Letter Re: Moving to Michigan

I enjoyed MM’s article about moving to Michigan to become a corrections officer. I appreciate his sunny outlook on his job. Most of the COs I knew in over two decades in law enforcement described their jobs as “doing life eight hours at a time” and the danger, poor air quality, and lack of respect they felt in the prison. Happily, MM seems to have better working conditions than my friends and relatives in the field. Anyway, I just wanted to add that in regards to MM’s comments on concealed carry, he, like corrections officers in most locations, probably qualifies for the LEOSA exemption to concealed carry laws. This allows law enforcement officers to carry firearms in every state regardless of carry laws as long as certain conditions are met. Additionally, people like me who are retired from LE can carry as well, as long as we qualify every year. In my state, the qualification course is easy; if you can’t pass it, you have no business carrying a firearm anyway. While I long for the days of nationwide permit reciprocity, if not outright permit-less carry, everyone who can take advantage of this law should do so. Note that there are some restrictions (i.e., federal and state laws against carrying in government buildings, magazine capacity restrictions not exempted, et cetera), so make sure to look into it before running off to NY or some other restrictive state with your 15-round mag. The national Fraternal Order of Police website on HR218 (the law’s original name in the House) is a good place to start. Don’t believe what many cops or others will tell you; they’re mostly wrong on the law and it’s interpretation! – Spotlight