More Concealed Carry

From the Gazette:

More people legally carrying guns
Applications for concealed-weapon permits increase

KALAMAZOO -- Some people want to protect their property from theft and feel less vulnerable to attack. Others see it as a way to preserve a constitutional right.

Whatever the reason, the number of first-time applicants for permits to carry concealed weapons is on the rise in Kalamazoo County, according to records from the county clerk's office.

"There's no question in my mind that there's been a considerable increase in new applications over the last few years,'' county Clerk Tim Snow said.

Figures show 900 new permit applications were filed in 2001, the year changes to Michigan law made it easier to get a permit for a concealed weapon. Those numbers tapered off each year through 2005, when new applications totaled 232.

Since then, there has been a steady increase, from 302 applications in 2006 to 448 in 2007 to 473 so far this year. Overall, one out of every 83 residents in the county is licensed to carry a concealed weapon, records show. Statewide, one out of every 58 residents has a permit, according to Michigan State Police.

When you consider a fourth of the population is too young to obtain a permit, the percentage of adults with them is probably much higher.

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By the way, their figures imply that one in 43 Michigan adults is licenced to carry, and one in 62 adults in Kalamazoo County are licenced to carry.