Posted on 04/05/2012 12:17:18 PM PDT by marktwain
In 1987, Florida passed the nations first shall issue concealed carry weapons law. Nearly one million permits have been issued since then, nearly double the number in any other state. The Department of Agriculture issues the permits. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says there are currently more than 700,000 active permits. Putnam says he is not concerned that nearly one in every 20 Floridian has a license to carry a loaded gun in their car, or purse as they go about their daily business.
The fact that over the life of the program, only168 permit holders have had their permit revoked for a gun-related crime reinforces the fact that the people who go through the trouble of applying for and receiving a CWP are not generally the ones you need to be worried about in terms of a criminal element in society.
No state is second to Florida when it comes to embracing second amendment rights. Lawmakers enthusiasm for gun rights is such that the Tampa Bay Times referred to Florida as the Gunshine State. The legislature has given birth to laws such as Stand Your Ground, which the recent death of an unarmed teenager highlights, Bring Your Gun to Work, which the Disney Corporation opposed and a complete ban on local gun restrictions which handcuffs city and county governments ability to respond to citizens complaints.
Unlike other states that allow police to deny applications based on personal character and arrest history, Florida is a so called Shall Issue state, which means almost anyone who hasnt been convicted of a violent crime can qualify for a weapons license. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services can only suspend someones license when they are charged with a crime and the department can only revoke someones license when they are convicted of that crime.
Two years ago, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says, there was a spike in the number of permit applications. Now he says that spike has become a sustained high demand. He responded by hiring 46 full time employees and opening eight regional offices to process applications. Last week he opened an office in Walton County. The first applicant through the door was a military serviceman. Putnam says fear drives some people to seek a concealed weapon permit. But he adds Florida has a high number of military veterans and sportsmen, people who tend to have an affectionate attachment to guns. Putnam says some people pay for a permit in order to be legal. They just want to eliminate any ambiguity about carrying one in their vehicle and making sure they dont have to think through some judicial standard that is pretty unclear. The old three step rule, is it okay that it is in my car in the glove compartment but the glove compartment is not locked? And if it is in the gun department can it be loaded? The CWP eliminates all of those concerns that historically were there before the CWP law came into existence.
The Violent Policy Center, a gun control group, found that between 2007 and 2009 concealed carry permit holders killed 117 people in the United States.
A Florida State University study found that guns are used defensively to stop a crime, from simple assault to rape, 2.5 million times a year.
In Florida, the concealed weapon law is so popular that the trust fund the permit fee supports has a surplus and the 2012 legislature cut the fee from $85 to $70.
As someone from Arizona, I object to the statement "No state is second to Florida when it comes to embracing second amendment rights."
Arizona is far superior to Florida in our support of the Second Amendment. Arizona has Constitutional carry, where no permit is required for either concealed carry or for open carry. Florida still bans the open carry of firearms.
Still, I have hopes that Florida will strive diligently to rise to Arizona's level.
I’d say the spike came about three years ago, not two. That’s when I got my permit. The class was packed to the rafters and it took almost a month longer than the time allowed by law to get to me. Go figure; I took my class right about when Obama was sworn in.
My concealed carry permit arrived about a week after my baby did. I don’t carry because I’m afraid or violent: I carry because I have a God-given duty to protect my child.
So, 168 out of 700,000? Next to none. Then, define "gun crime".
To have this become law, they had to add a clause that they would track ALL permit holders for crimes committed, and not just those with a gun, from the beginning. The cost was upwards of 10 million dollars a year to do so.
What they found was that less than 1/1000th of a percent broke ANY laws. After 10 years, this reporting was stopped.
My numbers may be slightly off, and perhaps some Florida FReepers can add to this, but the numbers were ridiculously low.
What the Fluke does the Dept of Agriculture have to do with regulating CCW permits?
They forgot to duck.
An unintended consequence, not foreseen by the lynch mob.
they employ all fish and game officers...fish and game officers have jurisdiction anywhere in the state vs police officers.....
Florida at least is a shall issue state regardless if they have a funny way regulating it.
That’s a .024% revocation rate. Not six sigma, but good enough for government process purposes.
I guess that makes sense. Kinda.
I never thought of DNR officers as having the same resources as police.
You do not want an agency adamantly opposed to an action to be the one that grants permits for that action. When you do that, you get things like the ATF and the EPA.
In Arizona, the DPS runs the permitting process. They followed the rules, but any slightly gray area was ruled against permissive CCW. Eventually someone headed up the CCW shop that realized what a spectacular moneymaker for the state it could be, but by then it was too late. They had pulled enough bonehead stunts that the reaction resulted in Arizona passing constitutional carry and loosening up the rules from the legislature.
IN FLA they have total jurisdiction....seems strange but that is the way it is....
Better them then some agency with an agenda against guns.
Besides, up until a few years ago the guy in charge of the Dept of Agriculture's name was Charles Bronson. So everyone's carry permit was signed by Charles Bronson. :-)
Our fish and wildlife officers have more resources than anyone, equipment wise. And there are many agencies that have statewide jurisdiction including campus police.
I have my FL CCW and I live in VA.
Another bit about Arizona is that you can own anything short of a howitzer and there are public lands available where you can shoot it. In Florida, if you don't own land or know someone who does, you are basically SOL.
For perspective it would be nice of the liberal media to also report how many criminals killed people during this 2007_2009 period to see which group really is the real threat to society.
Can’t report the truth, though, right liberal media?
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