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CCW permits up nearly 400% since July ; No violence
Josey1
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CCW permits up nearly 400% since July Friday, January 4, 2002By Ken Palmer JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
QUICK FACTS CCW permits by county Issued since July 1 Pending applications Genesee County 1,720 421 Shiawassee County 313 80 Lapeer County 472 110Livingston County 694 416 Oakland County 3,278 1,530 Source: County clerk, prosecutor and sheriff's departments Nearly 6,500 people in Genesee and four surrounding counties received gun permits during the first six months under the state's new concealed weapons law, with another 2,560 applications pending. Genesee County issued 1,720 permits between July 1, when the law took effect, and Dec. 31. That's an increase of nearly 400 percent from the same period the year before.Officials in Lapeer, Shiawassee, Livingston and Oakland counties saw similar increases.But despite gloomy predictions by some critics, police agencies report no increase in violence attributable to the flood of new gun permits. And the permit process is moving smoothly after a balky start, officials report. "I really thought we would have a road rage incident of some kind. But there's been nothing we're aware of, at least in Genesee County," said Robert H. Coffman, records supervisor in the county clerk's office.The gun board changed procedures several times during the first few weeks but has since refined the process, Coffman said. The board, for example, no longer interviews everyone who applies."There was a learning curve," Coffman said. "Now we've got it down to a pretty good art form. We've really cleaned that process up."The number of applications has slowed in recent weeks but still averages about 10 per day, he said. Many applicants had to wait to get into a handgun safety course required for a permit, he said.The gun board recently revoked two permits, one because someone brandished a weapon and one because the holder was convicted of a crime in another county. But both permits had been issued under the old law. Tom Sparrow, an assistant Lapeer County prosecutor, said the county has averaged about 100 applications a month since July 1."We've asked people about it, and they think the process is working well for them," he said. "They don't mind coming in and answering questions before the gun board."Sparrow said one man will lose his CCW permit because he failed to disclose to an officer that he was carrying a weapon. The man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in Saginaw County and will go before the gun board this month, Sparrow said.Michigan's "shall issue" law says every adult is entitled to a concealed weapon permit as long as he or she has no felony convictions, no recent misdemeanor convictions and no history of mental health problems.They also must complete a gun safety course taught by a certified instructor.Under the old system, county gun boards had discretion to deny CCW permits to anyone who couldn't demonstrate a need for one.Applicants now must sign an affidavit that they have no history of mental treatment. But critics say there is no reliable way to verify someone's mental health history. Handgun sales are up since the law took effect, although it's unclear how many people with CCW permits are actually carrying weapons.Statewide, more than 24,800 people have been issued a CCW permit under the new law, with another 14,200 applications pending, state police said.Four licenses have been suspended and three revoked. Only 393 applications have been denied, state police said.Over the first six months, Oakland County led the state with more tthan 3,278 permits issued. In sheer numbers, Genesee was second and Kent third.But counties of all sizes saw large increases.Shiawassee County issued 313 permits over the last half of 2001, with another 80 or so pending, county Clerk Lauri Braid said. That compares with 27 general, or unrestricted, permits issued during the first six months of the year, she said."In this county, it's gone very smoothly," Braid said. "Once we got the information coming at the beginning, the process has been working very well."Livingston County received more than 1,100 applications and issued 694 permits after July 1, the county clerk's office said.That's four times the volume it saw during the first half of the year, when 165 gun permits were issued.The Livingston County gun board usually meets once a month. But it met three times in November, twice in December and is scheduled to meet three times this month, the clerk's office said. Only a small number of applications are being denied, local officials say. Most denials have resulted from misdemeanor or felony convictions discovered during record checks, they said.Some people are surprised that certain traffic violations are misdemeanors that disqualify them from getting a CCW permit for three or more years, Coffman said."We've had our share of people with OUILs who applied," he said. Some were able to bring back verification that they were convicted of a lesser charge, he said."If you've been a law-abiding citizen, it is vastly easy to get a permit," he said. "If you've been convicted of a felony, you're not going to get a CCW."Although it's easier to get a permit, the new system places more restrictions on where you can carry a gun, Coffman noted. No guns are allowed in churches, schools or places that serve alcohol. The criteria for getting a gun permit is uniform across the state, but not all gun boards operate the same way.Many smaller counties, including Shiawassee and Lapeer, require every applicant to go before the gun board. But the Oakland and Genesee gun boards are interviewing permit seekers only when there are questions about their application.Ken Palmer covers the judicial system. He can be reached at (810) 766-6313 or kpalmer@flintjournal.com. http://fl.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20020104f4a1ccwincrease.frm
