Videos of Open Carry event in Portland, Oregon + Gun Law Questions.

[mkwerx]

Oy veh someoine definitely has a chip on their shoulder and needs to read all the ORS and OARs and caselaws on the subject.

Portland tried before to force security guards to obtain an "open carry license" in order to work armed in Portland. They had to be reminded by the State of Oregon that the fifedom of Portland was still within the State's borders and had to obey state laws and rules. a DPSST certified Armed Security Officer (the title of said license) is authorized to openly carry their firearm while on duty anywhere in the state, including Portland and the other burgs that ban non-licensed open carry. The City of Portland, Multnomah County etc can't do anything about it. An Armed Security Officer need not possess a concealed handgun licence to carry his firearm openly while working. He must possess a CHL to conceal his firearm, even while on duty (so if he gets assigned a plain clothes or suit & tie assignment and must conceal, he has to have a CHL to do this unlike a police officer).

Getting in his face and demanding to see his credentials is asinine at best. Also I don't believe that jekbrown is correct in that they must show you anything - OLCC and LEO or DPSST folk are they only folks who I believe may compel you to present your DPSST card. Joe Citizen sticking a camera in your face? You can tell him to pound sand, as Private Security folk are just that - private. They're not the police, they're not acting as police. They are under no obligation to show you anything.

As for Portland Patrol and their uniform of choice - it is to project an image, like all private security providers. The fact is that a lot of Portland Patrol's armed officers are retired police or are reserve officers - PP was pretty picky about who they hired for armed positions. Since their contracts are primarily down town, the business owners opted for wearing simliar uniforms to the PPB. And like jek pointed out - there's only so many colors/combos that police/security uniforms come in. You'll typically see tan, gray, light blue, or white shirts over dark pants or in some cases all navy or all black. Yes the goal is to project a sense of authority and officialness - you are after all an appointed agent for your client and thus placed in a position of authority over a said property. Yes, they could do the job wearing a clown suit, but it's an easier job if you look like a cop and carry yourself with a no BS firm manner.

This whole discussion reminds me of the recent "news" story from Georgia of one open carrying goober drawing down on another open carrier and demanding to see his license to carry.

 

[jekbrown]

Agree with everything you stated above except the part about presenting your DPSST card. Every DPSST Executive Manager training session I go to, the trainer reminds us that we have to present our cards to people that ask. You won't find an ORS/OAR about this, because it's DPSST interpretation of the application of public records law. By law DPSST certification information is a public record. Anyone in the world can go to the IRIS web site and look up private security practitioners. Here's a link to the site for those unaware of it...

http://dpsstnet.state.or.us/IRIS_PublicInquiry/PrivateSecurity/smsgoperson.aspx

The site actually provides more information than your card does. All the card has on it is your name, what certs you have, your PS ID number, and when your certs expire...while the site adds specific dates you completed training, who you do and have worked for etc. The state of Oregon believes that every citizen has a right to see the information about a certified guards permits/licenses on IRIS, and by extension, "in the field" the information on your DPSST card, which is a government record. Our EM instructor specifically told us that she frequently spots guards working when she is off duty and she will test them by walking up to them, or asking a friend to walk up to them, and ask to see their card. Here is a link to the Oregon DOJ site that talks a little bit about private entities producing public records...

http://www.doj.state.or.us/public_records/manual/public_records.shtml

For me, this rule isn't much of an inconvenience. My team doesn't have much of a 'public presence', so no one really can just wander up to us with a video camera and a grudge...but like I said before, if it had happened to me as an armored courier, I'm not going to stop moving to/from my truck in order to show some yahoo my ID....public ID law or not. I'll get in my truck and display it through the window while safely inside, but I'm not going to put myself in any additional danger to do it.

If for some reason I was possessed to harass an armed guard, and I truly believed that he was acting unprofessionally by calling someone "stupid" (not outside the realm of possibility that that was a completely accurate statement BTW), then I'd contact their employer and file a complaint. If the guard refused to present his DPSST card, I'd inform DPSST, the proper organization for that kind of report. There's really no positive outcome possible by calling the police / making a citizens arrest. All that's going to happen is what DID happen. The cops roll their eyes at you, with great professionalism, and send the guard on their way.