Local law enforcement reacts to constitutional conceal carry

Mar. 15—On Thursday, Gov. Kay Ivey signed the constitutional carry bill into law.

Alabama residents who can lawfully own a gun are now permitted to conceal carry without a permit, anywhere that allows a weapon to be carried.

"Unlike states who are doing everything in their power to make it harder for law-abiding citizens, Alabama is reaffirming our commitment to defending our Second Amendment rights," said Ivey. "I have always stood up for the rights of law-abiding gun owners, and I am proud to do that again today."

The Limestone County Sheriff's Office receives revenue from issuing pistol permits, according to Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin.

While the sheriff does not anticipate an impact to public safety, he hopes to continue to generate revenue from pistol permits each year, even if not as many permits are issued.

"As far as safety goes, I don't think it's going to impact us very much at all, but as far as funding goes, I'm sure there'll be some impact. I don't think it's gonna be as big, I hope, as people expect," said McLaughlin. "Because, of course, people still have to get a permit if they travel, and I know we live in an area where people travel regularly and so I still expect we'll generate a good, good bit of pistol permits every year."

McLaughlin encourages residents to continue maintaining a pistol permit for reciprocity if they plan to travel to another state.

Residents should familiarize themselves with the gun laws of any state they plan to visit. If a state requires a concealed carry permit, the resident will still need an Alabama concealed carry permit to lawfully carry in the state.

Some states with constitutional carry laws still require civilians from out-of-state to have a valid concealed carry permit to carry within the state.

Tennessee, as a constitutional carry state, does not require residents of Alabama to have a valid concealed carry permit, according to the Bradley County Sheriff's Office.

"I would just encourage people to still get it if they think they may be traveling. There's still a lot of questions about what the law actually entails; you still can't carry in places where federal or state law says that you can't. I'd say $15 and the security that comes with it in case you're facing a situation, or if you're in a position where you might have not known you needed it, and had it would be the best," said McLaughlin. "Or if you just want to help fund some of the training and equipment for your sheriff's office, that's always nice."

Chief Floyd Johnson of the Athens Police Department expressed concerns for the constitutional carry law.

"I strongly support the Second Amendment. I'm an officer, a hunter, a farmer and a father. As a police chief, my main concern is the safety of my department and this community. I'm not totally against the new law; however, I'm very concerned," said Johnson.

Johnson questions whether instituting permit requirements originally was the answer to a complex Second Amendment issue and wonders how we should address this issue.

"I believe that the responsibility of carrying a weapon or concealed pistol should not be taken lightly. Most of our citizens are very responsible, and only a small fraction of society causes the problems we all hear about. I'm fairly sure requiring a person to have a permit and paying the government to carry a concealed pistol wasn't the best answer to a complex question at the time, and it leaves us asking how we should handle this today?" said Johnson. "As a society, I'm fairly sure we've not answered that complex question yet. Regardless, in January we were turning 180 degrees, and I hope it's for the best."

According to Johnson, approximately 6,000 permits were denied in Alabama last year, and now some who were denied permits can lawfully conceal carry a weapon.

"Our citizens should know the Athens Police Department has never issued permits to carry a concealed weapon. We have never collected a dime from pistol permits. The legislature years ago placed that responsibility on the sheriffs of Alabama," said Johnson. "I read online last week where Alabama sheriffs denied around 6,000 permits last year. I do not pretend to know the reasons sheriffs denied the permits, but I do know in January some of those people can lawfully carry a concealed pistol. Understand now why I'm concerned?"

To obtain a concealed carry permit, an applicant must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of Limestone County. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen and is subject to scrutiny based on criminal record and mental health history.

The application can be obtained at the Limestone County Sheriff's Office.