Concealed weapons: Why do people want to carry?

January 22, 2004
Newark Advocate

HEBRON -- A retired police officer, a Zanesville bar owner and a construction worker who spends a lot of time on the road have this in common: They each plan to get a concealed gun permit and say the number one reason they will start carrying a weapon is for personal protection.

"I do a lot of time on the road. You never know where you might end up," said Dave Greenlee, 37, of Zanesville.

Greenlee, who works in construction, said he plans to get a permit as soon as possible once he completes the mandatory 12-hour gun safety course. He said he "definitely" wants his wife to have a permit, too, and carry a gun for her personal protection.

In light of overwhelming interest as tracked by a recent online survey by The Advocate, the newspaper asked people at an area sporting goods store why they intend to start carrying a concealed weapon. Of the 1,900 respondents to the non-scientific poll, 78 percent said they intend to apply and carry a weapon.

William Dawson, 64, of Somerset, said he probably won't carry a handgun all the time, but there are places where he travels that having a handgun is reassuring.

Dawson, who retired from a career in law enforcement, said: "There are times it would be a comfort to carry -- not all the time, but there are areas it would be a comfort to know it's there."

Ohio became the 37th state to pass a right-to-carry law after Gov. Bob Taft signed the controversial bill early this month. The law is slated to go into effect April 11.

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Bryan Jordan, 23, of Zanesville said he intends to get a permit and so will his mother, father and sister.

Jordan's family runs a Zanesville bar, and protection -- especially when it comes to handling cash -- is the main reason for getting a permit, he said.

"I've been waiting for it the whole time it's been going through (the state Legislature). ... I think it's a good idea," Jordan said.

Supporters say crime will drop and law-abiding citizens will be better able to protect themselves. Opponents think concealed handguns create a risk of more gun-related accidents and shootings.

States with such laws "have lower violent crime rates on average," according to the National Rifle Association, the number-one gun-rights lobbying organization in the United States.

Handgun Control Inc., the nation's leading anti-gun group, says on its Web site:

"Many permit holders have been stripped of their permits for criminal behavior -- and even law-abiding people get angry, drunk, careless or confused, make mistakes and escalate minor arguments into deadly gunplay."

But according to the Florida Department of State, of the 798,732 permits issued in Florida between 1987 and 2002, authorities revoked less than one percent or 146 permits due to firearm crimes committed by the carrier.

The Licking County Sheriff's Office, which will process the applications, is preparing for the day the CCW law will take effect. Between now and then, sheriff's deputies are reviewing nuances in the law and ways to contend with unpredictable but inevitable situations.

"A man keels over with a heart attack at a grocery store. Medics arrive and find he's legally carrying a weapon. Who's going to be responsible for securing it? Does this mean we have to go on every medic run?" asked Licking County Sheriff's Deputy Capt. Tom Lee.

"We already have those (procedures) in place," Lee said. "The issue is going to be how we're going to be dealing with it on a more regular basis now."

Newark Fire Chief Jack Strickradt said medics would turn a weapon over to police, adding hypothetical situations such as the one posed by Lee will not affect medical service.

"We've run into this situation before it was legal (to carry), and that's the way we've handled it in the past," Stickradt said.

"The fire department is not going to delay transport to wait for the police to come," he said.

Explaining the restrictions in the law to those getting permits is something the sheriff's office is also currently reviewing, said Licking County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Col. Randy Thorp.

Ohio became the 37th state to pass a right-to-carry law after Gov. Bob Taft signed the controversial bill early this month. The law is slated to go into effect April 11.