LA - Pistol permits, 10 years later

[FWiedner]

Pistol permits, 10 years later

Concealed handguns haven't been as bad -- or as good -- as forecast

Legislators and former Gov. Mike Foster OK'd the law amidst predictions that more than 40,000 gun groupies would line up for permits in the first year alone -- instantaneously transforming the state into the wild, wild West.

Reality has proven far less dramatic.

Louisiana State Police have doled out just 19,920 permits over the years, and refused to grant another 504 to those who applied for one but did not pass legal muster.

"Annual reports of the concealed-handgun unit detail five shooting incidents involving permit holders -- including one in 2003 on the Baton Rouge City Public Dock. In two cases, someone was injured; none was fatal.

"It's worked exactly like I thought would," Foster said. "Law-abiding citizens have gotten permits so they can protect themselves, and we've really had no problems with it."

Read the article at:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/050105/new_handgun001.shtml

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[MATLOCK12C]

I have never seen a criminal apply for a permit. only law abiding people do that. Most criminals only go to the courthouse for there trial, not for permits. Any person of good standing in the comunity, who can meet the qualifications can get a permit to carry a weapon . Of the people who do this, 99.9% of them are good responsible folks who are worried about the real bad guy's out there.  They just don't want to be caught in a bad situation unable to protect themselves. It is not, and never will be the shoot em up free for all the anti-gun lobby has claimed it would be.