NOW they tell us: Media finally willing to quote law enforcement supportive of permitless carry in Ohio

Remember all the angst we heard about in the media regarding supposed law enforcement opposition to Senate Bill 215 (Permitless Carry)?

"The Ohio FOP opposes it!" they screamed. "The Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police don't want it!" they shouted.

Leaving aside (at least for now) the irony of the same media that have spent the past several years ginning up every instance of (or supposed instance of) law enforcement brutality or abuse having automatically taken everything these same law enforcement groups said about SB 215 as gospel truth, I have still found it interesting, now that the law has passed, to see what actual rank and file law enforcement officers saying about this new law.

From the Akron Beacon Journal:

"The vast majority of the people that we arrested were folks who were prohibited from possessing in the first place. That element will always be out there," said Akron Police Lt. Michael Miller.

Miller said the department is still trying to sort out how the change will affect policing on a day-by-day basis.

"The things that we care about in terms of enhancing public safety remains the same. This law, of course, presents challenges, but we're going to look forward to our opportunities to continue educating with the public," Miller said.

He said the present situation is somewhat similar to the change police had to deal with when concealed carry was first allowed in 2004.

"When this CCW thing first came into existence there was this fear, much of it was this fear was premature," he said. "It didn't really create an adverse, negative thing in terms of safety for officers, and I suspect it will be the same way with this."

Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree also admitted to the Beacon-Journal that “the vast majority of gun owners are responsible, law-abiding citizens. This new law will not have any significant impact on the relationship between responsible gun owners and law enforcement."

In Lake County, Sheriff Frank Leonbruno posted the following about SB 215 on his office's Facebook page:

"Interacting with citizens who are exercising their constitutional rights is nothing new for Lake County Deputies, and I do not anticipate any major issues at this point.”

On the northwestern side of the state, Fulton County Sheriff Roy Miller struck a similar tone:

“I’m honestly for people protecting themselves, because I can’t always be there. We’ve only got so many cops. I get that and I’m for that,” Miller said.

“It’s all right with me, but they just have to inform themselves of the law and become educated.”

...

“I don’t think it will be an issue up here.

“I’m a gun owner myself, and I think they (gun owners) know how to handle themselves.”

These are but a few of the types of comments I have seen from law enforcement in the media now that the debate about permitless carry in Ohio is over.

This same thing happened back in 2004 when we got Ohio's first concealed carry law passed.

Law enforcement bureaucrats were given an over-emphasis by media who wanted to stop the bill from becoming law, but their warnings and fears never materialized, and many in law enforcement later admitted that they had been wrong.

And here we are again, with law enforcement speaking out now, assuaging politically-motived fears and media hype, and admitting the truth - this law will work here, just like it is already working in so many other states.

Chad D. Baus served as Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary from 2013-2019, and continues to serve on the Board of Directors. He is co-founder of BFA-PAC, and served as its Vice Chairman for 15 years. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website, and is also an NRA-certified firearms instructor.