1. Do not say the word ‘Gun’.
2. Put your hands in the 10 & 2′oclock positions on the steering wheel. If a passenger, place them flat on the dashboard.
3. No matter what the police officer says to you as an opening remark, you respond with:
a. Officer, before we start I want to let you know that I have a concealed carry permit. What are your instructions?
4. Do not move, do not take your hands off the steering wheel. Wait for officer to respond.
5. Follow any directions given to you by the officer slowly & meticulously.
I have taught concealed carry to over a thousand students. I have been stopped twice: Both times for speeding.
In each case the officer was nonchalant about it and just asked for my license and registration. In Ohio, the fact that you are a CCW carrier comes up on his screen when he runs your registration.
Here is the thing, police I have talked with about this feel safer with a CCW stop than a regular stop. Why? Think about it. A CCW holder has had an extensive federal background check. CCW carriers are involved in extremely few crimes. You can’t ask for a safer person to pull over.
Under NO circumstances are you to touch your firearm or even gesture to it unless SPECIFICALLY directed to do so. I have been told that they only ask to keep possession if there is reasonable chance you will be placed under arrest during the stop e.g. suspected drugs, DUI, warrants outstanding, etc.
On a normal traffic stop, they’ll just give you a ticket or warning and send you on your way.
If you recall recently a young man with a CCW permit was shot 3 times in the passenger seat of a car. His only mistake? He lifted his shirt to indicate to the officer where he was carrying. The cop saw a ‘gun’ and panicked.
Then I found this interesting comment buried below the main answer.
I am white skinned had an encounter with a cop recently. My dad(white) myself and a black neighbor of his were talking in front of his house when a cop walked up and said to all of us while looking mostly at me “do you guys live around here” I responded him and my dad pointing to them and their houses. The cop went on to tell us an alarm had gone off a couple of houses down the street and ask if we saw anyone go by, we didn’t. After the cop was gone the black neighbor said the cop was rude and racist. I can tell you for a fact he was not singled out in any way and yet though his eyes it was about color. He was not asked anything or even looked at as far as I could tell, the cop had eye contact with me the whole time and yet to him it was about his race. I told my wife when I got home about it, it was a perfect example how we all see things biased upon/from our own past experiences and perspective period. I am NOT saying racism doesn’t exist, it absolutely does but if you are looking for it everywhere you can find it even when it is not there. I have heard the phrase “lazy Mexican” a lot in my life and from my own experience I have NO clue where that could have come from, all the Mexicans I have known are the hardest workers of all the people I know. I had a black Pastor and sadly some older members left the Church when we voted him in because he was black. Some people see differences as bad. There is just one race “The human race”.
How much do I think this happens? I think it happens.