution and the amendments work as proof? Phuck govt
And what about States that have permit less carry and have laws that say stop and ID is illegal? IE South Dakota. Police can’t come up to me and ask for a permit, because of both of those situations. Read the decision of the Supreme Court in Deberry v US. Where the carrying of a firearm is otherwise legal, the possession of a firearm, cannot be the cause of a police stop.
That’s already a law in Texas. I really don’t see the problem. Some people are way too anal when privacy is concerned. Law enforcement has a function in this country and should be respected for it. Otherwise we have anarchy. You know, like democRATs.
Here in AZ carrying concealed without a permit is the norm. We’re not required to inform the officer. But if asked, we have to tell the truth.
If we get a permit, which has its plusses and minuses, we’re still not required to inform.
When driving, whether carrying or not, concealed or otherwise, you’ve pretty much signed most of your rights away for the privilege to drive, save for the 4th and 5th Amendments.
I see no problem with a cop asking if you are carrying and if so, to show him a CCL card. Or (and I did not know that CT allows for open carry), if the cop sees the gun on your person, to also be able to ask. I mean, what is the big deal here, or maybe I did miss something that demonstrates potential “harassment.” I do think it laughable if the cop asked a felon to show him the CCL card or admit to carrying and then have to produce the card. That is a dumb scenario to ask for the card as felons are not likely to either open carry or admit to having a gun.
So you see no problem with an officer asking to see your permit out of the blue and for no reason? You have no issue with being restrained for a period of time, maybe out of concern for the Officer’s safety? You have no problem with taking a ride “down town” to the station while being restrained in the backseat when they have a problem with their communications equipment? Get the picture?
Why is it that only the 2nd Amendment (the one Amendment which physically can stop Government’s overreach) the one constantly being attacked by the Left? The CDC issues a report a few years ago detailing the top 117 causes of death in the USA. Gun deaths were listed at 113 and they had to include suicides, which accounted for half those deaths, to even get it listed on the report. There is no shooting epidemic on the streets. Look at the made up media terms of assault rifle, mass shootings which includes whatever they feel like, not recording prevented deaths with firearms (estimates range from 250,000-500,00 a YEAR), etc..
Very slippery slope you want to travel down.
The 2nd Amendment liberties of the people in Connecticut are already gone. Standard full capacity magazines are already banned to the common citizen and there are many other draconian citizen gun restrictions in the State presently.
“Papers and permits please.” Where have I personally seen this before??
Oh, that’s right. When I was stationed in Berlin from ’84-91. Saw it everytime I went East from Checkpoint Charlie.
Guessing they didn’t read the 4th Amendment that they swore an oath to.
Your argument evolved from a faulty position in the first place and misses the central issue of there should never be a need to have a license in the first place to exercise a Constitutional right. Do you need a license to speak? Before anyone responds that words do not kill, think that over first. They sure do. Maybe you would be ok with a permit to be able to say things that the Government may not agree with. We are already experiencing MSM silencing conservatives and the Government proposing re-education camps. You have a similar issue with the vaccines. Governmental over-reach to what a person can refuse to have injected into them. Please remember vaccines such as polio, had its LATEST version take 25 years to develop as prior versions were killing to many. This discussion should be concentrated on why we need permits or licenses to exercise a right in the Constitution. Remember the Constitution does not grant us rights as they are God given, but limits the rights of Government. That is what Government conveniently tries to forget.
Amen. You win the day.
Another law that would entrap more legal gun owners (who accidentally leave the house without their permit) than it would stop criminals….revenue generator for lawyers and the courts. SMH
It makes total sense in a state that either requires citizens to get a license to carry a handgun (concealed or openly) or in a state that requires a citizen to register handguns that they own – and Rhode Island might be both – to empower police officers to ask to see those permits. Presumably we want to empower the police to enforce the law and law-abiding gun owners should be able to produce the necessary permits and non-law-abiding carriers won’t. Don’t we want to enforce the current gun laws? Isn’t that a mantra of the gun enthusiasts? This is a simple tool that will not infringe on the rights of law-abiding gun owners and will help officers to get illegal guns off the streets.
The author contrasts this with a policeman asking to see a permit from a citizen openly carryinga Bible. While I am not aware of any jurisdiction in the US where a citizen has to have a permit to own or carry a Bible, the same cannot be said of firearms. However, street preachers in some jurisdictions have to have permits. Looking at some of the other rights granted by the first amendment – most jurisdictions require permits to assemble; many jurisdictions require publishers to distribute their free press; there are restrictions on petitions to redress grievances; and to a lesser extent – churches do have to get recognition from the government to enjoy their free exercise of religion to its fullest extent, consider the church of scientology and their fight over their tax-free status.
In before “oh you are such an idiot” and “you don’t know what you are talking about” without refuting my points. Except for my friend Kane – he tends to address my argument without resorting to personal attacks.
I’ll just save electrons and get right to the chase…….
You’re an idiot!
It is a false equivalence to comoare bibles with guns as nothing is illegal about a felon carryng a bible. This kind of hyperbole regarding fake infringemnt of rights is absolutely ridiculous. Basically, the author seems to suggest that even a simple demonstration of your right to legally carry is somehow an infringement of that right. Sometimes I wonder why some gun owners seemingly want to remove any tools for law enforcement to enforce laws. Asking to prove your right to carry while carrying is not an infringement any more than a background check (which work) is an infringement.