@jscott
Yes, I do think it would be a good idea.
When I first moved to NV I went into the local sheriff's office (with handgun left in car) and asked if I could speak to an officer about firearms (notice my use of words). The deputy was quite pleased to talk to me about the laws and expectations from their point of view. It was then that I was told that I could lay the weapon on the front seat, on the dash, or keep it in my holster while driving. And when I asked about what if I was stopped for some traffic infraction, he suggested that if I told the officer I was armed before stepping out of the vehicle (if it came to that) that that would be best. At the end of the conversation he thanked me profusely for taking the time to understand the laws (and customs) of the area.
The same was true here in Crook County when speaking to a deputy at the gas station. Again, I think any rural law enforcement agency welcomes honest, law abiding, and well behaved citizens whether they carry or not. They are not our enemy and we are not theirs. Too much of their day might involve people who are not quite so upstanding as the people on this forum so they welcome speaking to an educated citizen.
Then again, this doesn't ALWAYS apply and there are indeed rogue cops. But my experience in WY (and NV) has been nothing but positive. I would think that a face to face discussion with your local LEOs might be a good thing if you want to know where they stand.
BTW, once, while visiting my cousin in Denver, I decided to to the same thing. I went into the local PD (might have been an adjoining city and not Denver proper) and asked the same questions. The cop looked at me with astonishment. His eyes got big. He reiterated my question by asking, "So you want to carry a LOADED HANDGUN IN YOUR CAR?" I replied, yes, I know that there is NO LAW against it, but wanted to make sure it wouldn't be a problem if I was stopped for any reason. First he IMPLIED that it would be illegal. But when I pressed him for the specific law, he changed his story. Then he started citing "officer safety". Lastly, in exasperation he said, "Let me put it this way. If we find that you have a gun, WE WILL TAKE YOU DOWN AT GUNPOINT, GET YOU ON THE GROUND, REMOVE YOUR WEAPON, DETAIN YOU, AND RUN YOUR INFO AND THE GUN'S INFO. If everything checks out we will let you go, but might retain your gun for a few days for more testing."
Those are his ACTUAL words as best as I can remember them (about 8 years ago).
A world of difference between Denver and Crook County.
Mac
