Chicago PD comes a knocking

oatmeal · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:52 pm

I live in the Chicago area, I'm married to an oft-poster, Jeriah. I had an odd experience the other day involving firearms issues in Chicago that I thought I'd share. Within Chicago city limits, there are a lot of restrictions on what you can own, and what you can own must be registered. I was thinking of bring in a couple of bolt action rifles and a shotgun, which are legal, and registering them, that is until I talked to a DePaul student a couple nights ago. He got his FOID (required for gun ownership in the city), bought a pump action shotgun that was kosher with Chicago rules, and registered it with the Chicago police. Two weeks after he registered the shotgun, two Chicago PD officers showed up on his doorstep, asking him why he owned a shotgun. They, from what I understand, were not there because there was a problem with the registration, but simply because they wanted to know why he had bought one. Additionally, they told him he was on a list of gun owning college students in the city, "for security reasons." This all seems a little insane and weird to me, and is scaring me away from bring guns in and registering them, because I don't want or need that kind of harassment. So, any thoughts? Anyone had this issue in Chicago, or anywhere else? I'm not sure what to do at the point, and I'm not too happy with the situation.

Georgian · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:57 pm

It ain't any of there damn business why a law-abiding citizen owns a firearm....let 'em take it away from somebody that is kosher, and see what kinda law suit they'll be up against....

Nightside_Eclipse · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:19 pm

They want you to be scared away from owning firearms.

So I say buy some more! And tell them it's none of their business.

Doctor Jest · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:26 pm

Oatmeal,

Welcome to the forums!

Oleg Volk says it well here:

http://www.olegvolk.net/gallery/technol ... 0.jpg.html

http://www.olegvolk.net/gallery/technol ... 4.jpg.html

http://www.olegvolk.net/gallery/technol ... 6.jpg.html

congochris · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:40 pm

That first pic almost made my wife spew pepsi on the wireless guitar for guitar hero. :lol:

I'm with nightside. How many can you "legally" own? There ya go, now you have a figure to shoot for!

And when they ask why you need them, ask them how long it took them to drive to your place. And ask if you could hang onto the shotgun in their trunk and just swing by your place if they need it. kay, maybe not that last part. They probably wouldn't see the humor, or the point.

Good thing they have all those illegal firearms in the hands of criminals taken care of. :roll:

minengr · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:52 pm

If I were to type what I really think, I’d probably get in trouble for violating the forum political rules. The short PC answer is this. The powers that be in cook county do not like its residents to have firearms. What is sad, is they seem more concerned with harassing law abiding owners instead of going after criminals.

They will make it very difficult for you to own one legally, and I’m not at all surprised by the harassment. Make sure you do everything by the book, and then double check. The powers that be, rarely need even an excuse to make your life miserable. Chicago/Cook county is probably one of the three worst places in the country when it comes to gun laws.

Abacus · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:30 pm

It's lovely in Colorado, and no one ever knocks on your door asking why you did "X".

Heck, it almost might be worth it to have the visit just to tell them to sod off.

zombie_mike · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:51 pm

Yet another reason to move out of Illinois.

PistolPete · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:24 am

Illinois, and Chicago specifically, are well known for their anti gun stance. That's why there's no crime in the state, 'specially Chi-town.

Moving sucks, but your choices are:
a- Live with the restriction and the potential for hassle by the "law"
b- Relocate

I'd recommend against breaking any firearms laws, because many municipalities take those very seriously. It's a shame that this sort of police state exists in the US, but it does. I don't know what I'd do if I were in your position. I do know this, my wife and I both work in downtown STL, and there are Illinois communities that are very nice that we could live in. It's not even an option to me because of their (in my mind) ridiculous amount of "gun control". Every person has to make their own decisions based on what is important to them.

I'm going to stop typing before I have to moderate myself......

Welcome to the forums!

Dak Kovar · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:57 am

NV>IL

Dietrich · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:15 am

sounds to me like they were focusing on the "student" aspect. You know, if a student has a gun, they must invariably intend to take it to school and start shooting people.

So they must have thought they would trap him.

"Drat! My evil plan was foiled by your asking if I was going to do it! Denying involvement in nefarious doings is beyond the ken of us college students."

Or maybe see something and rely on the "plain view" doctrine.

Molon Labe · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:52 am

I'm glad to be out of Chicago.

Lurch · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:52 am

Well officer there's two reasons.

1. It's my constitutional right.

2. Because when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

Have a nice day.

Of course I'm not there facing the cops. It's easy to say this from here, in constitution friendly Oklahoma.

dogbane · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:02 am

Jake: You've been to Chicago?
Mal: Yeah.
Jake: Was it wonderful?
Mal: No.

