Dont know if this has already been discussed or not,  but it was news to me...

"An estimated 1.5 million off-duty and retired police officers may now carry concealed firearms across state lines thanks to legislation signed by President George W. Bush..."  This came from the October '04 issue of American Hunter, just FYI guys...AK

Theres a thread floating around here somewhere.

Umm, the story has been tacked up for a while.

Quoted: ...  but it was news to me...

Sorry, havent been here in a while, and read about it recently

good to know that in a year or so I won't have to worry about doing all the paper work to get a CCW

I'd get a conceal carry permit anyway,for safekeeping.

Absolutely.  My brother let his state CCH expire a year or so ago.  He recently quit his sheriff's department and then joined my PD.  There was about a two month lag between making the switch and he still had to go to court to tie up some loose cases.  He renewed his CCH but there was a good month or so that he couldn't carry anything.

Quoted: I'd get a conceal carry permit anyway,for safekeeping.

One problem with the bill, they missed a major part of the law enforcement community that has more contact with criminals than police do..........Corrections!  The criminal never gets to know the cop and generally never form a "relationship" with them.  We spend 24/7 with these idiots and are threatened all the time with bodily harm once they are released.  

I never want to be a corrections officer. You guys put up with a lot of shit in there. I also agree with you that co's should have been included in 218. These guys we arrest and you guard will get out someday and more then likely they remember.

Quoted: One problem with the bill, they missed a major part of the law enforcement community that has more contact with criminals than police do..........Corrections!  The criminal never gets to know the cop and generally never form a "relationship" with them.  We spend 24/7 with these idiots and are threatened all the time with bodily harm once they are released.

Well technically your not law enforcment. You take care of them after the crime has been investigated. You don't arrest. Most CO's don't carry guns and are not trained in their use. In my state there are CO's trained to be armed as transport officers but thats about it. I would have not problem with CO's being included in HR218 so long as they proved they had adiquate training and passed the same qualification as leo's in their area.
Pat

Quoted: Well technically your not law enforcment. You take care of them after the crime has been investigated. You don't arrest.

So...  Which part of law enforcement don't you understand?  Just because they don't usually make the arrests doesn't mean they're not enforcing the law.  What good would it do to arrest people if we didn't have any means of carrying out the rest of the law?  Y'know, the punishment?

At any rate, corrections ARE included in this law.  As long as they're granted the authority to carry firearms by their agency AND have statutory powers of arrest...

`(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.

Don't have "powers of arrest" unless I'm on the job.  We are trained in the use but dont carry in the institution.  Thirteen years on the job and with plenty of death threats, you never know who you may run into who you pissed off because you were doing your job.  No respect!

Quoted: I'd get a conceal carry permit anyway,for safekeeping.

It’s good insurance especially if you’re retired since to be covered under H.R. 218 (actually now Public Law No: 108-277) you need to have qualified within a year.  I suspect that deadline may sneak up on you at times.

Also, your CCW may cover a larger variety of firearms than PL 108-277.

Quoted: ... Most CO's don't carry guns and are not trained in their use. …

I think that varies greatly depending upon localities.  

IIRC, in the Federal Bureau of Prisons even the doctors and nurses qualify with AR-15’s.

Frankly, given the constant and often hostile contact CO’s have with specific prisoners over an extended period of time, they IMHO absolutely should have been included in the bill regardless of whether or not they have powers of arrest (assuming adequate firearms and use of force training, of course).