A small change in concealed handgun laws has created safety concerns among Houston police officers who work the streets.

The new law removes the penalty for failing to show a police officer a concealed handgun license (CHL) when stopped by an officer who asks for identification. The law went into effect Sept. 1. Previously, if a person was carrying a hidden weapon and failed to present the CHL, they could lose the license for one year.

Houston police officers suggested that licensed handgun holders continue to show their credentials, even if not required to by the law. It will defuse any potential problems or miscommunications, they said.

“When an officer is not aware of a weapon and he spots one, he's going to take steps quickly to secure the situation,” said Gary Blankinship, president of the Houston Police Officers' Union. “They're going to pull their weapon until they get that weapon under control.”

“A traffic stop is a stressful situation, I don't care what anyone says,” said Sgt. J.A. Calley, a 12-year veteran of HPD. “You stop a car on the side of the highway, you've got other vehicles whizzing by at 70 mph.”

“There's a gun in the car and you've got another person inside that car, now you've got an even more stressful situation,” he explained. “Now, you're going to handle the situation completely differently as compared to if they said, ‘Here's my permit.'”

Another new law allows people who default on student loans to apply for a CHL; previously they were disqualified.

Calley said he understood that some law-abiding citizens simply forget to show officers their CHL when pulled over.