-Silverado

Jeriah · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:28 am

It's a shit situation. I see two solutions:

1. Keep ALL the guns in the storage unit outside Cook County, not just the semiautomatics.

2. Keep a couple shotguns and bolt actions at home, and be prepared for a visit from Chicago PD. I'm thinking, have Steph record my conversation with them with our digital video camera, and upload it to UTube. The thing is, I'm sure they'd ask me to stop, and if I didn't, it wouldn't go well.

LittleTeapot · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:42 am

oatmeal wrote:

...Two weeks after he registered the shotgun, two Chicago PD officers showed up on his doorstep, asking him why he owned a shotgun.

WOW. WOW. And WOW.

This is not in any way a "my state is better than your state" thang, but I just can not imagine what that must have been like!!

I've lived in only 2 states (Texas and Colorado) both of which are just about as gun-friendly as you can get.

If that happened to me, I would definitely not break any laws and comply;
but I would politely give them the ABSOLUTE BARE MINIMUM amount of information I was legally obligated to.

.....then I would run around my house naked wearing a viking helmet and holding all of my firearms.

doc66 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:45 am

Welllll.... just what kind of rights are signed away when you register a firearm in that city? Does it give CPD the "right" to inspect the home and ask these questions?

Once I have that information I can more accuratly post on the subject and say things like, "When I was LEO I used the goodwill of people against them frequently. I'd ask a lot of questions and they'd answer because they were trying to be 'helpful'. People just don't tell officers to fuck off enough."

You ask them if they have a complaint, a warrant or a reason to be there other than those questions and if the answer is no, then thank them and close the door.

You don't have to talk to the police. Miranda and all. If you are not being held as a suspect of a crime, you do not have to talk to the police. Even then, you do not have to talk to the police.

Get your shotgun and rifles and do what you have to do, being aware that you are living in a anti-gun state and city. Excercise your right to own the firearm.

Doc

hiropro · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:51 am

police State. nuff said.

by-the-throat · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:57 am

One of my close friends just got a job in Chicago.

Apparently, handguns are technically not banned, but they have to be registered, and no new registrations are being accepted by the city government.

If possible, you can move over to gun friendly Indiana and commute, like he does. There are a couple of nice towns (and Gary) that have a reasonable commute to Chicago. We even have cheap & easy CCW.

dirtyjames · **Joined:** Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:02 am **Posts:** 49

You should have told them to drive 20 minutes north to Evanston, where I live, so that they could work on solving all of the muggings and burglaries that happen here every week.

Assholes.

Brash · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:37 am

Jeriah wrote:

I'm thinking, have Steph record my conversation with them with our digital video camera, and upload it to UTube. The thing is, I'm sure they'd ask me to stop, and if I didn't, it wouldn't go well.

They knocked on your door. If they don't want to be filmed they can always leave. Just use the line,

"She's filming me, not you."

Unless it's illegal to use video recording equipment in your own home they can't do much more than puff up and fuck off. :lol:

crypto · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:45 am

Actually, Brash, Americans have been prosecuted for taping police officers before. Kinda scary but it's true.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbc ... /106290121

UberMunchin · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:47 am

Brash wrote:

Jeriah wrote:

I'm thinking, have Steph record my conversation with them with our digital video camera, and upload it to UTube. The thing is, I'm sure they'd ask me to stop, and if I didn't, it wouldn't go well.

They knocked on your door. If they don't want to be filmed they can always leave. Just use the line,

"She's filming me, not you."

Unless it's illegal to use video recording equipment in your own home they can't do much more than puff up and fuck off. :lol:

Just because it isn't illegal, doesn't mean they won't attempt arrest and prosecution. "Officer Safety" etc. etc.

I won't comment further due to forum rules, but that IS the reality in the States these days......

REB 27 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:50 am

oatmeal wrote:

I live in the Chicago area, I'm married to an oft-poster, Jeriah. I had an odd experience the other day involving firearms issues in Chicago that I thought I'd share. Within Chicago city limits, there are a lot of restrictions on what you can own, and what you can own must be registered. I was thinking of bring in a couple of bolt action rifles and a shotgun, which are legal, and registering them, that is until I talked to a DePaul student a couple nights ago. He got his FOID (required for gun ownership in the city), bought a pump action shotgun that was kosher with Chicago rules, and registered it with the Chicago police. Two weeks after he registered the shotgun, two Chicago PD officers showed up on his doorstep, asking him why he owned a shotgun. They, from what I understand, were not there because there was a problem with the registration, but simply because they wanted to know why he had bought one. Additionally, they told him he was on a list of gun owning college students in the city, "for security reasons." This all seems a little insane and weird to me, and is scaring me away from bring guns in and registering them, because I don't want or need that kind of harassment. So, any thoughts? Anyone had this issue in Chicago, or anywhere else? I'm not sure what to do at the point, and I'm not too happy with the situation.

What I wanted to know is, did the police confiscate the college student's shotgun? And if they did, is that not a constitutional rights violation?

Chicago PD comes a knocking

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