Navy, why wouldn't a LEO not deserve to know that your carrying?
Because nobody else "deserves" to know that I am carrying UNLESS I choose to tell them! Why should I waive my right to privacy just because the person I am talking to is wearing a different uniform than I am likely to be wearing at the time?
Aren't their jobs stressful enough when they walk up to the drivers window on a routine traffic stop?
When the lights come on behind me, I immediately signal and pull over. I roll my window down all the way. I have my driver's license and military ID card (required to validate my out-of-state driver's license) in hand. I have my other hand not holding my driver's license and ID on the steering wheel. I greet the officer in a polite, respectful and calm tone of voice. If all that isn't enough to relieve the officer's stress, then giving them another piece of paper and telling them I have a gun in my possession isn't going to do anything more to relieve that stress.
Why not put them at ease more than likely making the stop go smoother for both parties?
Exactly HOW is me telling them about my CPL and gun going to make the stop go smoother for anyone? Exactly what is that going to accomplish? I used to have a bad habit of driving too fast and have been pulled over probably 15-20 times in my life (I am 45 years old). How many times has one single word been said about the presence or not of a gun in my vehicle?
ZERO If NONE of the cops that have ever stopped me for a traffic stop have felt any reason to bring up a gun, then why in heck should I bring it up?
I also think there is a big difference between a police officer and a taxi cab driver. No disrespect to any cabbies out there but come on.
Yep. Cops are allowed to carry guns to protect themselves with. Most taxicab drivers are not allowed to either by company policy or laws that prohibit them. Cops have special training to deal with criminals, taxicab drivers do not. Cops are more likely to not have any major repurcussions from shooting a suspected criminal whereas taxicab drivers are likely to have major legal problems. When someone shoots a cop the entire police department and likely the state police forces are going to rally together to find the perpetrator, and the court is likely to sentence the perp to the max. A taxicab driver gets killed....yeah right.
Next you'll tell me you don't think there is a difference between the mailman and a fireman.
Sure there is. There's a difference between a cop and taxicab driver too. But that doesn't mean that I feel any more or less need to tell any of them about my gun, simply because of their chosen profession.
Just a little confused by your logic and would love to hear more about what makes you think this way. Sounds to me that you have a hard on for police officers but I could be jumping to conclusions as typed words can easily be misconstrued.
Why? Because I don't feel the need to tell them about my lawfully carried firearm any more than I feel the need to tell my garbage man about it? Or because I don't feel the need to tell a cop about my lawfully carried firearm any more than I need to tell them about my cell phone?
I also think for the guys saying there is no need to inform them, you should maybe put the shoe on the other foot and maybe think about it from their perspective. Some of the responses in this thread just sound very Anti-LEO.
Let me ask you this.... I tell the cop about my CPL and my gun. Where is there any protection for me? Why is it that a cop is authorized to take my gun from me and hold it for the duration of the stop? Where is there any protection offered to the citizen? Why should I give away what little rights I have to make a cop feel better? Is the criminal going to tell the cop about their gun first? NO. So then why should a cop be authorized to take my gun from me AFTER he has full knowledge that it is being carried in accordance with law?!? And why would I voluntarily invite them to do so by telling them about a gun that 99% chance isn't going to be asked about or be any factor at all? Why, if a cop finds out about my CPL is there any reason at all to ask about a firearm? If they didn't ask about a gun before knowing about the CPL, then WHY does finding out about the CPL offer any reason at all to ask about it AFTER they find out about it? After they find out about my CPL, why is there any concern at all about whether I am carrying a gun or not?