Seneca Co., OH: Vermont/Alaska for 5 months and counting - ''NO PROBLEMS''

Sheriff, police chief see little impact from ruling on concealed-carry ban

Local law-enforcement officials say a February ruling in Seneca County Common Pleas Court which found Ohio's law against carrying a concealed weapon to be unconstitutional has had little impact on day-to-day operations.

Judge Michael P. Kelbley threw out a concealed-weapons charge against a Fostoria woman caught with a gun under her seat during a traffic stop, saying Ohio law prevents citizens from protecting themselves.

"It has not made a difference," said Seneca County Sheriff Tom Steyer.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

Records from his office show that deputies have responded to three calls originally reported as having a weapon involved since the ruling was issued, and none between the first of the year and the ruling.

Steyer said his office doesn't usually handle many weapons-related calls, with or without Kelbley's ruling.

The ruling hasn't caused any procedural changes either.

"We have not changed policies" on how to handle weapons calls, Steyer said.

The head of the Tiffin Police Department says the ruling hasn't had much of an effect on his department, either.

"It seemed like very few calls," said Chief Dave LaGrange.

Tiffin Police records indicate that officers have responded to five calls reported to involve weapons since the ruling, compared to one between Dec. 1 and when the ruling was issued.

LaGrange also said he feels that Kelbley's ruling didn't have anything to do with the calls.

Tiffin Police also have not changed policies.

OFCC PAC Commentary:
No licenses. No training. No background checks. No databases. No Taft Car-Jacker Protection provision.

No mayhem. No blood in the streets. No shoot-outs at fender-benders.

It seems the good people of Seneca County are as capable as residents in Vermont and Alaska (not to mention our neighbors in Indiana and Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia) at exercising their unfettered self-defense rights without so much as a glitch in daily business for Seneca County law enforcement. Residents in Hamilton County were proven to be so when concealed carry ban was lifted in that city by the courts.

So why is Bob Taft fighting to squeeze every last breath out of HB12? Why is he insisting on a provision that would paint targets on vehicles with children on board? And why hasn't Sen. Pres. White assigned conference committee members, who could remove the Taft Car-Jacker Protection provision?

Click here to read the entire story in the Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune.