The BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) is the place to learn all about knives—including what to say when you are stopped by law enforcement for carrying one.
Have you ever been stopped for carrying a knife? What did you say to the officer? Did he ask you why you carried a knife? What was your response? Did he ask to search you? What was your response?
If none of these things have happened to you, that’s a good thing. But what if they do? What would you do?
Chris Conte is a legislative counsel for the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action. He will conduct the seminar “You, Your EDC and The Police” during the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. The seminar will be show Saturday at 4 p.m. in Room 109.
According to a spokesperson close to Mr. Conte, “Proper communication and understanding of the culture and expectations of both law enforcement and the law-abiding citizen with a knife is crucial to avoiding unnecessary conflict. During interactions with civilians, law enforcement frequently view knives as the most commonly possessed ‘weapon’ and individuals as ‘armed,’ posing a threat to their personal safety and others.
“Law-abiding citizens, believing their knife is an essential, valuable tool, need to know how to behave and respond to law enforcement to avoid legal problems and what to do to protect their liberties. Mr. Conte will present an overview of the legal and practical dynamics of how such encounters can go well or go poorly based on case law, and based on his work as a certified law enforcement instructor in encounters with civilians carrying handguns.”
All BLADE Show ticket holders are admitted free to the show’s seminars. Seating is limited, so be sure to get there early.
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There will be a story in the September BLADE®, on newsstands June 18, on what to know before you decide to carry a knife. Check it out.
And what if I can’t attend the Blade Show? Then how am I going to learn from this advise?
I have been confronted by Security (not actual police) twice – once at a Casino in Wisconsin, and the other discussed below. Since I do not regularly go to casinos, and was at this one only because I was driving for the people in the vehicle, I did not know about the rules prohibiting “weapons” of any kind (including small folders). And since I was regularly “first on scene” to accidents in our rural state, I always carried a multi-tool and a strong folder with partially serrated blade. I did not even remember that I had it on, since we had just driven over 1,200 miles on the way to a conference that we were all attending. When approached by 3 security personnel (hands on their firearms), I was rather shocked as I was just watching the people I was with. When asked if I was carrying a knife, I had to think for a second, then remembered the pouches they were in on my belt. I asked if there was a problem, told them where I was from and why I was there. Then they told me that I was carrying “weapons”, and I could not be in the casino. When I asked if I could place them in the vehicle and return, they said I could. Then all three escorted me out of the building, and watched as I went to the vehicle and then returned.
The only time I have been stopped while carrying a fixed blade was when we dropped our son off at a local airport, and stayed with him until almost time to leave. The airport was a small rural location, and they did not do the TSA screening until the plane which would be leaving was arriving from another location.
All the TSA/Airport Security officer did was ask if I was going to be flying, and when I replied that we were just helping our son with his military bags, he said thank you and continued on. We were in the airport over 2 hours.