Outrageous!

[Highwayman]

Kansas now has concealed carry and we’ve all heard the gloom and doom predictions from those opposed. This story from Ohio is so outrageous that I wanted to share it. Something to think about when you read about some law enforcement agency that speaks out against folks like us that want to protect ourselves. Looks to me like the Ohio Highway Patrol needs a serious attitude adjustment and I hope I never see anything like this again.

Ohio’s concealed carry law was stonewalled for years by the opposition of the Ohio State Highway Patrol bureaucrats, who refused to endorse any bill that allowed law-abiding citizens to carry concealed loaded guns in a vehicle. Finally, after years of debate, public opinion overwhelmed the Highway Patrol’s opposition, and Ohio became the 46th state to pass a concealed carry law.

The State Highway Patrol administration was successful, however, in using its lobbying power to poison the legislation with the now infamous “open car carry” provision that requires license holders to keep their gun holstered in plain site while in a vehicle. No other state has such a ludicrous provision in their concealed carry law, and many even allow guns to be carried in cars without a license.

Although the Highway Patrol could not point to one instance where a legally carried gun was used against law-enforcement, they still insisted that guns in cars need to be carried in plain sight in the name of officer safety (a silly demand considering a gun that is not concealed is quicker into action).

Although the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s administration claims carrying a gun in plain sight means the owner is less likely to kill someone, it did not stop Trooper Joshua Risner, who while carrying his gun in plain sight, got drunk on duty, chose to drive his patrol cruiser drunk, and then killed three people when he lost control - because in Ohio it is not currently illegal for a Trooper to drive drunk on official duty, even while carrying a gun........

This tragedy brings the lobbying power of law enforcement agencies into question because even now the Ohio State Highway Patrol is lobbying to block legislation (House-passed HB347) which would make it illegal for a Trooper to drive and carry a gun after drinking. The OSHP has specifically asked that the provision that made it illegal for them to drive drunk, with a gun, be removed from HB347 before they would drop their opposition.

the entire commentary Buckeye Firearms Association - Drunk and Armed: On Duty with the Ohio State Highway Patrol

[Tee]

and they're probably touting the ole "the public should respect police officers" line we always hear when the actions of police are questioned

This is how they lose our respect

It's an appauling story. Thanks for sharing it HW!

[lurker]

Deeper into Highway's link was this gem:

These are but a few in the long list of reasons that the head of every law enforcement agency statewide should be elected. Otherwise they will continue to be unaccountable to the people they are sworn to protect.

John Ball is a better Police Chief than most of the others that were hired by a "City Manager" who was hired by sitting city commissioners. And the problem with that arrangement is that our VOTES can only fire the City Commissioners.... not the city manager(s) or the police chief(s).

It's a beautiful arrangement for commissioners though. If you take a police problem to a commissioner, he'll point you to the city manager who will point you to the police chief who will point you to.... the runaround.