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Originally Posted by Conn. Trooper
How does that apply to open carry? If it's a common thing where you live, then most of the time it will not cause alarm or generate calls about a man with a gun. If its not common and people don't see it, then you get calls.
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How does this play out for you and your agency in Connecticut, Sir? Under Connecticut law, nobody is allowed to carry a handgun without a permit, but
with the permit any mode of carry is legal -- concealed or open. (Yes, you can verify that -- I'm told that some legal office within state government researched it thoroughly and has advised the State Police that open carry IS legal with a permit.)
So -- if open carry is legal, albeit unusual because for years police and citizens all over Connecticut have been told it is NOT legal, then how (and why) do you respond to a call about a man with a gun? If the man is simply wearing the gun in a holster on his belt, you have no probable cause or even reasonable suspicion that he is breaking the law -- certainly no more than seeing a person driving down the road and assuming they don't have a driver's license.
So ... what would you do? First, how would your 9-1-1 dispatchers handle the call? Next, assuming they'd fluff it and send a unit ... how would you approach the person? Would you even talk to him or her, or would you be satisfied to see that he/she is just drinking coffee and reading the newspaper, while wearing a handgun on his/her belt?