Conceal carry or not: Thousands of permits but who is actually carrying?
The number of Americans applying and getting their firearm concealed carry permits is higher than ever before. It’s been steadily increasing since states legalized their own version of standards back in the 1990s.
In Colorado, there are nearly 400,000 permits, but the state’s regulations require a sheriff to approve a permit before it can be given out.
In El Paso County, there are 47,107 active permits issued, but a new nationwide study by a pro-gun organization, Crime Prevention Research Center, suggests not many people are carrying.
Their findings for 2018 say only 2.4 percent of Americans are conceal-carrying their gun all the time. Of the more than 17 million people who have permits in the United States, that equates to about 414,000 people with a gun on them at all time.
If we take that percentage and apply it to El Paso County’s number of permits, that means there are 1,130 people who are concealed carrying across the community.
Depending on who you ask, they conceal carry for different reasons. Billie Nigro, who was shopping around at a local gun show, said she carries because, “I feel safer when I go into what’s called a gun-free zone, those are not safe places.”
The process of getting a permit isn’t easy, in fact, it can take up six weeks for someone to get their permit in through the mail after they take a class, and apply.
Bryan Schmid who is taking conceal carry class at Magnum Shooting Center said wants his permit because, “I just want to be able to defend myself, defend my wife or those that are around us.”
On the other side of the controversial issue is Shannon Watts. She’s part of the group, Moms Demand Action. They are an organization who works to make stronger gun laws. Watts says, “the concealed carry process in Colorado is strong. One of the strongest states in the whole country is California. And we’re hopeful states will follow their laws and make room for changes that increase the training standards.”
El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder, whose job is to sign the 47,000 permits that have come through his office so far, says that number doesn’t reflect the people actually carrying.
“Just cause I got 47,000 permits out, doesn’t mean there are 47,000 people out in this community carrying a concealed handgun,” he says.
So, why aren’t people concealing their guns in public despite going through the legal and lengthy process? Some don’t realize the hassle of figuring out how to conceal the firearm.
For men, there are hundreds of holsters that sit on their belt, others in a pocket, and another on a shoulder strap.
Women, on the other hand, have a tougher time finding somewhere to hide their gun. Conceal carry purses exist for that very reason. They typically have special pockets designed with a holster inside where the gun sits in a safe, secure spot.
Another reason why someone may not conceal carry is the process is too long.
Nathaniel Frieson, who openly carries, says it’s what he thinks keeps his family safe. Frieson says, “I believe that it does deter people from doing things.” His wife, Karissa Russell says it makes her feel secure as well. “I know for sure nobody will really mess with us since they obviously see it. He’s our protector. He does a good job,” she says.
Despite the hassle, so many people go into the application process thinking they’ll conceal carry all the time. Robert Garlast, a student in the Magnum class, said, “I plan to carry it everywhere with me but I just hope I never have to use it.”
