Concealed-carry requests escalate in Colorado; Defense against church shootings cited as cause

By Chad D. Baus

As a regular church attendee, the issue of church security and the more than 500% increase in church shootings over the past 8 years is near and dear to my heart. In recent weeks, I have written several articles on the subject of the need for security preparations in places of worship.

In "Ohio's ban on defending lives in places of worship: How did it get this bad?" I noted that, thanks to Ohio law, CHL-holders are banned from attending worship services (or even entering the building) while armed, unless they have received special permission from church/synagogue/mosque officials.

In "New Life Church Pastor Brady Boyd speaks out on church security preparedness", I recounted a discussion by New Life Church Pastor Brady Boyd over how churches need to recognize that they are targets of violence in this day and age, and about how (thankfully) his church had prepared in advance for such a day.

Last week we announced that a "Security for Faith-Based Organizations Seminar" is being offered at greater Cincinnati's Creation Museum.

Clearly, concerns over security at places of worship have been increasing in the wake of massacre after massacre in "no-guns" (victim disarmament) zones across the country, and even more evidence has come to light this week to support this fact.

According to The Denver Post, applications for concealed-weapon permits have skyrocketed in Colorado, with state's sheriffs pointing to heavily publicized mass shootings as motivation.

From the story:

In 2007, 9,880 people statewide sought permits, compared with 6,649 people in 2006 and 6,670 people in 2005, according to the County Sheriffs of Colorado. And the surge has continued into 2008 in several counties.

Law-enforcement experts have different ideas on why more people want to carry concealed weapons. Some believe it is due to a rash of violent outbreaks at Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University and a mall in Utah.

Some sheriff's offices believe churches concerned about protecting their flocks are seeking concealed-carry permits. ...Those seeking permits are not required to explain why they want to carry a weapon. Whatever the reason, the trend is real.

"People want to defend themselves," said Doug Davis, president of the Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition. "That's why they get permits."

According to the story, after a churchgoer with a concealed handgun license shot a young man intent on mass murder at New Life Church in Colorado Springs on Dec. 9, applications for permits soared in El Paso County. The number rose by 123 in December, 171 in January, and 294 in February, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. That represents increases of 31 percent in December, 155 percent in January and 262 percent in February.

El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said: "We saw a real surge after the New Life incident. People were commenting that they were concerned about the homicide rate in the city. They were asking, 'Is it really getting that bad? Should we be worried?' "

Maketa said that perception locally, combined with acts of violence on college campuses and at the Utah mall, spurred people to seek permits.

Adams County is on pace to double the number of applications processed this year over last year, said Candi Baker, spokeswoman for the sheriff.

"Some of those applicants have directly attributed their desire for a concealed-weapons permit to the shooting in the church, and they want to be able to provide security for their churches," Baker said.

Jefferson County's applications fell by four in December and rose from 104 in January 2007 to 154 in January 2008. In February 2007, the county had 87, and last month 243 — a 179 percent increase for the month, said Jacki Kelley, spokeswoman for the sheriff.

Chet Zajak, a security expert and former Aspen police officer who operates CZ Inc. from the Roaring Fork Valley, told the Post providing security and use-of-force training for churches is a growth industry.

Church leaders are becoming aware that their buildings are "soft targets," he said. "Our research shows that between 1974 and 1999, we had about one church shooting a year, if that. Now, between 1999 and 2007, that's gone up over 500 percent."

In many churches, volunteers with law enforcement or military backgrounds often are called on to provide security. Zajak teaches those people and others how to develop comprehensive security programs.

"What it looks like right now is a whole bunch of good-intentioned volunteers who individually do just fine, but we teach people to pray with their eyes open so that everybody is paying attention to what is going on," Zajak said. "Hardening of schools, high schools and churches is finally an emerging area. People cannot ignore it anymore."

The story closes with a story about a recent incident where a "mentally challenged" man brought a sword into Holy Apostles Catholic Church in Colorado Springs, and notes that the Colorado Springs Police Department recently held a forum on church security.

Applications for Ohio concealed handgun licenses are also on the increase. Nearly 22,000 law-abiding citizens obtained their CHL in 2007, a full 20% increase from the same period in 2006.

If you believe that persons who attend worship services in the state of Ohio should be allowed their right to choose to bear arms for self-defense while exercising their right to the free exercise of religion, PLEASE ACT NOW:

Chad Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman and Northwest Ohio Chair.