imported post
DMRODCO wrote:
I found this board though AR 15.com and am glad I did. I have a CCW and am glad to know OC is alive and well in UTAH! I haven't had the courage to try it yet as my area LEO's are jerks however after a talk with Clark Aposhian @BCI he assured me that they WILL comly with the UTAH constitution and laws of your great land should I care to OC. :celebrateI hope to see you all on the streets
Welcome. Let me also add to Clark's assurance. I have open and "casually concealed" (not open carry, but no real attempt to conceal) quite a bit in Salt Lake County the last few years. I find I carry more often than if I had to strictly conceal. I carry almost all the time when I am out and about in the evenings, or on weekends.
I've carried to the Sandy City Independance day celebration that is lliterally crawling with police officers. I routinely carry into Lowes, Home Depot, Costco, WalMart, and the grocery stores in the area. I carry when I visit the capital.
I've NEVER had a negative encounter with any of Utah's peace officers while carrying. In fact, I've never had an official encounter with them while carrying. The last night of the legislative session a couple of UHP troopers engaged me briefly in conversation. I have no doubt it was do a quick check to see if I posed any problems. But they never mentioned the gun, or even asked for a ID or my permit. Just a quick, "Hi. Do I know you from somewhere?" kind of laid back conversation that lasted less than a minute before they were off to more pressing matters.
That all said, I have to suspect that my appearance and demeanor have something to do with this. At almost 40 years old, I'm well past the stage of thinking cops are jerks or out to get me. Most of them are now my age or younger. I'm clean cut and about as plain jane middle class looking as you can get. I smile a lot. My idea of casual dress (other than when I'm in the middle of a home repair project) is a pair of clean, new jeans, and a polo shirt. In short, NOTHING about me suggests in any way that I might be trouble.
I also go out of my way to be courteous when I am carrying. Shopping carts get returned to their stall, doors get opened for others, I offer to let others go first. Not only do I want to leave a good impression of gun owners/carriers, but heaven forbid I ever needed to use the gun I don't need a half dozen witnesses about what a jerk I was prior to the situation turning deadly.
I do highly suggest a CCW permit as it is all but impossible to move around most cities in Utah without being inside a federal gun free school zone. Plus it lets you carry fully loaded and should an officer ever ask, I'd much rather be able to just say, "Yes, I do have a permit even though I don't need one to open carrry," than have to explain in that situation that open carry is legal without a permit as long as the gun isn't legally loaded.
Again, welcome. And all the best.
Charles Hardy
GOUtah! (Gun Owners of Utah!)
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