More Ohio newspapers analyze 2004 OhioCCW data

Two more of Ohio’s newspapers have published stories on the recent release of CHL data from 2004. Both newspapers focused significant attention on Clermont County, where more licenses were issued than anywhere else in the state.

From the Columbus Dispatch:

While Ohio became the 45th state to allow residents to carry hidden guns, the Buckeye State is "ahead of the game in terms of licenses issued," according to Chad D. Baus, spokesman for Ohioans For Concealed Carry.

Minnesota issued 9,100 licenses in one year after passing a similar law in 2003. New Mexico issued 2,201 licenses in its first year last year.

Baus criticized sheriffs in Ohio’s most-populous counties for requiring applicants to make appointments. Sheriffs in 36 of 88 counties require appointments, he said.

"People are forced to go next door," he said, referring to outlying counties with fewer restrictions.

County sheriffs are inconsistent about office hours for taking applications, he said. For example, applications are accepted only two hours a week in Fulton County, where Baus lives.

"It’s bad customer service," he said. "Sheriffs sometime forget they are elected."

The Dispatch noted that Madison County led the state in licenses issued as a percentage of its population, while Clermont County, near Cincinnati, issued the most permits. The Dispatch also noted that Hamilton, Mahoning and Cuyahoga counties rejected the most concealed-carry applications.

Clermont County Sheriff A.J. Rodenburg, Jr. told the newspaper about 60 percent of the applicants came from other counties. Rodenberg expanded on the reasons for his success in issuing licenses in the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Concealed-carry advocates lobbied hard for that [adjoining county] provision, fearing some counties would place further restrictions on obtaining permits.

"Word got out quick that if you come out here, you get quick, efficient service and don't have to schedule appointments," said Clermont County Sheriff A.J. "Tim" Rodenberg. "People will (look at the numbers) and think we're a bunch of cowboys and Indians out here, who knows... But these are law-abiding citizens."

Rodenberg and others stressed that they didn't cut corners and made all required background checks.

But unlike Hamilton, Franklin and Cuyahoga counties, Clermont County accepts walk-in applicants.

"It's free enterprise," said Chad Baus, spokesman for Ohioans for Concealed Carry.

"People are going where they can get good customer service... But that means some of these smaller counties are bearing the brunt of the workload."

Steve Barnett, spokesman for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, told the Enquirer that scheduling appointments is the only way a large county can deal with the rush of applicants.

But just to the north of Hamilton County, Montgomery County Sheriff David Vore doesn’t seem to be having the administrative difficulties Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis Jr. is. Citizens of the City of Dayton (and the rest of Montgomery County) enjoy a policy of accepting applications 5 days per week with NO restrictive appointments, and Montgomery County issued nearly twice as many licenses as Hamilton County, despite being a bit smaller in terms of population.

"I can see something positive out of Clermont being ranked at the top for [CHLs] issued," Rodenberg told the Enquirer. "Maybe the bad guy sees that lots of citizens out there in Clermont County have the permits, so he'll go to another county to commit his crime ... It levels the playing field for the good guys against the bad guys."

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