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Hoover Alabama Police Department--Well Done!

Double D

New member
Joined
Mar 25, 2013
Messages
4
Location
Battle Creek, MI
April 2nd while in Hoover, AL, a southern suburb of Birmingham, I was using a computer at the well-appointed Hoover Public Library. Well into an online session I suddenly felt a hand on my left shoulder followed by a low voice over my right shoulder. I turned to the right to see the face and enough uniform to identify a police officer (wish I had gotten his name and badge number but didn't). He quietly said "Someone has noticed that you are openly carrying a firearm and called to express their concern. I've talked with them and assured them that it is legal for you to carry a firearm openly and that I would talk to you and let you know of their concern." In response to that I asked if he thought it would help if I took my gun out and left it in my truck. He said, "I can't ask you to do that." Then, I said, "Would it help if I pulled my t-shirt out and over my gun?" He said, "Then you'd be carrying concealed." I informed him that would be okay as I have a CPL, to which he said, "I don't think that's necessary; they already know you have a gun." I thanked him, he patted my left shoulder, turned, and left. I was so pleased to be treated so respectfully and to have my rights acknowledged by such an informed and professional officer who so well represented the Hoover Alabama Police Department. WELL DONE.
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
Damn near perfect!

Hoover has always been cool with folks exercising their rights. That's why we had our blood drive there a few years back. Some Hoover PD folks saw us wandering about their city armed and reacted not at all.

Hoover does it right and deserves whatever support we, as a community of carriers, can give it.

Birmingham itself, on the other hand.... *shudder*

May I ask you to cross-post this on DefendAlabama.com. The link is in my signature down there ---v.
 
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Double D

New member
Joined
Mar 25, 2013
Messages
4
Location
Battle Creek, MI
eye95, thanks for your reply. I'd be glad to post ot that site; not currently a member there and ass-u-me I need to be. Will look into that. Glad to hear your experiences with the Hoover PD were equally gratifying.

I open/concealed carry as often as possible and so far public responses have been uniformly positive. I'm somewhat appalled by a number of Youtube videos of open carry as way too many go confrontational and end with (IMO) the officers involved more frustrated than satisfied with the outcomes. I suppose until a much larger show of open carry by citizens occurs and/or more/better training of law enforcement officers occurs on the issue of open carry this is just the way it is and will continue to be.
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
It is unfortunate when folks OC, looking for trouble. I just carry, and trouble has found me twice in the form of the Montgomery, AL PD. Thankfully, I was not arrested either time, but my rights were clearly violated. After the first encounter the Deputy Chief and the city attorney apologized to me. The policy and the training in Montgomery was changed. The second encounter was not nearly so egregious as the first, but still a violation. My third encounter amounted to a friendly cup of coffee with a cop at a local Starbucks--the way things should be.

One of our own, Jonathon Norris suffered quite a bit more at the hands of the Birmingham PD for playing chess with a homeless man while OCing. How dare he!

Unfortunately, we tend to hear only the bad encounters. It is a nice change when someone posts a positive encounter. Thanks for sharing.
 

strabo40

New member
Joined
Nov 10, 2010
Messages
6
Location
Alabama
April 2nd while in Hoover, AL, a southern suburb of Birmingham, I was using a computer at the well-appointed Hoover Public Library. Well into an online session I suddenly felt a hand on my left shoulder followed by a low voice over my right shoulder. I turned to the right to see the face and enough uniform to identify a police officer (wish I had gotten his name and badge number but didn't). He quietly said "Someone has noticed that you are openly carrying a firearm and called to express their concern. I've talked with them and assured them that it is legal for you to carry a firearm openly and that I would talk to you and let you know of their concern." In response to that I asked if he thought it would help if I took my gun out and left it in my truck. He said, "I can't ask you to do that." Then, I said, "Would it help if I pulled my t-shirt out and over my gun?" He said, "Then you'd be carrying concealed." I informed him that would be okay as I have a CPL, to which he said, "I don't think that's necessary; they already know you have a gun." I thanked him, he patted my left shoulder, turned, and left. I was so pleased to be treated so respectfully and to have my rights acknowledged by such an informed and professional officer who so well represented the Hoover Alabama Police Department. WELL DONE.

That's great to know. I go CC whenever I am in that library, because I wasn't sure how people would react with OC. Great job and thanks for posting this.
 

Brimstone Baritone

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
786
Location
Leeds, Alabama, USA
Sunshine on a cloudy day.

I'm glad I logged on and read this post. It's encouraging to know that there are still parts of the Birmingham metro area where we can go about our business without the looming fear of being harassed. I'm happy you had such a great encounter, and even happier you took the time to post.

Thanks!
 

MKEgal

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
4,383
Location
in front of my computer, WI
Nice to hear of a good encounter. It'd be good to at least write a note to the Chief. S/he can do the records search & figure out who the officer was. It's rare to get a note saying one of their officers did well... most people only complain. (I try to be even-handed, but the good encounters are rare.)

Double D said:
I'm somewhat appalled by a number of Youtube videos of open carry as way too many go confrontational and end with (IMO) the officers involved more frustrated than satisfied with the outcomes.
If the citizen is doing nothing illegal, then the confrontation is initiated by the officers. They could live the LAC alone & nothing would happen.
And the officers who push those kinds of confrontations often feel the need to get compliance to their wishes, so when a citizen knows his rights & won't give in to illegal demands, of course the officer gets frustrated.

I've seen videos of LACs approached by police who maintain their civil rights, and the officer(s) understand where the line is & don't cross it, & they don't get frustrated.
 
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