Badge or No Badge?

[longwatch]

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Seriously hasn't everyone gotten the memo? No badges, they don't do a don't of good and at a minimum are harmful to this cause. I'm thinking of starting a hatemail campaign against the manufacturers of CCW badges.:celebrate

 

[inNV]

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I would never get one for the fact that I think they are stupid. But, just by having one it does not mean you are inpersonating an officer. If people think you are a cop because of a badge that says in BIG letters, 'CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT' than that is their problem. Unless you declare you are a cop, or act like you are one, then you did nothing wrong PLUS..the badge is for concealed carry, not OC, so you shouldn't be wearing it with a gun showing on your hip anyway, and it's purpose is not for wearing on your belt while you conceal carry..what would be the point of CC if you advertise you are with a badge?

The idea behind them is that of you have to draw and/or use your gun in self defense, and the cops show up..you show your badge so they don't shoot you..not so they don't investigate what happened. Imagine you have a man at gunpoint, and a cop shows up, how does he know who is the BG? Flashing a badge might stop him from puting a few rounds through your chest. I see the logic behind them, but I still wouldn't get one, waste of money.

 

[Sonora Rebel]

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Flasha phoney badge when the cops show up... 'n they WILL lock you up. No matter what the 'fine print' sez. Showyour CCW permit (if CCing) and let it go at that. I was a cop... trust me. The image of the badge itself convey's some sort of extra-authority in this society. You don't have that authority. You have the RIGHT to OC... you have government permission to Conceal.Securingyour weapon immediatly after a shooting will prevent you gettin' shot... not some silly badge. Don't be standin' around withgun in hand.

Holding somebody at gunpoint is all fine and dandy... but perps tend to look like perps... unless you're amall ninja type. Cops show up... tell you to 'lay it down'... lay it down... 'n do whatever else 'til they sort it out. Like put your hands up... get on the ground. 'Just do it. BG's can buy badges too.

 

[DanM]

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My understanding of one of the philosophies of the civilian open carry movement is to "desensitize" people to thelawfulcarry of a holstered handgun by mere citizens. The effort is to make folks easy about seeing other folks with holstered guns, not holstered guns AND a badge. People are already easy about seeing someone with a holstered gun and a badge on their belt . . . nearly all wouldassume it is law-enforcement.

 

[sailarmy]

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i want to purchase a badge for CC but only show it if i have to hold someone at gunpoint waiting for LEO to show up IMHO it just helps identify the good guy when LE arives on scene and sees a gun.

 

[Sonora Rebel]

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sailarmy wrote:

i want to purchase a badge for CC but only show it if i have to hold someone at gunpoint waiting for LEO to show up IMHO it just helps identify the good guy when LE arives on scene and sees a gun.

Bad guys should be on the ground. Jeeez... FORGET THESE BADGES! BG's can BUY phoney BADGES TOO! Have you read the rest of this thread? :banghead:

 

[sailarmy]

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BGs can get CCW's too not all of them have a record at first

 

[Sonora Rebel]

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So then you can have a BG... with a CCW... AND a Badge! Wunnerful!

Law abiding people tend to remain law abiding. Odds are... few legit CCW holders turn BG. Y'know... people who display... or wear somethin' they don't rate are called 'posers'. At a distance... that 'badge' could appear to convey some authority you DO NOT HAVE. If you CC... why advertise? Wear the thing OC... if you can. Otherwise... just be content to CC. 'Save yourself some hassle.

 

[WheelGun]

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RE: a metallic badge or shield that identifies the wearer as a person of authority (ie. a 'police-like badge').

The authority represented by a badge is typically conferred to persons by the state or federal government, these persons are generally referred to as public-safety service providers (such as sworn police/peace officers, certified emergency medical technicians/paramedics. or firefighters).

Posession and display of badgesshould be limited to the above listed public-safety service providers.

These individuals typically use the badge as such: 1) they wear the badge as part of their uniform, or 2) they affix it to thier outer clothing while off duty if they happen upon an emergency situation as to as to reassure and calm the public.

 

[mazellan819]

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Badges do not convey any type of authority. The badge is only as good as the documentation to back it up. If you have a badge that says police with no police ID then you are in trouble. OC a badge is a bad idea. Keeping it in the pocket to show arriving officers is quite logical. Showing your CCW license at a distance is not logical due to the small print. But what do I know I am a wannabe cop (only because I have not been hired by a department yet) with a bachelors degree in criminal justice/law enforcement.

 

[zoom6zoom]

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Where's the poll choice for:

Can we make the search button blink or something?

 

[JBURGII]

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So the badges are out.. um what about my BDUs and little curly earpiece I got off ebay?? I think I seen too many episodes of S.W.A.T. back in the days.. not the new movie.. the series.. J

 

[Orygunner]

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Walk around looking all "Tacti-cool" in BDUs and tactical harness loaded with gear and mutter phonetic alphabet soup under your breath...

Wow. that almost sounds like fun, in a practical joke kinda way.


...Whiskey...Tango...Foxtrot... :lol:
...Orygunner...

 

[Sonora Rebel]

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Ibought'abadge: "Delta Oscar Romeo Kilo - Golf Echo Alpha Romeo"

 

[Lezchap]

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inNV wrote:

The idea behind them is that of you have to draw and/or use your gun in self defense, and the cops show up..you show your badge so they don't shoot you..not so they don't investigate what happened. Imagine you have a man at gunpoint, and a cop shows up, how does he know who is the BG? Flashing a badge might stop him from puting a few rounds through your chest. I see the logic behind them, but I still wouldn't get one, waste of money.

