The Oklahoman Editorial: Should Oklahomans Worry About Concealed Carry Licensees?

The Oklahoman Editorial ~ "If the number of concealed handgun license holders is any indication,” said a Tulsa World story two years ago, "robbers may have to worry about more than stolen goods during a heist.”

Should Oklahomans now worry about those license holders, given the fact that one of them recently killed a 16-year-old who was attempting to rob his pharmacy?

We don’t think so, but the question must be asked. The state has nearly 78,000 concealed carry permit holders; the number is growing by the day. Incidences involving permit holders, however, are extremely rare.

Nevertheless, reporting by The Oklahoman’s Nolan Clay on the mental state of Jerome Ersland raises questions about the law and whether Ersland should have been issued a permit.

Read the entire editorial at http://www.newsok.com/shooting-raises-question-on-concealed-carry-permits/article/3376400?custom_click=pod_headline_opinion-oklahoman-editorials.

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OSBI: Record Number Seek Firearms Permits

By Jay Marks/The Oklahoman ~ A record number of Oklahomans are seeking permits to carry concealed handguns.

More than 21,000 people applied for concealed-carry permits in 2008, the most since the program began in 1996, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

There have been twice as many applications so far this year as the same point last year, said Felicia Jackson, who manages the permit registry.

"This is kind of a nationwide phenomenon,” Jackson said.

Read it all at www.newsok.com.

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Oklahoma Concealed Carry License Holders Toe The Line, OSBI Annual Reports Show

Oklahoma holders of licenses to carry concealed weapons appear to be among the most responsible gun owners in the nation, with just 52 licenses being revoked out of 89,642 issued or renewed since 2002. And none of the revocations, it appears, involved the illegal discharge of a firearm.

Examination of reports on the state's Self Defense Act filed by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shows that in 2008, with 18,510 licenses issued (14,273 men, 4,237 women), just four were revoked. The previous year, five were revoked with 16,426 issued. There were 35 license suspensions in the two-year period, with reinstatements for some following apparent adjudication of issues ranging from allegations of domestic abuse to failure to notify law enforcement the licensee was armed during traffic stops to being intoxicated while armed.

Last year set a new record for license approvals by the OSBI, with 18,510. The previous high was in 2004, with 17,637 approved. It is anticipated that 2009 will set another record given the interest in gun ownership, growth in firearms purchases and an increase in those taking the required class to qualify for a license to carry a concealed weapon following the election of Barack Obama as president.

The OSBI reports an 87 percent increase in concealed carry permit applications for February 2009 over February 2008.

Last year, the OSBI processed 23,166 applications and denied 697 for reasons ranging from domestic abuse to felony convictions to making false statements on the license application form. In 2007, 561 applications were denied.

By year, here's the list of license approvals with revocations in parenthesis: 2002-8,799 (9); 2003-8,228 (10); 2004-17,637 (6); 2005-10,450 (11); 2006-9,591 (7); 2007-16,426 (5); 2008-18,510 (4).

Last year, the OSBI reports, the average age of a concealed carry licensee in the state was 51.

Read last year's OSBI report at http://www.ok.gov/osbi/documents/SDA%202008%20Report%20_Jan%202009_.pdf.

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Noted Stat

More than 66,000 Oklahomans are licensed to carry concealed handguns under the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, said Jessica Brown, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. ~ From A Tulsa World story.

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