Applications steady for concealed-carry

May 8, 2004
Dayton Daily News

The April 8 start of the new concealed-carry law was expected to generate a rush of gun permit applicants, but officials in Montgomery, Miami, Greene and Warren counties say the process is steady and manageable.

"The first day, the computer was overwhelmed, but that was fixed and since then we haven't had any problems," Montgomery County Sgt. Larry Schroeder said.

"We're averaging about 25 a day and there's no line," he said. "It's very swift processing."

Schroeder said the bulk of the initial permit applications came from retired deputies, Dayton police officers, members of the military and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

As of April 30, Montgomery County had received 762 applications and issued 90 permits and Miami County had received 215 applications and issued six permits. Montgomery County began processing applications with the startup of the new law in early April, while Miami County began much later.

Greene County had received 250 applications as of April 27 and issued 54 permits, while Warren County by Wednesday had issued more than 100 permits and taken more than 150 applications.

There were no permit requests rejected in any of the four counties.

Warren County Sheriff Tom Ariss recently told the county commission that the application process is "working out very well. We haven't had any complaints."

Warren County Commissioner Mike Kilburn said the new law was "a long time coming. I think the bad guys will think twice since they now know who's gonna shoot back at them," he said.

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The application process takes about 20 minutes, officials said. Application guidelines and permit requirements are found on county sheriff Web sites and on the state attorney general's Web site.

Sheriffs in Miami and Warren counties are taking applications by appointment only, while Montgomery and Greene counties are accepting walk-ins. Warren County is limited to two days per week — Tuesdays and Wednesdays — while the remaining offices take applications during weekday business hours.

Lt. Jerry Mays of the Warren County Sheriff's Office said appointments are backed up into mid June and Kelly Moore of the Miami County Sheriff's Office said her office on Friday had 50 appointments scheduled for this month.

The turnaround time for the application process, which includes a background check and issuance of the permit, ranges from seven to 25 days, depending on which sheriff's office is involved.

Lt. Melissa Litteral of the Greene County Sheriff's Office said one of the biggest problems for delays are sloppy signatures by instructors issuing certificates of training. The signatures are cross referenced with the state and, if poorly scribed, likely will cause a delay, she said.

Officials in Clark and Champaign counties said that as of May 3, they have issued 170 permits and accepted applications for about a month out. In Clark County, 260 people have applied for a permit, while Champaign County had about 85 people apply.

By April's end, Vicki Barker of the Practical Firearm Solution in Xenia said 150 have been certified through the business. She said response to the concealed-carry classes has been so good that advanced firearms classes will begin in late June.

Barker said that about five women had completed the required firearms training, with two women in their 70s.

Concealed-carry classes at the Great Oaks Police Academy in Sharonville have filled to capacity since the academy began offering classes in March. By the end of last month, the academy had completed four classes and passed out 120 certificates.

Firearms instructor and 30-year FBI veteran Dennis Lengle said he's received positive feedback.

"But I'm always looking for ways to improve," he said.