CURRENT BILL DESERVES CLOSER SCRUTINY

The Missouri Crime Control Package passed by the House and currently being debated in the Missouri Senate has one provision concerning concealed weapons that is receiving much more publicity than the rest of the bills in deliberation right now.

This provision concerns the carrying of concealed weapons by citizens who have a legitimate reason for wanting to be armed. It also provides for the sheriffs of this state to administer this particular aspect of the proposed statute.

First of all, let me say that I am not categorically opposed to Missouri residents carrying concealed weapons if they have a legitimate purpose, comply with the requirements to obtain a permit, are sufficiently familiar with the law and the weapon they carry to assure the safety of the public, and the information they give for the permit application can be verified through some independent source.

As with all gun legislation, it is not the person who complies with the law and obtains a permit that is the greatest danger to law enforcement officers. Criminals will obtain firearms and conceal them, whether the law allows it or not.

However, there are some considerations that need to be reviewed. Will sheriffs have access to state mental health files so that an applicant's mental health history can be verified? Will the county residency requirement be long enough for the sheriffs to be assured that the applicant is of good character, sound mind and has a legitimate purpose? (A six month residency requirement would not be long enough. In my opinion, the applicant should be required to have lived in the county for at least four years so that the Sheriff's Department would have knowledge of the person's character.) Will sheriffs be able to use their discretion in cases where pleas bargains and other legal maneuvers allow a person to qualify, but who the sheriff knows has a tendency to operate outside the law, or who may currently be under investigation for criminal activity?

Finally, although I do not believe that those who would be granted concealed weapons permits after proper requirements are met would be a significant additional threat to law enforcement officers, there is the potential for these people getting involved in something outside the scope of the permit. For instance, if a person who gets a permit to transport money to the bank from his business late at night would then go to a tavern and become intoxicated, or become involved in an altercation with another person, the weapon could also be involved.

Hopefully, a comprehensive background investigation would eliminate people with the propensity for this sort of activity from getting a permit, but the potential would still exist to some degree.

Bill Ferrel is Sheriff of Scott County.