NYPD in a Viramontes v. Cook County amicus brief said assault weapons must remain banned in New York City, as open carry in crowded spaces would force officers to guess with little information who poses harm, unlike current concealed-handgun rules that supply probable cause for visible guns. Other groups welcomed citizen help with those firearms, yet the department said this would make work harder and more dangerous in a dense pedestrian city. It said the Second Amendment should not stop New York City and New York State from choosing another way to protect officers and the public.