Knives in federal buildings

H

H bar N Craftworks

Joined
Oct 15, 2013
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8
This last September I had a hearing scheduled at our local Social Security office. My lawyer advised me to make sure I wasn't carrying a knife of any type into the building, as security will arrest me. I thought they would just confiscate a knife, but apparently that isn't the case.

Has anyone else heard this?
 
Depends on the guard at the door and what mood he's in. They technically should just tell you to take the knife back to your car or at least confiscate it. In lieu of any of these events, I'd just leave it at home. A month ago, I took my son to the airport, and forgot about my leatherman squirt. The TSA agent just took it and told me to come see him after my son boarded his flight so he could give it back. He basically had the right to shove his fist so far up my ass, I'd know what a Muppet felt like, but he was cool about it.
 
My attorney said they have been arresting folks on a regular basis that were packing knives. I'm getting pretty tired of the Big Brother mentality going on these days.
 
I work in a federal building. I think an important matter needs to be stressed: Federal law prohibits knives except for folders with blades less than 2.5" or knives that are not considered weapons (cooking implements, construction tools, surgical implements. The guards let me in each day with my Leatherman Micra and Benchmite 2. However, each facility has the right to prohibit all knives if they so choose, either for heightened security or to make restrictions simpler for the dippy guards to enforce. I have never heard of an arrest being made during screening for a simple pocket knife, especially if the possession appears to be simple forgetfulness. My best friend tried to visit me at work a few weeks ago and had his blackjack and cuffs under his car seat (he's a private security officer) and he was simply turned away saying this was "contraband" and he must get rid of it and come back. Only time I have heard of an arrest is for guns or the circumstances suggest it was not an accident but a deliberate attempt to sneak something through.
 
Count the Veterans Administration facilitys in the batch with NO weapons or and you will love this no cameras. I leave my knives at home going to the VA and feel stark nekkid w/o my Kershaw but they are not about to even attempt to take my phone due to its incredible 2 mpxl camera, they can micturate up a long rope before I give that up.
 
It depends a lot on which Federal building you are trying to enter and what their local security procedures are. The occupants of each building face different threat profiles and set their screening/security appropriately. The local Social Security office might have different security procedures than the FBI Field Office, for instance.

It also matters whether you are badged and work in that building or are just visiting - visitors frequently have to go through magnetometers or scanning.

Security measures may seem inconsistent and somewhat "random" - but they are almost always a result of a risk-based approach.

TedP
 
H bar N Craftworks said:
This last September I had a hearing scheduled at our local Social Security office. My lawyer advised me to make sure I wasn't carrying a knife of any type into the building, as security will arrest me. I thought they would just confiscate a knife, but apparently that isn't the case.

Has anyone else heard this?
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Local courts here in MA are even banning cell phones. I closed the sale on my condo this week and my realtor told me to leave my cell phone in my vehicle when I entered the Superior Court/Registry of Deeds Building to execute the closing. Government building are getting stricter now as to what is being allowed in.
 
TOM1960 said:
Local courts here in MA are even banning cell phones. I closed the sale on my condo this week and my realtor told me to leave my cell phone in my vehicle when I entered the Superior Court/Registry of Deeds Building to execute the closing. Government building are getting stricter now as to what is being allowed in.
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I had federal jury duty this past summer. Upon entering the building, they had cubbies behind the desk where you could check in your cell phone. I assume that they would take knives as well as long as they were legal. This was in Boston too, which has much more strict knife laws. They also had bag checks, which was expected by me.
 
I went to pay a speeding ticket. As I started to walk in the bldg. I notice the metal detectors so I turned right around and put my Kershaw leek in my truck. When I got back to the bldg. they were all looking at me. I told them I put up my knife so they search me really good and come to find out the place that I had to go was 2 miles down the street. All of that trouble for nothing.
 
popedandy said:
The Federal Statute that glistam described covers all federal facilities except for courts. You can read it for yourself here http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title18/html/USCODE-2011-title18-partI-chap44-sec930.htm
I could be missing something, but I don't think individual agencies can set different regulations - that's the whole point of having a statute that covers all federal facilities.
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Old Post Office is owned and operated by the GSA; no knives and no scissors, period. Little bro worked at the FBI building (summer tour guide) and was best pals with the guards. Same rules, no knives of any kind. Even little dinky swiss army knives. People would routinely turn around go back outside and hide them in the planters (my brother's sleezy coworker would go out and steal any he could find)

The concept of setting rules that are tighter and more restrictive than the next level up is very common. Sometimes it has nothing to do with the law at all. Plenty of private businesses do not allow various definitions of "weapon" in based solely on their own policy, the only difference being if you don't comply you cannot be arrested, you are simply are not allowed in or are ejected if found to have it while inside; if you force your way past or refuse to leave you are legally trespassing at that point and subject to arrest.

fastcubesolver said:
I had federal jury duty this past summer. Upon entering the building, they had cubbies behind the desk where you could check in your cell phone. I assume that they would take knives as well as long as they were legal. This was in Boston too, which has much more strict knife laws. They also had bag checks, which was expected by me.
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Had it too this fall (federal court, not state). The sign said no knives, with no exception or definition mentioned. I was allowed to take my phone with me into the jury waiting room and the courtroom, however I was told to shut the device off entirely in the courtroom as even vibration mode is clearly audible in the room since it's designed to be acoustic. I was told how judges will readily halt proceedings to scream at jures that so much as glance down at their phone. Thankfully that didn't happen to anyone.
 
Charlie_K said:
What about post offices?
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MarkPinTx said:
The post office is no longer a gubmint agency.
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Still government property.

I retired in 1992 from the post office in New York City, attitudes were different then. We used knives so often, the post office had utility fixed blades and ring knives available. The fixies were like paring knives, good carbon steel, too. Everybody had a knife on them ...

Now, I wouldn't wave one around inside anyone's building, but I always have a knife on me if they don't have a metal detector. :)
 
The nearest post office to me is also a federal courthouse so you go through passive metal detectors for the P.O. side of the building but get the full treatment for any other entry points. Also my local hospitals have taken to walk-through metal detectors and wanding upon entering the ER waiting area ,I had to take my girlfriend twice this week(long story but she is ok now) and I remembered to leave my EDC pile in the car including my Para2 ,SAK and key chain (literally a tiny welded link chain) and my phone case because it has a steel clip on the back ,what a pain in the ass. After my visit the first time I can see why they take your "weapons" as the treatment might cause some to find a use for them.
 
I had to go threw a metal detector at the emergency room at the hospital when I took my son there for a fractured ankle.
 
popedandy said:
The Federal Statute that glistam described covers all federal facilities except for courts. You can read it for yourself here http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title18/html/USCODE-2011-title18-partI-chap44-sec930.htm
I could be missing something, but I don't think individual agencies can set different regulations - that's the whole point of having a statute that covers all federal facilities.
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Even though we have a separate federal building, our federal court is in same building as city/county courts and offices. The whole edifice is posted no carry of anything that shoots or is sharp, which is binding under TN law, plus they use detectors and search, so in situations like ours, doesn't much matter what the federal law is regarding that.

- OS
 
the way you people are talking they have metal detectors at all of the post offices up north. down here in Florida I have never seen one at any post office. It seams that up north is being treated as a police state. I carry my Kershaw leek in to the post office and when I go for a traffic ticket I have my leek there too.
 
I think people are talking about the big post offices, not necessarily small local stations. Even when I was working, we needed armed lobby guards in New York's General Post Office. The crazies congregate there.
 
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