Officer Interaction... Harrisburg East Mall

[crakkajakka15]

After the events that happend this week...me and the lady decided that we needed to treat out selves to a night out. Dinner (indian food btw awesome) a little shopping and a movie. So we hit up the Harrisburg Mall to take care of the last two shopping a a movie. I was CCing my Kahr CW9 with a OWB holster. I was wearing jeans and a nautica polo covering the weapon fully.

We did our shopping and I made my usual trip to bass pro, and we headed down to the movie theater by the food court to get a drink before going into the movie. We sat down by the customer service station which is usually where the rent a cops and the swatara twp. police hang out. We sat down there was just rent a cops present and about 5 min later a Swtara Twp. officer sat down directly behind me with his food from subway. no big deal... We sat there and finished our drinks and the officer finished his food and he got up to throw away his trash and on the way back from the can he stopped at our table adn took a seat.

The officer (his name i didnt get, nor did i really even see a name tag come to think of it) was about 35-40ish i would say. He asked me if I had my LTCF on me, to which i replied, why is there a problem? He said I noticed that your firearm was printing while I was sitting behind you...I said OK fair enough and I gave him my LTCF... He looked it over and handed it back to me and said thanks. He made a statement about you can never be too careful these days and its good to see that RESPONSIBLE citizens are able to be armed. We BS'ed for a while about 7-10min. I asked him how he liked the Glock he was carrying which was a Glock 17 BTW and he said he really didnt like it and that the grip angle was awkward for him and that he'd rather have a SIG or a M&P!!! He also asked what I was carrying and I told him a Kahr and he said he shot his buddies Kahr and he liked it blah blah blah.

Anyhow good interaction and he seemed like a very pro 2A guy. He said have a nice evening and to enjoy our movie and to be safe. I was surprised he didnt ask me to put my weapon in the car because I was on mall property. We watched our movie and went home.

[Seventy4Blazer]

i hang out with a bunch of PSP guys now and then. they all think i am nuts when i show up OC. they dont mind, but they give me a hard time some times... "showing up with a bunch of police with a gun" kind of deal.

it is nice to find police that are pro 2A though. glad it went down like that, also very glad to see he was as observant as he was.

[4XLT]

thanks for posting crakka' nice to know some common sense prevails !!

[1861]

sounds good .

[headcase]

Other than him inviting himself to sit down at your table, I don't see a problem with how that went down, and I am glad to see that in his interaction with you, from what you posted, he was respectful and well within his rights to ask about your LTCF. That he did so without making a scene is a plus.

....Although the whole "stopped at our table and took a seat" thing kind of irks me.. "Hi. Mind if I sit down with you a sec?"...Just sayin'.....

[38SnubFan]

Other than him inviting himself to sit down at your table, I don't see a problem with how that went down, and I am glad to see that in his interaction with you, from what you posted, he was respectful and well within his rights to ask about your LTCF. That he did so without making a scene is a plus.

....Although the whole "stopped at our table and took a seat" thing kind of irks me.. "Hi. Mind if I sit down with you a sec?"...Just sayin'.....

I'd probably be "irked" a little too, but being that I used to work as a Public Safety Officer at that mall part-time, I can understand the Police/Security concerns. Even with the new movie theater and Bass Pro Shops, the in-line store spaces that used to be filled with major retailers are now filled with so-called "temporary lease" stores that tend to cater to more "ethnic" types.

Thus, the Harrisburg Mall is becoming once again what used to be called the "Ghetto Mall".

However, I can tell you that both the Swatara Twp. Police and Harrisburg Mall Security are VERY Pro-2A, although OC may not be the best idea. (You'll probably be asked to cover it up or leave, not because Mall Security thinks you should, but because Mall Management is telling Mall Security to tell you to cover it up.)

Glad to see all went well Crakka'.

-38SnubFan

[tapman]

Why does someone always have to look at the very small negative in a very good LEO encounter. I swear, sometimes, some of you would piss at a free beer party.

[GunLawyer001]

I have to agree....what if this LEO would have stood at the table and demanded to see the LTCF. This lets everyone in the vicinty know what is going on. Instead, I take it that this particular LEO did it in a more private, less invasive, fashion. Imagine the complaints if he would have done it standing and out loud. I believe this LEO did it in a very professional manner. I can understand why some feel inviting himself to sit was perhaps not the best avenue, but to me it seems to be the best in this situation. IMO, I would say kudos to the LEO for handling it correctly.

I agree 100%. Bad cops rely on physical intimidation, they wear mirrored shades so that you can't see their eyes, they stand while you sit, they touch you and poke you while you can't touch or poke back, they scream like drill sergeants.

A nice human being intentionally gives up those physical advantages, and treats you like a peer. Friends and equals sit face to face.

I have mixed feelings about cops demanding to see the LTCF whenever they see evidence of a concealed gun. I'd like to see them do a bit more profiling before they ask, not based on race but on the gestalt of how they dress / how they act / the overall context, and perhaps ask fewer of the armed family men and more of the gangsta wannabe's for proof of licensing.

[crlovel]

Why does someone always have to look at the very small negative in a very good LEO encounter. I swear, sometimes, some of you would piss at a free beer party.

I have to agree....what if this LEO would have stood at the table and demanded to see the LTCF. This lets everyone in the vicinty know what is going on. Instead, I take it that this particular LEO did it in a more private, less invasive, fashion. Imagine the complaints if he would have done it standing and out loud. I believe this LEO did it in a very professional manner. I can understand why some feel inviting himself to sit was perhaps not the best avenue, but to me it seems to be the best in this situation. IMO, I would say kudos to the LEO for handling it correctly.

I agree 100%. Bad cops rely on physical intimidation, they wear mirrored shades so that you can't see their eyes, they stand while you sit, they touch you and poke you while you can't touch or poke back, they scream like drill sergeants.

A nice human being intentionally gives up those physical advantages, and treats you like a peer. Friends and equals sit face to face.

I have mixed feelings about cops demanding to see the LTCF whenever they see evidence of a concealed gun. I'd like to see them do a bit more profiling before they ask, not based on race but on the gestalt of how they dress / how they act / the overall context, and perhaps ask fewer of the armed family men and more of the gangsta wannabe's for proof of licensing.

Yes, yes, and yes.

[shooter357]

I have to say it was a good interaction. I do have to say that I probably would be a little defensive should anyone invite themselves to my table. If he would have said "Do you mind if I sit down?" or something to the like, then that would be fine. If the officer felt there was any chance of the gun being used he would not have sat down. I realize that any LEO would like to have an advantage in any situation but I do not like uninvited guests. Call it my sense of privacy.