Carry in Phoenix Metro Area

[PCADaveinPhila]

I am a new poster but have been lurking on the site for a while now. I was thinking of moving to the Phoenix area next year and wanted to kn know how the PD in the area handle a person that is carrying open since the new law was passed. Thank you in advance for your responce.

 

[AZG]

I've lived in PHX for the past 15 years and rarely see an open carry weapon - unless Obama is in town :biggrin:.

I don't think it is so much of a PD issue as it is an uninformed public. Too many tourists, too many people uncomfortable with the laws of AZ (yet everyone seems to know about SB1070, don't they?) People unnecessarily freak when they see open carry and for me I simply don't want the attraction that open carry brings. AZ now allows concealed carry w/o a permit though the permit gives you additional privileges that are worth it, IMHO. I thought it was a pretty good class too that I took at the Scottsdale Gun Club.

I'm sure others will disagree with me on the OC issue - and I can't speak to the police issue - but hopefully I provided one perspective.

 

[PCADaveinPhila]

Thanks for the info. I personally prefer Concealed Carry myself but just wanted to see if anyone was Open Carrying and what the reaction has been just to see if it was an option. Hopefully when I am able to make the move I can meet with some fellow packers and have a fun time shooting and disscusing firearms.

 

[.45acp]

Dave in Phili,

Come on out amigo, I OC everywhere around the state in fact 4 or 5 nearby states. It is a non issue. leasantry:

OC or CC is widely accepted and you'll not get a sideways glance from LEO's if you are minding your own business and not causing a problem.


Steve

 

[Old Zebra]

I was thinking of moving to the Phoenix area next year and wanted to know how the PD in the area handle a person that is carrying open since the new law was passed.

I live in the Phoenix metro area and open carry is not an issue with law enforcement. But Joe Citizen may gawk at you. And that's exactly what happened when a few folks decided to open carry at a local Tea Party rally. LEOs kept an eye on the gun bearers. But media and some of the other attendees tried to make open carry a public safety issue. Things returned to normal after a couple of days.

 

[fudfuwsi]

Sierra Vista

I live in Sierra Vista, AZ and have spoken with the local LEO's about the new law .... they have no problem with it .... they said that they can tell if someone is going to be a problem by looking at them and they dont feel any further unsafe with the new law passed

 

[Oldgrunt]

Phoenix area

I have family living in the Phoenix area. Son-in-law is in law enforcement so he naturally carrys openly. My daughter carries a 9mm pistol with her everywhere she goes and is not afraid to use it. Given the situation in Phoenix with crime, I can't understand why anyone would want to deprive a person of the ability to protect themselves like a previous writer. If that person was to be attacked, I dare say that he/she would be thrilled to see an armed citizen come to his/her aid. However, you can't please some people. They have to experience pain in order to become believers.:biggrin:

 

[OldOwl]

I got a call a few days ago saying I might be needed to work in Phoenix in a few weeks. I usually drive, but that's SO far from assachusetts, they said just fly out and tools and transportation will be provided. I usually just pack a pistol and keep it locked up til I get to whatever state I drive to and then keep it under the pillow in the hotel, regardless of the laws. Most are covered by the Castle Doctrine. I hope the job comes through. I want to visit, and my work there will generate work for some residents, and hopefully I can spend some money there as well and help stimulate the economy and shop support for your immigration laws. Thankfully AZ is a reciprocal state with assachusetts.

 

[ccwaz]

OC in Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix is a trip. Daytime, nearly everyone you see on the street is carrying openly, and most of the rest carry concealed; of course, the Sheriff's office, County Jail, Phoenix PD, City Jail, State Capitol, etc. are all there, and most of the people you see on the street are involved in Law Enforcement at some level.

If you keep your appearance neat and clean, you will probably never be questioned. Most will assume you are another LEO.

In the rest of town, public attitudes vary. In the farthest suburbs, you get a lot of retirees who are from out of State and afraid of guns. Locals generally view firearms as a matter of normal life. In South Phoenix and other gang-infested areas a lot of people have firearms who are prohibited possessors. If you see them carrying openly, take cover and keep an eye on them.

I carry every day, sometimes openly, usually concealed; but if the wind blows and the shirt flips up to expose the hardware, it isn't an issue.

 

[ArizonaNRAsupporter]

I am a new poster but have been lurking on the site for a while now. I was thinking of moving to the Phoenix area next year and wanted to kn know how the PD in the area handle a person that is carrying open since the new law was passed. Thank you in advance for your responce.

