Attorney General announces First Quarter 2011 CHL statistics; Ohio Concealed Carry numbers continue to climb
By Jim Irvine
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) has released the concealed handgun license (CHL) statistics for the first quarter of 2011. At the end of March, we had an all-time record of approximately 228,088 Ohio residents licensed to carry concealed firearms. (See chart)
The Ohio House recently passed HB45, a bill that would allow license-holders to carry concealed into Ohio restaurants that serve alcohol. The well-known fact that gun owners vote, and will work on campaigns of good candidates, helped those who have been targeted by the anti-gunners to stay strong and support your rights. As the number of license-holders grow, so does our political clout. Only the anti-gunners need a report to know that concealed carry is a popular, mainstream idea in both rural and urban areas. It's not "about the gun," as they claim, but about safety.
There were 13,204 new regular licenses issued, 20 temporary emergency licenses (TELs) and 2,924 licenses renewed in the first three months of this year. Over half of all expiring licenses were renewed and new licenses outpaces unrenewed expired ones better than 5 to 1. Only 57 licenses were revoked. Less than one-half of one percent of all CHLs have ever been revoked for any reason, including death or moving out of state.
Concealed carry works.
The first quarter of 2011 saw a 10% increase in the number of new licenses issues when compared to the first quarter the prior year. It was the second highest first quarter total in the seven years Ohio has been issuing CHL's. Only 2009 has a busier first quarter when more than 16,000 new licenses were issued. There were 1,215 more licenses issued the first three months of 2011 when compared to 2010.
During the first quarter of this year over seven people per hour, or almost 250 per work-day, received a new or renewed CHL from an Ohio sheriff. With such a popular program for their constituents, it is puzzling that the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association (BSSA) is opposed to the current reform bill, HB45/SB17.
We encourage you to inquire with your elected sheriff as to their support for this effort to update Ohio's current concealed carry laws to make them more consistent with those in other states. We welcome your feedback if you are able to learn why your sheriff is opposed to your having similar protection for your family in restaurants that his deputies patronize. It seems they have forgotten that they work for you.
License-holders, like gun owners in general, are not extremists as the anti-gun crowd claims. They are honorable citizens who want protection from real dangers. They understand that police cannot, and are not obligated to, protect them from a rape or murder any more than they can prevent someone from running a red light. Responsible people wear a seatbelt to protect themselves in a car accident. They also carry a gun to protect themselves from a criminal attack.
With over 228,000 Ohio citizens licensed to carry handguns, anytime you are in a group of four dozen adults, odds are there is at least one licensee present. If you are with an older or more affluent group, the odds are even greater. In short, there are few public locations you can travel where there will not be a license-holder nearby. Unfortunately, because of the many places license-holders are still prohibited from carrying their guns, the license does not necessarily translate into having someone ready and armed to stop an attack.
In the first year of Ohio's concealed carry law, the anti-self-defense people bragged about the "small" demand for the new CHLs. They claimed that only a few fringe gun nuts wanted to carry "hidden" guns. It is now clear that those who seek to deny others the right of self-defense are themselves the radical minority.
Their predictions of "blood in the streets" have never materialized. A record number of Ohioans are carrying guns and recently the FBI reported preliminary data indicating a 6.2% drop in the nation's violent crime in the first six months of 2010, with the Midwest dropping 7.2%. In the Northeast where guns laws remain restrictive, they only saw a 0.2% decrease. More indications that more guns do equal less crime. Today we hear the same tired cries about our continued efforts to "de-Taft" our concealed carry laws. The same rantings are as wrong today as they were eight years ago. While no large group of people is perfect, the CHL-holder has proven to be considerably more law-abiding than the population at large.
It always takes time for the feelings of society to have a real change and adopt new safety ideas. It was once normal for kids to ride in cars without seat belts or even car seats. Today such behavior is considered criminally reckless. We rode bikes with no helmets. CPR was left to "the professionals."
Thousands of lives are saved annually because our society realized how quickly a life could be lost and how a few simple changes make the difference between life and death. With the surging numbers of gun owners and concealed carry permits and licenses, the day when carrying a gun for safety will be seen as sensible as wearing as wearing seat belts seems to be a little closer at hand.
It has been over seven years since Ohio's concealed carry law took effect. It is clear that the law is working well and is popular with responsible, law-abiding adults who care about safety.
Jim Irvine is the Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman.
Further Information:
Ohio Attorney General - 2011 Q1 Concealed Carry Stats
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