Question about CCW and government service

[frozencesium]

There has been a rumor that employees of a certain 3 letter government agency have been able to to use their work (i.e. "I work counter-terrorism etc etc") as a justification for a CCW and have been approved.

Is there anyone that can substantiate this rumor and if so, share the magic words used? (pm is fine)

 

[smores]

Well, that might just qualify you as a member of the "elite" here, so it's definitely a possibility. I have heard that anyone with a Top Secret clearance gets a Federal CCW card (a guy I worked with that was in an Intel MOS in the PA NG showed me this "card" - although it looked more like a business card to me) but I don't know how it works. Sorry to threadjack but does that have any relevance or is it true?

 

[joppaj]

I have heard that anyone with a Top Secret clearance gets a Federal CCW card (a guy I worked with that was in an Intel MOS in the PA NG showed me this "card" - although it looked more like a business card to me)

I can say 100% that not "everyone" does. I had TS in the Coast Guard and had to abide by all local regs. I've also never heard of a Federal CCW permit, but I could be wrong there.

 

[baddevildog82]

I have heard that anyone with a Top Secret clearance gets a Federal CCW card.... Sorry to threadjack but does that have any relevance or is it true?

That is 100% false. Having a TS clearance doesn't grant you any special rights...if anything, you get rights taken away (privacy). All local laws must be followed.

 

[frozencesium]

the rumor i heard specifically was that they were able to justify it as "i may be targeted and fear for mine and my family's life"...but that still doesn't seem to justify MD's requirement for police reports, etc...but that was circumvented by "what i do is classified so i can't tell you"...

again, if anyone can confirm this...then maybe we can get a few more folks with MD CCW permits...

 

[joppaj]

the rumor i heard specifically was that they were able to justify it as "i may be targeted and fear for mine and my family's life"...but that still doesn't seem to justify MD's requirement for police reports, etc...but that was circumvented by "what i do is classified so i can't tell you"...

again, if anyone can confirm this...then maybe we can get a few more folks with MD CCW permits...

Having a pretty good idea which set of initials you're talking about, I'd guess that while it may be possible, it would probably require a letter, possibly notorized, on Agency letterhead from some higher up that asserted the same thing your friend was describing. That's just my guess.

 

[smores]

That is 100% false. Having a TS clearance doesn't grant you any special rights...if anything, you get rights taken away (privacy). All local laws must be followed.

I had a suspicion. This guy is one of those "one uppers" if you know what I mean. Always a crazy story much better than anything you could remember from your real life. And anything you bought he got for half the price because he knows so-and-so...

 

[novus collectus]

There are certain government workers that qualify for the national CCW law for law enforcement officers and to the people that retired from that position too as I understand it. My neighbor mentioned something about how he qualifies even though he was never a cop. He did some kind of work that was law enforcement related though and I think he said he worked for the DOJ before retiring.
So yes, I think some people that work for Homeland Security qualify as "law enforcement".
Active:

`(c) As used in this section, the term `qualified law enforcement officer' means an employee of a governmental agency who--

`(1) is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the incarceration of any person for, any violation of law, and has statutory powers of arrest;

`(2) is authorized by the agency to carry a firearm;

`(3) is not the subject of any disciplinary action by the agency;

`(4) meets standards, if any, established by the agency which require the employee to regularly qualify in the use of a firearm;

`(5) is not under the influence of alcohol or another intoxicating or hallucinatory drug or substance; and

`(6) is not prohibited by Federal law from receiving a firearm.



`(d) The identification required by this subsection is the photographic identification issued by the governmental agency for which the individual is employed as a law enforcement officer.

Retired:

`(c) As used in this section, the term `qualified retired law enforcement officer' means an individual who--

`(1) retired in good standing from service with a public agency as a law enforcement officer, other than for reasons of mental instability;

`(2) before such retirement, was authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the incarceration of any person for, any violation of law, and had statutory powers of arrest;

`(3)(A) before such retirement, was regularly employed as a law enforcement officer for an aggregate of 15 years or more; or

`(B) retired from service with such agency, after completing any applicable probationary period of such service, due to a service-connected disability, as determined by such agency;

`(4) has a nonforfeitable right to benefits under the retirement plan of the agency;

`(5) during the most recent 12-month period, has met, at the expense of the individual, the State's standards for training and qualification for active law enforcement officers to carry firearms;

`(6) is not under the influence of alcohol or another intoxicating or hallucinatory drug or substance; and

`(7) is not prohibited by Federal law from receiving a firearm.

http://www.leaa.org/218/218text.html

 

[K31]

(1) is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the incarceration of any person for, any violation of law, and has statutory powers of arrest;

So basically that's everybody.

 

[novus collectus]

So basically that's everybody.

Everybody in Texas.

 

[medic87]

Everybody in Texas.

Hey now....

 

[Kharn]

A Maryland court held that a TS clearance and associated work by a military officer (I forget his post, either anti-terrorism or chem/bio warfare, I think he was a Major at the time) was not cause for a permit. They held that if he was in danger, he should seek a weapon and authority to carry it from his employer.

TS does not authorize you to do anything with firearms, federal law enforcement certs do allow you to carry just about anywhere.

 

[eapmai]

There are certain government workers that qualify for the national CCW law for law enforcement officers and to the people that retired from that position too as I understand it. My neighbor mentioned something about how he qualifies even though he was never a cop. He did some kind of work that was law enforcement related though and I think he said he worked for the DOJ before retiring.
So yes, I think some people that work for Homeland Security qualify as "law enforcement".
Active:

Retired: http://www.leaa.org/218/218text.html

+1 on the LEO or security to qualify for Federal CCW. Not all personnel with TS clearance qualify but it is directly related to your federal (OPM) classification.

 

[Deacon51]

I will tell you for a fact, that I do have the authority to carry a weapon based on my job. I have had the same firearms training as if I was a Federal Police officer. I have to re-qualify on a annually to the same standards. BUT none of the locations I can carry are inside the US of A.

 

[mudskipper]

I thought a CCW permit went along with a TS clearance. So like when they say "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" - it was so they could maintain their clearance.

 

[DD214]

I thought a CCW permit went along with a TS clearance. So like when they say "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" - it was so they could maintain their clearance.

Nope. That is why we are issued a syringe loaded with cyanide.

 

[DemoDave]

If TS enabled a person to automatically have a CCW then you would have an awfully large amount of Geeks With Guns (especially in MD) and I am not sure that is necessarily a good thing.

 

[Rattlesnake46319]

Nope. That is why we are issued a syringe loaded with cyanide.

You got a syringe? Man, all they handed me was a rusty spoon and a packet of cyanide powder. Told me to cut the vein open myself and pour the powder in.

 

[joppaj]

You got a syringe? Man, all they handed me was a rusty spoon and a packet of cyanide powder. Told me to cut the vein open myself and pour the powder in.

You got a rusty spoon? Luxury. I got an old plastic spork from a school cafeteria.



I appologize for this very silly thread hi-jack and return you to your regularly scheduled debate about MD's Draconian CCW laws and the Upper Class Twits who wrote them.

 

[eapmai]

I thought a CCW permit went along with a TS clearance. So like when they say "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" - it was so they could maintain their clearance.

TS only allows for "need to know" basis for some intel that is of a sensitive nature to the US government. It does NOT implicitly provide for automatic CCW permit.