2005 Attorney General Summary on Concealed Carry
By Jim Irvine
Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro has posted CHL statistics from the 4th quarter of last year on his website, and has issued the 2005 report on concealed handgun license issuance. This is the report which is required by Ohio law.
4th Quarter, 2005:
There were 4,387 regular concealed handgun licenses (CHL) issued and 22 temporary Emergency Licenses (TEL's) issued during the quarter. This compares with 7,063 and 23 licenses issued in the same quarter a year earlier. While this is a decline in from the same period last year, it is only a 2% decline from the third quarter of 2005, when there were 4,486 regular licenses issued. It appears that demand for CHL's has stabilized after the high demand during the nine months, and is in line with expectations based on demand in other states.
2005 Annual Review:
In 2005, there were 22,487 CHL's and 76 TEL's issued. There are now over 67,984 people licensed to carry a concealed firearm in Ohio, and residents from 16 other states may also carry in Ohio with out of state licenses.
If you have been to a groceries store, or a shopping mall, or gone for a walk, or been out in public lately, you have likely come in contact with several people who are licensed to carry. That is a disconcerting problem for criminals, and thus a comforting thought for law-abiding citizens.
While the gun ban crowd, including many in the media, can be counted on focus on the 68 suspensions and the 23 revocations, statistics continue to bear out that license holders are among the most law-abiding citizens in society. Less than one half of one percent of licenses have been suspended, and less that two tenths of one percent have been revoked. By comparison, 7% of drivers' licenses in the State of Ohio were suspended in 2004! Further, it is important to note that some of these revocations are due to a license holder moving out of state or dying, rather than committing crimes.
Four counties issued over 1,000 CHL's in 2005, with Montgomery issuing the most. Clermont County, who issued the most in 2004, came in second this year.
Ohio's concealed carry law has proven to be one of the most successful programs in the state. What other consumer protection program, other than the "do not call" registry, has this kind of participation? Furthermore, Ohio CHL-holders have proven to be some of the most law-abiding citizens in the state. There is absolutely no need for some of the egregious restrictions inserted in Ohio's law by opponents of concealed carry, and it is high-time to pass HB347 and begin the process of correcting problems that are preventing even more citizens from taking full advantage of the right to bear arms for self-defense in Ohio.
The Data:
Click here for the Attorney General's concealed carry page, which contains links to statistics dating back to the inception of Ohio's successful concealed carry law.
Media Coverage:
Columbus Dispatch: Conceal-carry requests drop
- Half as many Ohioans received permits to carry concealed firearms in 2005 compared with 2004, the year the state’s conceal-carry law took effect, and supporters of the law yesterday cited the downturn as evidence that the law is too restrictive.
Ohio’s 88 sheriffs issued 22,487 concealed-weapons permits in 2005, compared with 45,497 during the nine months of 2004 since the state began allowing citizens to carry guns out of view, according to a report from Attorney General Jim Petro’s office.
Petro and the chief sponsor of the conceal-carry law, Rep. James Aslanides, R-Coshocton, had predicted that as many as 100,000 people would get permits within the first year.
Aslanides said the requirements that guns be visible or locked up in cars and that the names of permit holders be public have discouraged people from applying. Aslanides has introduced legislation to eliminate both requirements.
"The most offensive provision is the printing of the names (of permit holders)," he said. "It does put those families at risk. It’s been a real deterrent to many."
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Lake County 4th in concealed-gun permits
- The Concealed Carry Law went into effect in April 2004, allowing people to carry firearms if they complete a firearms safety course and obtain a license through the sheriff in their county or an adjacent county.
Lake County Sheriff's Chief Deputy William Crosier said the high number in Lake County does not mean it is home to a lot more gunslingers. Rather, it means residents from surrounding counties find it easier to process their permits in Lake.
Deputy Michael Perry, who issues the permits, said about half went to Cuyahoga County residents whose instructors recommend Lake County's facility. Cuyahoga County did not issue permits in early 2004 because of renovations at the Justice Center in Cleveland.
"Our facility is user friendly," Perry said. "Gun owners say it is easy to come to Lake, where they don't have to pay for parking or have the hassle of going through the confusing halls of the Justice Center."
Channel Cincinnati: Attorney General: Fewer Concealed Weapon Applications In Ohio
- The number of licenses issued for concealed weapon permits dropped by half in the first full year of the law's implementation, Attorney General Jim Petro reported Thursday.
Petro's annual report on Ohio's concealed weapons' law says sheriffs issued 22,487 licenses in 2005, down from 45,497 issued after the law took effect in April 2004.
Sheriffs suspended 219 licenses in 2005 compared with 78 licenses suspended in 2004.
Petro's office and the Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association speculate that the number of licenses dropped after an expected rush to apply during the law's first year.
Some potential license holders may also be frustrated by limitations on where guns can be carried, said Robert Cornwell, executive director of the sheriffs' group.
- 5 reads