QUICK FACTS CCW permits by county Issued since July 1 Pending applications Genesee County 1,720 421 Shiawassee County 313 80 Lapeer County 472 110Livingston County 694 416 Oakland County 3,278 1,530 Source: County clerk, prosecutor and sheriff's departments Nearly 6,500 people in Genesee and four surrounding counties received gun permits during the first six months under the state's new concealed weapons law, with another 2,560 applications pending. Genesee County issued 1,720 permits between July 1, when the law took effect, and Dec. 31. That's an increase of nearly 400 percent from the same period the year before.Officials in Lapeer, Shiawassee, Livingston and Oakland counties saw similar increases.But despite gloomy predictions by some critics, police agencies report no increase in violence attributable to the flood of new gun permits. And the permit process is moving smoothly after a balky start, officials report. "I really thought we would have a road rage incident of some kind. But there's been nothing we're aware of, at least in Genesee County," said Robert H. Coffman, records supervisor in the county clerk's office.The gun board changed procedures several times during the first few weeks but has since refined the process, Coffman said. The board, for example, no longer interviews everyone who applies."There was a learning curve," Coffman said. "Now we've got it down to a pretty good art form. We've really cleaned that process up."The number of applications has slowed in recent weeks but still averages about 10 per day, he said. Many applicants had to wait to get into a handgun safety course required for a permit, he said.The gun board recently revoked two permits, one because someone brandished a weapon and one because the holder was convicted of a crime in another county. But both permits had been issued under the old law. Tom Sparrow, an assistant Lapeer County prosecutor, said the county has averaged about 100 applications a month since July 1."We've asked people about it, and they think the process is working well for them," he said. "They don't mind coming in and answering questions before the gun board."Sparrow said one man will lose his CCW permit because he failed to disclose to an officer that he was carrying a weapon. The man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in Saginaw County and will go before the gun board this month, Sparrow said.Michigan's "shall issue" law says every adult is entitled to a concealed weapon permit as long as he or she has no felony convictions, no recent misdemeanor convictions and no history of mental health problems.They also must complete a gun safety course taught by a certified instructor.Under the old system, county gun boards had discretion to deny CCW permits to anyone who couldn't demonstrate a need for one.Applicants now must sign an affidavit that they have no history of mental treatment. But critics say there is no reliable way to verify someone's mental health history. Handgun sales are up since the law took effect, although it's unclear how many people with CCW permits are actually carrying weapons.Statewide, more than 24,800 people have been issued a CCW permit under the new law, with another 14,200 applications pending, state police said.Four licenses have been suspended and three revoked. Only 393 applications have been denied, state police said.Over the first six months, Oakland County led the state with more tthan 3,278 permits issued. In sheer numbers, Genesee was second and Kent third.But counties of all sizes saw large increases.Shiawassee County issued 313 permits over the last half of 2001, with another 80 or so pending, county Clerk Lauri Braid said. That compares with 27 general, or unrestricted, permits issued during the first six months of the year, she said."In this county, it's gone very smoothly," Braid said. "Once we got the information coming at the beginning, the process has been working very well."Livingston County received more than 1,100 applications and issued 694 permits after July 1, the county clerk's office said.That's four times the volume it saw during the first half of the year, when 165 gun permits were issued.The Livingston County gun board usually meets once a month. But it met three times in November, twice in December and is scheduled to meet three times this month, the clerk's office said. Only a small number of applications are being denied, local officials say. Most denials have resulted from misdemeanor or felony convictions discovered during record checks, they said.Some people are surprised that certain traffic violations are misdemeanors that disqualify them from getting a CCW permit for three or more years, Coffman said."We've had our share of people with OUILs who applied," he said. Some were able to bring back verification that they were convicted of a lesser charge, he said."If you've been a law-abiding citizen, it is vastly easy to get a permit," he said. "If you've been convicted of a felony, you're not going to get a CCW."Although it's easier to get a permit, the new system places more restrictions on where you can carry a gun, Coffman noted. No guns are allowed in churches, schools or places that serve alcohol. The criteria for getting a gun permit is uniform across the state, but not all gun boards operate the same way.Many smaller counties, including Shiawassee and Lapeer, require every applicant to go before the gun board. But the Oakland and Genesee gun boards are interviewing permit seekers only when there are questions about their application.Ken Palmer covers the judicial system. He can be reached at (810) 766-6313 or kpalmer@flintjournal.com. http://fl.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20020104f4a1ccwincrease.frm