State Police Memo on Open Carry at Second Amendment Rally
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
1111 Country Club Road
Middletown. CT 06457
2nd Amendment Rally, State Capitol
April 10, 2010
A rally in support of the 2nd Amendment is currently scheduled for April 10, 2010 at 1300 hours on the north lawn of the State capitol. While the Capitol building and grounds are under the jurisdiction of the State Capitol Police, there is the possibility that State Police personnel may be asked to assist the Capitol Police, or may have occasion to observe and/or come into contact with individuals who are carrying firearms, either openly or concealed. In light of this scheduled event, specific guidance concerning law enforcement matters related to firearms at this event follows:
o State Police personnel should not arrest a properly permitted individual merely for publicly carrying a handgun in plain view.
o State Police personnel should not arrest individuals merely for publicly carrying a firearm other than a handgun in plain view.
o Exceptions to the general guidance stated above include, but are not limited to:
o It is prohibited for private citizens to possess firearms inside the State Capitol or Legislative Office Building (Conn. Gen. Stat. $ 2-1e).
o It is prohibited for private citizens to possess firearms in any Hartford city park (Hartford Municipal Code Article II, Sec. 26-39). Violations should be brought to the attention of Hartford Police for the appropriate enforcement action.
o State Police personnel should not request individuals to produce their pistol permits unless such individual has become the subject of a law enforcement investigative inquiry for another reason.
Whether or not probable cause exists to support an arrest depends upon the totality of the circumstances known to the Trooper at the time. Particular attention should be paid to those facts and circumstances which support an inference that an individual to be arrested intended or
recklessly created an unreasonable risk of danger or alarm. Troopers should be careful to document all of the facts and circumstances which justify any arrest which is made. As with all law enforcement action taken by State Police personnel, the safety of both the officer and the
general public is of paramount concern.
With those principles in mind, and with specific regard to matters involving firearms, State Police personnel should ensure that they strictly follow State Police policies and procedures.