In EVER situation I've seen where Police come across a man pointing a gun at another person, they'll draw (for their defense) and order you to put the gun down first BEFORE they open fire. This is whether you're the good guy OR the bad guy, doesn't really matter.

Having a badge isn't going to change the matter. In everything I've seen, Police don't open fire unless the person with a gun ESCALATES their threat level...ie take the gun from the low ready to pointing it at someone, taking the gun out of their holster, etc. As long as you reduce your threat level as soon as they arrive, you'll be put in cuffs (safety till they figure out wtf is going on), but you'll not be shot.

Badges = bad idea, false logic, and false advertisment. Also, I hope ANY cop who says he'd shoot anyone they see with a gun as soon as he arrives on scene gets fired or repremanded, and if he ever actually pulls such a stunt, charged and locked up with the Bubba he caught the week before.

 

[iplay42]

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Been reading the comments about badges, the overwhelming opinion being it's a bad idea. I think actually it could be a good idea, provided the badge worn is state-issued. I think upon completion of the state's concealed hand-gun requirements that the recipient receive his concealed handgun license with the requirement that if the gun is to be openly carried, that the badge issued by the state (not any phony badges one can buy over the Internet), perhaps with the wording under the State seal: "Authorized to openly carry a handgun" or some such---with a hefty fine for anyone displaying a badge not issued by the state. And that the badge must be attached or displayed on the holster or adjacent to it. When people see the gun and badge at a distance, would they immediately think the carrier is police? Perhaps so, people can think all sorts of things.People can think that security guards are police, or school-crossing guards or firemen when wearing their badges; you just can't be responsible for what someone may imagine or assume.As it is now, too often when people see a gun and no badge they jump to the conclusion that the carrier is up to no good and needs to be reported to the police, which then leads to harassment and generally bad experiences. When it is a State-mandated requirement for the open-carrier to display the state-issued badge, then the the police can have no grounds to charge anyone with impersonating an officer.

 

[Lezchap]

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iplay42 wrote:

Been reading the comments about badges, the overwhelming opinion being it's a bad idea. I think actually it could be a good idea, provided the badge worn is state-issued. I think upon completion of the state's concealed hand-gun requirements that the recipient receive his concealed handgun license with the requirement that if the gun is to be openly carried, that the badge issued by the state (not any phony badges one can buy over the Internet), perhaps with the wording under the State seal: "Authorized to openly carry a handgun" or some such---with a hefty fine for anyone displaying a badge not issued by the state. And that the badge must be attached or displayed on the holster or adjacent to it. When people see the gun and badge at a distance, would they immediately think the carrier is police? Perhaps so, people can think all sorts of things.People can think that security guards are police, or school-crossing guards or firemen when wearing their badges; you just can't be responsible for what someone may imagine or assume.As it is now, too often when people see a gun and no badge they jump to the conclusion that the carrier is up to no good and needs to be reported to the police, which then leads to harassment and generally bad experiences. When it is a State-mandated requirement for the open-carrier to display the state-issued badge, then the the police can have no grounds to charge anyone with impersonating an officer.

Currently no State issues badges...as has been said, a badge in our society represents increased authority, which no private citizen lawfully carrying a weapon has. Also, as with MANY of the members here, we see the carry of a weapon (wether open or concealed) to be a BASIC HUMAN RIGHT which no government should have the authority to legislate...unfortunately it has been, and the first step in the process of getting that fixed is to make the carry of weapons, in any method the carrier chooses, legal...thus the OC movements being conducted in many states.

 

[iplay42]

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One of the Google definitions of "authority" is this: official permission or approval. A state-issued badge would be simply that. "Currently no State issues badges...as has been said, a badge in our society represents increased authority, which no private citizen lawfully carrying a weapon has." That's why the state legislatures should be prodded to issue badges for open carry so that it can be seen that the State has authorized open gun carry for that person. A person may assert that it's a basic right to do all sorts of things and that no government should have the authority to legislate about it. I could say it's my basic right to drive a car, to be a barber, an electrician, a plumber, to operate a ham radio and on and on with no government restraints or requirments, but our society would find that unacceptable. If you want to open-carry---and win over the public--submit to the State's requirements for a chl so that the public will know you have learned the basics of safe-handling and shooting a gun and the various applicable laws and consequences that can arise from discharging a gun. And the educated public will be more accepting of open carry when it is accompanied by the proof of state-requirements met when they see the badge.

 

[Lezchap]

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I think you missed the point...

The State shouldn't have a right to authorize you to carry...you should already have that. It's just like how the State can't, via law, prevent you from being merely rude (not counting public panic by yelling fire or bomb) in a movie theater, and it's upto the theater and it's owners/agents (managers) to ask you to leave if you are being rude, and refusal would be criminal tresspass. The State can't authorize you something you should already be allowed to do as a given right...and if a private individual wants to deny you such rights on their property, then you can leave their property.

We're not trying to "improve" the laws by getting the state to issue a badge, and you won't find much support for a said movement...that's adding more restrictions and making it more convoluted and difficult to carry. We want to make it so no one is legislated out of their right to carry (as they see fit) anywhere in this nation...and the only way to do that is make it so more carry legal in more places without licenses...

 

[thaJack]

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peanut wrote:

That's pretty much the way I feel, but it is interesting to read other views too... Thanks for the thought. I can't imagine the hassle one would get for the intent to impersonate a LEO..... I sort of find it hard to believe the badge is legal in all honesty. I mean, with all of the lawyers of today...:uhoh:

How could a badge not be legal? Are EMTs and firefighters hassled for trying to impersonate a LEO? I doubt it. Now, if your badge said "police officer" then sure... but they can say many things.

Hell, even mall security has a badge.

For the record, I don't see why in the world I would ever want to wear one... just expressing a different POV.