Sac PD Answers Firearm Open Carry Question

[Ayatollahgondola]

From Sacramento Police departments blog:

Posted by MrNapa

Dear Officer Michelle:

I just watched a video of a news story (http://www.ktvu.com/video/21648218/index.html) on the issue of "open carry" and would like to know whether I can legally carry a unloaded firearm in plain sight on my left hip and a loaded clip on my right hip as suggested by the above news story.

Sincerely,

Concerned Citizen

Dear MrNapa,

Can I call you lefty - not because of political views, but because I see that you’d carry your gun on the left side?! In this state, a private citizen has every right to carry a firearm, as long as it isn’t concealed, the weapon is unloaded, and the ammunition is unattached. There are other stipulations including that you can’t carry the weapon within 1,000 feet of a school, airport, or other government building. This being said, you must be prepared to be stopped by law enforcement. We will stop you to ensure that it is unloaded. Additionally, most private citizens have a heightened sense of awareness after 9/11, and will probably call us to report a man in plain clothes carrying a gun in a public place. We have an obligation to investigate, and we will.

This same law doesn’t apply when driving a vehicle. California Penal Code Section 12026.2 states that when transporting the firearm in a vehicle, it must be placed in a locked container (other than the utility or glove compartment), and can’t be loaded.

I viewed the video you suggested. It seemed that the motivation for this group may be for other purposes in addition to protection. Thank you for your post and I hope this answered your question.

Officer Michelle