I OC frequently. I also have a CCW for times when I don't want to OC. it's legal, and PD hasn't ever questioned me. I will say, that if being pulled over and you have one in the vehicle, common courtesy is to inform the officer, so that he/she is aware, that you have a CCW permit, or you're legally carrying a firearm and it's in the glove box, or whatever. I would rather them know up front (because I haven't broken any laws, nothing to hide), than to have them surpised by it later.

Another thing you can do is, next time you spot a LEO, ask them! Police officers I talk to, don't mind if a person carries, and has obtained the firearm through the proper legal channels, and is safe with their firearms...

Welcome to AZ by the way! (as far as I know, being an AZ citizen we've been allowed to open carry forever. the new law was to conceal...)

 

[CharonPDX]

Was just down there last week (drove from Oregon, had a stop in CA, so didn't carry - too much of a hassle to try to carry through CA,) and saw someone open carrying in a restaurant in the middle of downtown Phoenix. Not a big deal at all. (I went to college in Northern Arizona where it was not an uncommon sight at all to see someone OCing.) Nobody at the restaurant (Lenny's Burger Shop - great place,) seemed to care.

Drove through NV on the way back, on my normal route to/from AZ. Definitely prefer to not have to deal with CA if I can.

 

[ccwaz]

The new law, allowing unrestricted concealed carry in AZ, was in response to a few activist judges who were trying to redefine concealed carry so that if your jacket fell over and concealed most of your holster, you were now carrying concealed and illegal without a permit. The public finally said (through our legislature), "phooey on the whole thing, let's just make it legal for anybody who has a legal weapon to carry it any way they want!" So far, no blood in the streets or any of the other dire predictions we always hear.
Again, if you look like a tweaker, you probably don't want to be carrying openly; you would definitely get some attention from LEOs. But if you don't, you won't have any issues. On the other hand, if you look like a tweaker, you will get attention anyway, so it's not a matter of the weapon.

 

[AzBanks]

I carried OC in Phoenix for several years. I never got a second glance from LEO. I got a few comments(less than 10 in about 4 years) from people. None of the comments were what I would consider negative. the closest I got to a negative comment was from an older gentleman who looked quite surprised at a gas station and said, "You would get locked up for having a gun like that in New York". I replied, "That is why I don't live in New York". He just smiled, finished pumping his gas, got in his car and drove off.

One reason I got so few comments is because so few people even noticed I was carrying. I carried a Glock 19 AIWB. All that was visible was part of the frame. Most people are oblivious to their surroundings. I believe that most people never saw anything. Of those who did see something, it was just a small black rectangle so most probably assumed it was a cell phone. They never looked closer to notice what it really was.

 

[lostone1413]

I have never had any trouble when in Phoenix with open carry Heck a few times I've even open carried at sky harbor with no problem

 

[Dekul34]

I've open carried all over town and never had a problem, maybe a few gawkers but no issues. No my main issue now is my employer is in central phoenix and is posted no-guns at the door, so I've got to leave it locked in the car, just not sure it's the safest place to leave something like that in a car. Course funny thing is the sign at work is the standard one that says 'persuant to A.R.S. section 4-229' which as far as I know ONLY applies to bars and restaurants with a liquor license. And I have seen customers OCing inside a few times without a word being said by anyone. Still wouldn't want to test it or my employer's patience, if I had a smaller piece I might CC without their knowledge but I'm packing a p226 IWB, pretty sure it's going to print at some point.

 

[Nightmare45]

Just got back from Arizona, Sedona, Phoenix, Tucson, no problem, only comment I got was from LEO, liked my colt 1911.

 

[gvaldeg1]

I OC frequently. I also have a CCW for times when I don't want to OC. it's legal, and PD hasn't ever questioned me. I will say, that if being pulled over and you have one in the vehicle, common courtesy is to inform the officer, so that he/she is aware, that you have a CCW permit, or you're legally carrying a firearm and it's in the glove box, or whatever. I would rather them know up front (because I haven't broken any laws, nothing to hide), than to have them surpised by it later.

Another thing you can do is, next time you spot a LEO, ask them! Police officers I talk to, don't mind if a person carries, and has obtained the firearm through the proper legal channels, and is safe with their firearms...

Welcome to AZ by the way! (as far as I know, being an AZ citizen we've been allowed to open carry forever. the new law was to conceal...)

This guy is totally right. Open carry has been legal in Arizona for as long as I can remember (which is a long time). Many people have the common misconception that open carry has something to do with the "new law" (Constitutional Carry). It doesn't. What the "new law" does is allow adults (over 21) legally present in Arizona to carry concealed without a permit except in those instances (like places serving alcohol) where a permit (CCW) is still required.