Today's conversation with LEO

[meno377]

I wouldn't be surprised if they actually don't know about the roster. I haven't read every post, but depending on their age and interest in firearms, it's not a big surprise. They may have said that they knew about it out of embarrassment. There are old timers and young people who don't know.

I had to explain it to my nephews who are into guns but don't know all the restrictions California has.

[CSACANNONEER]

I only called their 9mm a 'piece' in this thread.

As for grain, they understood. Context, right?

Context? Do you understand that the weight of the bullet is only one part of the ammo equation? A bullet will preform differently and provide a different recoil based on the type and weight, in grains, of the powder charge. So, if someone randomly asks a general question about "grains", they either want an in depth, technical discussion about ammo or, they really don't know what they are talking about.

[mikenewgun87]

Name and badge number!!!!

Only LEO encounter I had was with a OCSD deputy and we met up, inspected firearms, did DROs then met again after the 10day wait period and parted ways... Chit chat was minimum....

[Gun Kraft]

I'd like emphasize that politics part. Most agencies (if not all) have a policy (and are very strict about enforcing it) that LEOs can not support or promote political viewpoints while in uniform. Asking one what they think about the handgun roster while in uniform is a huge "I can get fired for talking about this" situation. Regardless of your intentions, it's not worth risking their jobs.

[ElvenSoul]

Look to see if there was a counter post in the Calguns LE Section. Nope not there they must not be members.

[Snoopy47]

Everyday cops don't enforce the Roster. Only an FFL can violate the roster. So I presume it would be a DOJ state agent that would be more in tune with it (by way of a FFL sale audit).

Ergo, a typical cop isn't going to be be required or worried about the technicalities of the roster. Only that it doesn't apply to him.

So it serves no positive interest of a cop to get tied into such a conversation while on duty in uniform.

[jtv3062]

You are lucky they talked to you at all. I never answered questions about my equipment, amount or type of ammo or how much I carried.

In my experience with interactions with Leo's you're in the minority. Everyone was happy to talk firearms with me.

[McGuiver]

I'm pretty sure if you started chatting with a couple firefighters about the thread count on firehouses, their favorite brands and what nozzle holds they like, the conversation would get really awkward......just saying.



Add the fact most LEOs are very guarded due to the fact a large number of the people that strike up a conversation about a specific subject are working an angle: usually trying to elicit a reaction or statement that can come back and bite that beat cop in the backside.

BINGO. IrishJoe3 is right. I have to deal with this in the Corp world too. CYA. If it's not something I normally discuss with a co-worker, then a unknown someone on the street is even weirder. Some people are always looking for an angle. Sometimes you have to be guarded in what you discuss and say. If it was me in blue I probably wouldn't have answered any of those questions, unless I knew you personally as a friend. I have friends that are LEO's and we discuss those things freely and openly. They like shooting and reloading too. We also have retired LEO's working for us on the Corp side as investigators. Even the retired LEO's are guarded until they get to know you. Most retired as detectives from local PD's.

[ar15robert]

Last time i talked to a cop was a long beach officer.I noticed he was carrying a 1911 so i asked him about it he was a cool guy was telling me about their policy and what they can carry.

We talked about firearms for a lil bit he defintiely knew guns and i thought it was cool of him to take some time.He wasnt that busy at the time as i was waiting to get into a jobsite.

[jeremiah12]

Ron-Solo has the most likely answer to your question. At my job I work with retired LEOs. They are hired as campus security officers. They can put in another 20 years and retire again and get paid two pensions.

Most that I have worked with know very little about guns and ammo. They used what the department issued. They only took it to the range once or twice a year for the mandatory training and requalification.

The one that became my friend retired from our local PD as a captain. When the department switch from S&W .38 revolvers to Glocks he bought his revolver from the department so he could continue carrying it on duty. He was not going to change, is S&W worked for him the previous 15 years so why fix what was not broke. He still carried that same gun under LEOSA.

Our current SRO uses the department issued G19 because the G22 does not fit her small hands. She is not a gun person. She only shoots it the minimum required times for training and requalifications. She has little knowledge of the roster. All she cares is if she finds a gun, she runs the number and what is returned determines if she makes an arrest or not. During the school year, she does not have to worry about running the numbers, anybody she encounters with a gun on campus is arrested. We are a GFSZ and our school board will not authorize anybody but LE to carry on campus. The made it clear to our superintendent if she authorizes anyone to carry concealed on campus, she will be fired.

The officers may or may not know about the roster. They most likely wanted to end the conversation with you quickly and hope you were not secretly making a video of the encounter that would later show up somewhere in a rant about LE and the roster. As public employees, they are not allowed to make political statements while on the job.

As a teacher, I am in the same position and students are constantly trying to get me to say things I am not supposed to say while recording me with cell phones. I usually say I cannot comment or I do not know. Of course, I am human and slip from time to time. Since it is illegal to record inside the classroom, anything students record cannot be used to discipline teachers, so when parents try to use the video to file a complaint, I file a police report. The few parents that bring lawyers then get to hear from their lawyer I am right and nothing can be done except now their kid will be sued by me in a civil court for violating that law and the parent will have to pay out any damages.

[Monster]

Just because they are LEO it does not mean they know much about guns or most gun laws. A LEO would be the last person I would ask anything about guns.

[Sierra57]

Don't mind me, I'm just waiting for the parody thread .......

[Mitch]

The conversation left me uneasy. One, they straight up lied to say they didn't know of the roster. Two, as I progressed with my questions it seemed they wanted to know more about me. They began to ask why am I so curious, what is the basis of my questioning.

Simple. They were beginning to get the idea you were thinking about attempting to get them to assist you with an illegal straw purchase of an off-roster handgun. They are no doubt well aware of their colleague in Sacramento who were prosecuted for precisely such activity.

[larkja]

They were not fine with me asking about off roster. At first they feigned no knowledge of the roster. Then as I began to explain they interrupted to say they know about the roster. I asked if they agreed with the roster. Cold stares then they said there are pistols they too are not allowed to own. I started to ask if they would provide name and type of a few of those.

Seriously???

These guys put their lives on the line every day. They enjoy talking firearms. You're having a civil conversation, everybody's GTG, but then you cross the line and start an inquisition. I would have also put up my guard.

It's like somebody coming to your workplace, engaging in pleasant conversation, and then asking you to comment about something your boss did/has done. If you start smack talking, you know it will get back to your boss and you might not have a job. You wonder where this guy is coming from and start to inquire why he is asking these questions.

Next time, just have a pleasant conversation and leave it at that. Don't be a d-bag! Their jobs are hard enough.

[diverwcw]

I was in law enforcement for 32 years and I didn't like discussing the weaponry we had. When I was approached by somebody who wanted to know this and that, I was very general in my answers. I absolutely despised talking legal matters because it invariably lead to a shower of "What if...." or "I know a guy who....." questions.