Open Carry and the Police

[SA_Steve]

I've lived in Atlanta recently for 12 years. Open carry legal in GA for many years. Never saw anyone carry in town, but heard of and saw a few in the 'burbs (Walmart/Mall).

Given the harassment the cops gave photographers in Atlanta, I don't think anyone would carry downtown. A camera is not all that dangerous, is it ?

Anyway, I don't expect the TX big cities to have many OC'ers once the cops show them what it will entail.

[karder]

It will be nice to know that an accidental display of a firearm is not only a recognized oversight, it will no longer be in what might be perceived as a gray area.

I agree with this sentiment.
I don't expect to see many people open carrying and the ones who do are more likely to be noticed by folks like the ones on this forum than the average Joe. I don't think that LEOs will be looking to hassle anyone either. The key is for the OC'er to be discrete, polite, and respectful and I don't think there will any issues. There will be a few attention starved dimwits who will strap on a handgun and go looking for a confrontation with law-enforcement or business owners and I have no doubt they will find one. For the rest of us, I think we will be just fine.

[winters]

Every police officer in the state knows about open carry. Most of them will assume that if someone is open carrying they are licensed.

That's a pretty big assumption. I wouldn't count on it.

[Vol Texan]

Every police officer in the state knows about open carry. Most of them will assume that if someone is open carrying they are licensed.

That's a pretty big assumption. I wouldn't count on it.

Agreed. Based on only a small data set of cops that I know and talk with regularly, there is a lot of conjecture going on right now. Not all are fully informed (yet). And for what it matters, I consider each of the ones I know to be in the "good" to "great" category of LEOs.

[thatguy]

On the contrary I do plan on carrying my handgun openly and have even picked out my retention holster, a Model 7367 7TS™ ALS®/SLS Concealment Belt Slide Holster. It's advertised as concealable but only if your 18 foot tall and weigh 2 tons...

The first reason is because if I'm going to teach CHL classes, soon to be LTC classes I should get my feet wet and have actual experiences to draw from. In addition I intend on carefully planning my open carry such as no family members present, not near the school in front of my home etc..

Any suggestions where would be a good place to start open carrying? I've thought around my neighborhood, maybe.

[Deltaboy]

I plan on doing it some but folks like the Police Chief in Austin worry me.

[n5wd]

I plan on doing it some but folks like the Police Chief in Austin worry me.

Yeah, but Art Acevedo don't even know where Burleson is, so you don't have to worry about him. And I haven't heard anything about the Johnson SO being especially anti-2A... have you?

[shadowriderhou]

As for Austin, You'll find me on the steps of the Capitol at 1 am Jan 1, 2016, with my gun on my hip.

[mr1337]

As for Austin, You'll find me on the steps of the Capitol at 1 am Jan 1, 2016, with my gun on my hip.

Good luck. They've been hostile towards long gun & black powder pistol open carry. It will be interesting to see how they respond when licensed handgun open carry is legal.

[Jumping Frog]

On the contrary I do plan on carrying my handgun openly and have even picked out my retention holster, a Model 7367 7TS™ ALS®/SLS Concealment Belt Slide Holster. It's advertised as concealable but only if your 18 foot tall and weigh 2 tons...

The first reason is because if I'm going to teach CHL classes, soon to be LTC classes I should get my feet wet and have actual experiences to draw from. In addition I intend on carefully planning my open carry such as no family members present, not near the school in front of my home etc..

Any suggestions where would be a good place to start open carrying? I've thought around my neighborhood, maybe.

When I first OC'd, I started with getting out of the car and getting gas while uncovered. Next thing I knew, I tried OC when I went into the convenient store. It didn't take long to realize no-one noticed or cared.

In general, I do worry that someone OC'ing that causes a ruckus may cause a business to post. With that in mind, Kroger is a good choice because they already made a public decision a long time ago not to post their stores. When concealed carry started in Ohio (2004), and then OC became more common in Ohio, some Kroger locations posted. That caused a big protest at Cincinnati-based Kroger headquarters and triggered the sequence of events that caused Kroger to publish their official policy is to not post.

Conversely, Walmart is a store that I will not OC in. Walmart company policy is to allow concealed carry consistent with state law. However, if an OC'er causes a customer complaint the local store manager can and will ask the OC'er to leave. That means verbal notice was just given.

I will also OC while on public property, such as going for a walk in local parks.

[thatguy]

I like the idea of OCing while getting fuel..close to the car, shouldn't take to long, just right.

My thought is there WILL be people who OC, of course this is obvious but who better for the cops or public to interact with than one of us? I'd argue that most of us on this forum would be prudent and respectful toward LEO's as to "control our own destiny" so to speak.

I figure OC will be a novelty for the first year or so then it will be the new normal.