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[BehindBlueI's]

For various reasons, sometimes folks want or need to ask a question without everyone knowing they asked it. Maybe your employer has a social media policy you'd run afoul of, maybe you are concerned with perspective employers sniffing around, I get it. As such, if you want to ask something LE related and wish to remain anonymous, PM me. I'll post your question with the header "a concerned (citizen/LEO/entity/whatever you want) asks: (insert question here) then delete your PM. I know LL is concerned with privacy and the dampening effect it can have on information flow as well and have long had the go ahead to delete any personally identifiers as needed.

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[BehindBlueI's]

Does the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in DC allow credentialed LEs to carry? Do they provide a place to lock up the pistol if not? Any members here current DC cops that could guide me?

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[TGS]

You can answer here or PM me and I will route it to the asking member.

I'm unaware of the Smithsonian prohibiting LEOs from carrying at any of their facilities open to the general public. I haven't been to the Smithsonian zoo in particular but have been to a few of their other facilities, and they're very supportive of LEOs carrying off-duty/out-of-state under LEOSA. At the various Smithsonian facilities you can either wait in line with your family and show your creds to the guys working the magnetometers at which point they'll direct you to the security desk to sign in, or you can enter through the exit lane and proceed directly to the security desk (overlooking the exit lanes) and sign in; either is fine, they've actually preferred the latter in my experience.

Note that DC Metro PD has nothing to do with Smithsonian security, which as a federal entity is controlled by the Smithsonian Office of Protective Services. You can always call them and confirm policies and procedures.

One place to note as an absolute no-go is the Holocaust Museum. The Special Police they employ to run security will raise hell if they so much as find a toenail clipper on you.

Note there is a 10 round magazine capacity limit that applies to anyone carrying under LEOSA. However, there's a separate and strange total ammunition-on-person limitation in DC code is only written to apply to those carrying under a DC concealed carry permit, but it's commonly misunderstood by everyone to mean anyone carrying to include out-of-state cops on LEOSA. I don't think you'd have a problem if you're an actual LEO and not a kinda-sorta-but-not-really-cop like the Lake Arthur scandal, but caveat emptor.

A person issued a concealed carry license by the Chief, while carrying the pistol, shall not carry more ammunition than is required to fully load the pistol twice, and in no event shall that amount be greater than twenty (20) rounds of ammunition.

[octagon]

I don't know if it is recent or not but my wife had a fellowship at the Holocaust museum and I went there armed under LEOSA. They had lockers to secure my weapon before entering the main museum. If I was going there other times to spend more time there I would not carry to avoid the interaction but it was not a problem the time or two that I did.

Another DC related issue is that if you plan to visit the floor of the Library of Congress (not the tour for the public) you will have to be unarmed. The first visit I had to walk through the undergound tunnels escorted by police to their mini station to secure my weapon. It was quite a walk so I didn't repeat that either but they were friendly and helpful.

YMMV as this was several years ago and things can and do change.

[Le Français]

Last time I was there in 2017, the zoo didn’t have security checkpoints at the entrances. Just walk in.