DISCLAIMER: This is not intended as a police-bashing thread. Please stick to civil discussion. It's more a commentary on the wisdom of the BPD leadership and actually having/displaying this sticker.

Below is a real BPD Intel Bulletin warning officers to be aware that the person(s) displaying this sticker on their vehicle might be armed.

This bulletin brings up several questions in my mind:
  • Why would BPD feel 2A supporters are dangerous?
    • Seems to me if you were looking to start trouble with the police, would you advertise it?
  • Is this a form of profiling? If so, why is it justified when dealing with 2A supporters?
    • If a minority group decided to come up with a sticker to display on their cars to show support for the group and to identify their group members to others, and the police distributed an Intel Bulletin regarding the stickers and the group, is that different than this?
  • How is it government entities have strayed so far from what their function is supposed to be?
    • Do actions like this by BPD tend to reinforce the "Us vs Them" mentality? I say, "Yes". I also say that's not what they should be doing.
  • Would you display this sticker on your vehicle?
    • I wouldn't...for reasons listed below.
  • Does this sticker make your vehicle a target for thieves?
    • I doubt it.
  • BPD says this sticker is not justification in itself for a stop. Do you believe that some officers, upon seeing this sticker, will go out of their way to find "justification" to stop vehicles upon which this sticker is displayed?
    • I certainly think some will...probably a small minority. But some will.
As a veteran of almost 15 years "on the job", personally it wouldn't bother me in the slightest to see this sticker displayed. I also wouldn't feel any more threatened than I would on any other traffic stop. I'd be very disappointed if a department I worked for issued a similar bulletin and I'd probably have some strong words with whomever originated the bulletin. Probably why I'm no longer a cop.

It's my opinion that this is no worse than one of those "I support my local (LE) Department" stickers with the little star on it, or the "FOP" supporter stickers, or a military sticker, etc...

Having said that, I wouldn't put one on my truck. Mostly because I don't stick anything to my truck. But I also tend not to do anything to attract unwanted attention to me by anyone...LE or not. I doubt too many criminals will know what the sticker means so I don't think I'd worry about attracting thieves. Plus, I don't leave guns in my truck, as a matter of habit.

I do think the leadership of the BPD is misguided in allowing this bulletin to be distributed, especially with the wording it contains.

Thoughts?