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Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 8:56 pm
by howdy
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Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 9:07 pm
by jmra
Sounds like a good thing to me. Want to CC - make sure it stays concealed. Want to show it off - get it zipped.

It's all very simple.

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 9:11 pm
by JJVP
Houston Police Officers Union president Ray Hunt said the officers were prevented from carrying out these duties because they violate department policies regarding off-duty jobs. The gun show’s rules are that people can’t bring a concealed handgun into the show, but state law allows patrons to do so. That makes the show’s decision a house rule, he said, and HPD policy prohibits its officers from enforcing house rules.
It's about time.

:rules:

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 9:15 pm
by texanjoker
Good for HPD, but it looks like the gun show simply hired somebody else to do their work. :smash:

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 9:56 pm
by jmra
texanjoker wrote:Good for HPD, but it looks like the gun show simply hired somebody else to do their work. :smash:
The way I read the article, CHLs will be allowed to CC as long as it stays concealed. Not that they could legally stop them before.

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 10:06 pm
by gilligan
Why is HPD now not allowed from enforcing "house rules" but Harris county sheriff allowed?

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 10:06 pm
by texanjoker
gilligan wrote:Why is HPD now not allowed from enforcing "house rules" but Harris county sheriff allowed?
Just specific dept. policy.

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 10:15 pm
by jmra
gilligan wrote:Why is HPD now not allowed from enforcing "house rules" but Harris county sheriff allowed?
The "house rules" have changed. CC will be allowed for CHL as long as the weapon remains concealed.

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 10:31 pm
by Mike1951
jmra wrote:
gilligan wrote:Why is HPD now not allowed from enforcing "house rules" but Harris county sheriff allowed?
The "house rules" have changed. CC will be allowed for CHL as long as the weapon remains concealed.
We may finally get an answer whether facility insurance was a factor in the 30.06 signs at shows.

Will the promoters' underwriters cancel their coverage in light of the change?

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 2:26 am
by n5wd
Another thing to consider in this is that now, when the Houston COP says that it's not legal for his officers to be tying CHL's guns when they do not plan on showing them because state law does not prevent a CHL from entering with a concealed weapon, the City Manager (who owns the convention center) may make it so that the Sherrif's Deputies can not do that either, since having to do that as a restriction of entering the gun show would violate state law. Sounds like someone in Houston should be communicating with the CM's office and the Sherrif's office, as well.

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 8:21 am
by jmra
n5wd wrote:Another thing to consider in this is that now, when the Houston COP says that it's not legal for his officers to be tying CHL's guns when they do not plan on showing them because state law does not prevent a CHL from entering with a concealed weapon, the City Manager (who owns the convention center) may make it so that the Sherrif's Deputies can not do that either, since having to do that as a restriction of entering the gun show would violate state law. Sounds like someone in Houston should be communicating with the CM's office and the Sherrif's office, as well.
I think you've missed something.
The house rules have changed. The only guns being tie wrapped are the ones being displayed. CC for CHL is fine as long as they don't display the weapon.

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 10:33 am
by AEA
Now, will other Departments (Dallas included) follow and change from their illegal stance/actions on CHL holders?

The real question in my mind is why was it allowed to go on for so long? Where was the AG (asleep at the wheel)?

The AG should have put a stop to this for CHL holders when the first illegal sign and illegal enforcement started.

These "Test Case" types of activity need to be defined immediately by the appropriate authorities instead of looking the other way. And those that refuse to uphold the laws should be shown the door. :rules: :banghead:

If the "Rent-a-Cop's" want to do something useful why don't they check ID's of everyone entering a gun show and run them in a laptop computer. How many wanted's or actual Felons would they catch right there at the door?

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 4:46 pm
by nightmare
jmra wrote:
gilligan wrote:Why is HPD now not allowed from enforcing "house rules" but Harris county sheriff allowed?
The "house rules" have changed. CC will be allowed for CHL as long as the weapon remains concealed.
That's good news as long as the signs stay down. And if the signs go back up, people now know they should complain to the law enforcement agency about their employees enforcing "house rules" in uniform.

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 8:58 pm
by srothstein
I would point out that a customer at a show complained to HPD about the officers enforcing house rules, which is why they were stopped. If you want to do this in Dallas, check if their policies have the same rule on enforcing house rules. If they do and you file a complaint, you might get the same result.

Department policies are open records. Send in a written request to the department for all policies on officers working off duty jobs that use their police authority. I would not send in the complaint until after you reviewed the policy and had a very specific situation well covered. Make sure the building is posted but is government owned. Make sure it is officers zip-tying the pistols. You can all see how this would go in your area.

Re: Houston Police Officers and Gun shows

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 9:57 pm
by AEA
Thanks for the info Steve.

Hopefully it will help someone who goes to the shows and is tired of this.

I personally quit going to gun shows for this very reason many years ago.