Madison County law enforcement officials oppose gun permit bill

Jan. 11—ANDERSON — Members of the Madison County law enforcement community are opposed to legislation that would eliminate the state's handgun license requirement.

The Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Association is not supportive of the bill that is being considered by the Indiana General Assembly, Prosecutor Rodney Cummings said Monday.

Sheriff Scott Mellinger also voiced opposition to the legislation, which is opposed by the Indiana State Police, the state police chief's association and the Indiana Fraternal Order of Police.

Last year, the Indiana House passed similar legislation, but it failed in the state Senate.

The Associated Press reported the legislation, endorsed by an Indiana House committee, would repeal the state's handgun permit requirement. That would let anyone age 18 or older to carry a handgun except for reasons such as having a felony conviction, facing a restraining order from a court or having a dangerous mental illness.

Indiana currently requires people to obtain a license to carry a loaded handgun outside their own homes, businesses or cars, although people can generally carry rifles and shotguns without a permit.

Mellinger didn't mince words commenting that any lawmaker who votes for passage should be ashamed.

"I'll go one step further and say that any Indiana sheriff who remained quiet on this should be ashamed," he said. "They're doing their deputies a true disservice."

Mellinger said Indiana currently has the best of both worlds by having a free application process plus a vetting process.

"The only applications we reject are applications in which the person has a violent history, history of drug or alcohol abuse or has documented mental health issues," he said. "The current law will bypass this vetting by local law enforcement, and a significant number of people who should not legally carry weapons will be carrying weapons."

Mellinger said the application process is taken seriously and wants the safest communities and scenarios possibly for when they respond to 911 calls or make traffic stops.

"There are a number of concerns," Cummings said. "There would be no background check and mental health checks.

"When you file for a gun permit, the state police does a background check," he said. "I know it's viewed as a 'freedoms' issue, but for me it's about safety for law enforcement and the community."

Cummings said very few permits are denied.

"They don't deny a permit to anyone who has a legal right to have one."

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