Salt Lake City PD, the international airport, and passengers with guns

[jc1240]

Utah passed a law some time ago that tries to protect air passengers who make "honest" mistakes in taking firearms to the international airport.

Salt Lake City PD seems to not care for that law and bends over backwards to charge the passengers with "recklessness," circumventing the law. The debate between the PD and the legislature has gotten to the point that the PD may be kicked out of the airport, replaced by state police.
One officer who questioned the department ignoring the law was suspended which irritated the legicritters who are working on a new bill to tweak the law to not give the PD that ability to go rogue. One part of the new bill: First offence = warning, cops will return the gun within 3 business days, passenger still allowed to travel.

I'm surprised there is such a law anywhere, but I'm not surprised in the PD (my bias in favor of sheriffs).

 

[slsc98]

…Salt Lake City PD seems to not care for that law and bends over backwards to charge the passengers …

My money is on WHOMEVER APPOINTED THE PD Chief (ie Salt Lake City Council, Mayor, etc.) is who really cares not for the law … my bias is also towards Sheriffs (- “The Peoples’ Police”); and,

- as little more than political appointees PD Chiefs who act of their volition are rarer than hens teeth …

 

[4g64loser]

Not familiar with the details of the airport issue but boots-on-ground experience in Utah was that the only place openly hostile to carry was salt lake city. Other towns, nobody seemed the least bit bothered, including cops, about large percentages of the citizens being armed. Even a state trooper who got curious about some of the hardware we had (machine guns) remained professional if somewhat wary during contact.

 

[Steel Hunter]

It's kind of sad that I would not have even imagined a state having such a fine law passed because Maryland is so polar opposite and would be the SLC PD every time. Rooting for Utah to boot the PD out if they don't stop openly defying the law.