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Pervasive Ignorance
Dec. 7th, 2005 01:52 pmBeen reading more on the problems gun owners had in Louisiana following Katrina and Rita. Besides local officials illegally ordering all civilian handguns confiscated (when they denied this in court the judge actually laughed; he'd seen the network TV news segment where the order had been announced) but law enforcement officers coming in from other states have displayed a profound ignorance of local laws. One tow truck driver, whose job required him to go to dangerous areas to recover vehicles for an insurance company, got stopped by out-of-state cops who didn't know that open carry is legal in Louisiana. He needed forty-five minutes to get the matter straightened out, and still had his ammunition confiscated.
They say ignorance of the law is no excuse for citizens. Neither should it be an excuse for law enforcement personnel.
Police academies should include training on how laws (not just firearms laws) differ between the states. Of course, many of these schools don't even teach cops how to properly deal with armed suspects. (Remember that guy in New York who got gunned down by several cops for pulling out his wallet to show them his ID? Thing is, if he had pulled out a gun and used it, those cops would have been in serious trouble; you can't out-draw someone who already has his gun out.) The results are both more innocent citizens shot dead by cops, and a high police personnel turnover rate due to perforations by felons' bullets. If a government is going to arm someone and put them in uniform and ask them to put their lives on the line to uphold the law, then that government is also obligated to make sure they are properly trained.
Stickmaker
They say ignorance of the law is no excuse for citizens. Neither should it be an excuse for law enforcement personnel.
Police academies should include training on how laws (not just firearms laws) differ between the states. Of course, many of these schools don't even teach cops how to properly deal with armed suspects. (Remember that guy in New York who got gunned down by several cops for pulling out his wallet to show them his ID? Thing is, if he had pulled out a gun and used it, those cops would have been in serious trouble; you can't out-draw someone who already has his gun out.) The results are both more innocent citizens shot dead by cops, and a high police personnel turnover rate due to perforations by felons' bullets. If a government is going to arm someone and put them in uniform and ask them to put their lives on the line to uphold the law, then that government is also obligated to make sure they are properly trained.
Stickmaker
