As expected, new Sheriff Sandra Hutchens is sharply reducing the number of permits to carry concealed weapons (CCWs) issued in Orange County.
And the question is, why?
CCWs have always been a touchy political subject. Former Sheriff Brad Gates was criticized for jealously guarding the number of CCWs and handing them out primarily to political pals. Disgraced and indicted former Sheriff Mike Carona made relaxing the CCW rules a campaign issue – a winning campaign issue, many believe -- although he too was criticized for issuing some permits to his pals.
Now Sheriff Hutchens is angering many people in the "2nd Amendment community" – CCW holders and non-holders alike – by making the requirements for an ordinary law-abiding citizen to get a CCW permit far more restrictive.
It's hard to see why that's necessary. For one thing, it's not as if CCW holders have created any significant problems. Although sheriff's officials say a few permits are revoked every year for administrative reasons, no one can remember a single instance in which the holder of an Orange County CCW permit committed a crime with a gun.
(The often-mentioned case of a Carona crony waving a gun on a golf course doesn't apply; he didn't have a CCW permit.)
And the fact is that the number of people in Orange County who actually have CCWs is miniscule – largely because getting a CCW is a costly and time-consuming process of background checks and personal references and required legal and firearms training, and on and on. Potential vice presidential candidates are hardly vetted more intensely than Orange County CCW applicants – and for most people it's not worth the hassle.
So even under the relatively relaxed CCW standards of the Carona administration, only about 1,500 county residents (not including sworn police officers) were licensed to carry concealed weapons – which worked out to about one CCW permit for every 2,000 residents. Currently the number of valid CCWs in the county stands at only about 1,000 – and that number will be falling fast as people who have had CCWs for years are now being told that under the sheriff's new rules they no longer qualify.
Jim Derichsweiler of Placentia is one of them.
Jim, 74, is an avid gun collector and shooter. He got a CCW permit eight years ago because he often transports valuable firearms – a valid "good cause" for getting a permit under the Carona CCW rules.
But earlier this month, while in the process of renewing his permit, Jim got a letter from the sheriff's department saying that he hadn't shown sufficient "good cause" for needing one.
In other words, for eight years he was trusted to have a CCW, and it never caused any problem. But now apparently he is not qualified – and several hundred other current CCW holders like him are expected to be in the same situation.
"I guess if the criminals aren't breaking down the door you aren't going to get one," Jim says. And for him, there's a principle involved.
"Whether I personally (have a CCW) isn't the big issue," he says. "But it's a barometer of where we are on our freedoms and Constitutional rights. The 2nd Amendment shouldn't stop when I go out my front door."
Sheriff's Capt. Dave Nighswonger, who has the thankless task of overseeing the CCW program, acknowledges that "You will see the number (of CCWs) drop quite a bit" under the sheriff's new policies. Judges, prosecutors, people who carry large amounts of cash or are under direct threat to their lives may still qualify for CCWs, but most law-abiding ordinary citizens probably won't meet the new "good cause" criteria.
The captain says the sheriff is only trying to comply with state law, under which a CCW permit is a severely restricted privilege, not a right. He says if gun owners in Orange County want less restrictive CCW rules they should try to change state law to match so-called "shall issue" or "right to carry" states like Texas or Florida – although in generally anti-gun California, that's about as likely as Michelle Obama voting for John McCain.
Well, we can argue about whether the new sheriff is following state law or simply doesn't like CCWs. But given the relatively tiny number of CCWs out there, and the fact that CCW holders haven't caused anyone any trouble, you have to wonder:
Are the sheriff's new restrictions on CCWs really accomplishing anything?
Or are they a solution in search of a problem?
CONTACT THE WRITER 714-796-7953 or [email protected]
Source: Link Removed
And the question is, why?
CCWs have always been a touchy political subject. Former Sheriff Brad Gates was criticized for jealously guarding the number of CCWs and handing them out primarily to political pals. Disgraced and indicted former Sheriff Mike Carona made relaxing the CCW rules a campaign issue – a winning campaign issue, many believe -- although he too was criticized for issuing some permits to his pals.
Now Sheriff Hutchens is angering many people in the "2nd Amendment community" – CCW holders and non-holders alike – by making the requirements for an ordinary law-abiding citizen to get a CCW permit far more restrictive.
It's hard to see why that's necessary. For one thing, it's not as if CCW holders have created any significant problems. Although sheriff's officials say a few permits are revoked every year for administrative reasons, no one can remember a single instance in which the holder of an Orange County CCW permit committed a crime with a gun.
(The often-mentioned case of a Carona crony waving a gun on a golf course doesn't apply; he didn't have a CCW permit.)
And the fact is that the number of people in Orange County who actually have CCWs is miniscule – largely because getting a CCW is a costly and time-consuming process of background checks and personal references and required legal and firearms training, and on and on. Potential vice presidential candidates are hardly vetted more intensely than Orange County CCW applicants – and for most people it's not worth the hassle.
So even under the relatively relaxed CCW standards of the Carona administration, only about 1,500 county residents (not including sworn police officers) were licensed to carry concealed weapons – which worked out to about one CCW permit for every 2,000 residents. Currently the number of valid CCWs in the county stands at only about 1,000 – and that number will be falling fast as people who have had CCWs for years are now being told that under the sheriff's new rules they no longer qualify.
Jim Derichsweiler of Placentia is one of them.
Jim, 74, is an avid gun collector and shooter. He got a CCW permit eight years ago because he often transports valuable firearms – a valid "good cause" for getting a permit under the Carona CCW rules.
But earlier this month, while in the process of renewing his permit, Jim got a letter from the sheriff's department saying that he hadn't shown sufficient "good cause" for needing one.
In other words, for eight years he was trusted to have a CCW, and it never caused any problem. But now apparently he is not qualified – and several hundred other current CCW holders like him are expected to be in the same situation.
"I guess if the criminals aren't breaking down the door you aren't going to get one," Jim says. And for him, there's a principle involved.
"Whether I personally (have a CCW) isn't the big issue," he says. "But it's a barometer of where we are on our freedoms and Constitutional rights. The 2nd Amendment shouldn't stop when I go out my front door."
Sheriff's Capt. Dave Nighswonger, who has the thankless task of overseeing the CCW program, acknowledges that "You will see the number (of CCWs) drop quite a bit" under the sheriff's new policies. Judges, prosecutors, people who carry large amounts of cash or are under direct threat to their lives may still qualify for CCWs, but most law-abiding ordinary citizens probably won't meet the new "good cause" criteria.
The captain says the sheriff is only trying to comply with state law, under which a CCW permit is a severely restricted privilege, not a right. He says if gun owners in Orange County want less restrictive CCW rules they should try to change state law to match so-called "shall issue" or "right to carry" states like Texas or Florida – although in generally anti-gun California, that's about as likely as Michelle Obama voting for John McCain.
Well, we can argue about whether the new sheriff is following state law or simply doesn't like CCWs. But given the relatively tiny number of CCWs out there, and the fact that CCW holders haven't caused anyone any trouble, you have to wonder:
Are the sheriff's new restrictions on CCWs really accomplishing anything?
Or are they a solution in search of a problem?
CONTACT THE WRITER 714-796-7953 or [email protected]
Source: Link Removed
