Luke_M
Senior Member
GEORGIA LAW: GUNS ALLOWED IN MORE PLACES: 79% more apply for firearms permit
By Nancy Badertscher
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, February 01, 2009
On the morning after the presidential inauguration, Sean Ely was in Cobb County Probate Court to apply for his first concealed weapons permit.
The Acworth builder had read that it might become harder to get a permit during the Obama administration.
"I figured I'd get it while I can," Ely said.
Adrian Brown, an EMT student from Austell, was at the court office minutes later to do the same thing but for a different reason.
"I want to protect my family," said Brown, father of two girls, ages 2 and 6 months. "I don't think I have to walk around with a bulletproof vest. But in areas I know are high crime, I want to feel safe."
Across Georgia, there's been a dramatic surge in applications for firearm permits, and no sign that the trend is slowing. Statewide, 121,219 applications were submitted in 2008, up 79.2 percent from 67,640 in 2007, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
It fits with what's occurred over the last year in other parts of the country, where dealers report that guns are flying off store shelves, when little else is moving.
The reasons for the surge in Georgia vary —- for some permit seekers it's based on political uncertainties. For others, it was a law change last year that opened up the places where a concealed weapon is allowed.
For still others, it's about plain old protection. Long gone are the days when the front door could be left unlocked. More and more, locks don't suffice and steel bars have replaced wire-framed screens. Some crime rates, property crime in particular, are up across metro Atlanta, from the suburbs to intown neighborhoods, where a recent string of violent crime has residents banding together in ways they might not have imagined until now.
In areas where high crime already was an issue, things could get worse before they get better, particularly as officials wrestle with having to cut public safety services to help their budgets. And in areas known to be safer, perceptions are changing —- areas like Atlanta's gentrifying intown neighborhoods.
In recent weeks, motivated by the shooting death last month of Grant Park bartender John Henderson, residents have taken their concerns public, showing up in force for anti-crime rallies, town hall meetings and community vigils to raise awareness and urge change.
In a recent interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta police Chief Richard Pennington said "according to the data that we have, there are some neighborhoods where the data don't go along with what has actually transpired in their community. We've had reductions [in crime] in a lot of those neighborhoods. And then, some of the neighborhoods that we've had an increase in burglary and property crimes, those neighborhoods haven't had a large outcry."
2nd Amendment rights
In Cobb County, where Ely and Brown filed their applications, the increase in applications was even more dramatic than it was statewide. Records show permit applications were up in the county by 139.6 percent for 2008, from 3,660 to 8,770.
It caught the eye of Cobb County Probate Judge Keli Wolk on Jan. 2 of this year, her first day in office. By
2 p.m. that day, 71 people had submitted permit applications, Wolk said.
"There are quite a few people in our license area filling out applications at most any time of the day," she said.
Officials in other counties report a palpable rush. "We literally sometimes have to get deputies to direct our lines," said Lorraine Stafford, who processes permit applications in Gwinnett County.
Permit applications were up 85.7 percent in Gwinnett, from 3,952 in 2007 to 7,340 in 2008. In the first 15 days of January, another 500 applicants walked through the door, Stafford said.
Ely, who lives in Acworth and works in building in Atlanta, fits with the majority of the more than three dozen, mostly first-time applicants who were interviewed in person, by phone or by e-mail about their decision to obtain a firearms permit. They expressed concern that the Obama administration and the Democrat-controlled Congress may take aim at the Second Amendment by banning certain weapons or even raising the costs of some guns and ammunition.
Ely said he read of that possibility in publications he receives from the National Rifle Association, the Republican Party and his industry publications.
Spikes in gun permits and sales have been reported before, including after President Bill Clinton was elected and when there were debates over gun restrictions in the 1993 Brady Bill that imposed nationwide background checks on buyers.
Top officials with the NRA have predicted that the Obama administration will be "anti-firearms ownership and anti-Second Amendment." Gun rights advocates also point to his support, as an Illinois state legislator, for a ban on all forms of semiautomatic weapons and for tighter state restrictions generally on firearms.
The White House Web site describes the president and Vice President Joe Biden as respectful of the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, but supporting measures to keep guns away from children and criminals. It also says they favor making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.
In Georgia, citizens can keep a loaded firearm in their home, vehicle or business without a permit, provided they are not convicted felons.
Georgia's law on carrying concealed weapons was relaxed last July, when House Bill 89 took effect. The bill expanded the places where permit-holders could carry, to include restaurants serving alcohol, on public transit and in state parks. The Georgia firearm permit, which is obtained through the local probate court, is good for five years, costs about $40 and is issued after the applicant is fingerprinted and three background checks are run through the GBI and FBI for criminal convictions and mental health problems.
Ed Stone, whose group GeorgiaCarry.org pushed for last year's law change, said he believes the move by the Legislature made having a concealed weapons permit more appealing to Georgia gun owners.
"I believe people view the license as worth something now," Stone said. "Now they can carry in places where they actually go."
Packing peace of mind
Sandy Springs resident Cressel Anderson said the state law change made a difference to him. "I wanted to get a GFL (Georgia Firearm License) since I moved to Atlanta in 2006. However, the complicated restrictions on where a firearm could legally be carried discouraged me."
He applied for his license July 3, two days after the new state law took effect.
July had the single highest number of applications for 2008, with 11,732. There were 11,221 applications the month before the presidential election.
The state does not track how many of the 121,219 concealed permit applications were turned down.
There also are no records kept on how many guns are sold. The closest estimates are based on data from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System. In 2008, there were 8.4 million background checks from Jan. 1 to Sept. 28, compared to 7.7 million in the same period, it was reported late last year.
Alice Johnson, director of Georgians for Guns Safety, which opposed Georgia's law change last year, fears the surge in applications will mean more guns "winding up on the streets, in the hands of people who shouldn't have them by law.
"It is problematic," she said.
Another concern is the lack of mandatory training.
Mike Jones, the police chief of Suwanee and the president of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, said the association's concern has always been about the lack of mandatory training.
"You don't have to show you can read or write or make decisions," Jones said. "At a minimum, there should be some training on when to shoot legally."
Covington Police Chief Stacey Cotton sees a positive in the application surge.
"I think it's a good thing that the citizens of Georgia are taking the time to lawfully get their permit instead of carrying it and, maybe, unknowingly breaking the law," Cotton said. "Law-abidding citizens are usually no threat to us."
Some applying for concealed weapons permits say having a firearm provides a bit of peace of mind.
David Hsu, a software engineer from Norcross, said his car was broken into while he was running errands in Midtown last May.
"A witness had called the police as it happened, but the police ended up not even showing up at the scene, instead offering to take a report over the phone," he said.
"This really opened my eyes as to how people must take responsibility for their own safety."
Attitudes like his have added to the boom in business, say operators of gun shops and shooting ranges.
Tom Coyne with the American Classic Marksman shooting range in Norcross didn't have to see any government statistics to know there's a dramatic increase in gun interest. It started for his company on Election Day.
"That Tuesday was the busiest day the company had," said Coyne, whose company also has added more training classes and instructors.
"People were in buying. I'm not saying it was a frenzy, but they were very interested."
GEORGIA LAW
> No permit is required in Georgia to keep a gun in your home or any place in your car, provided you are eligible for a Georgia Firearm License.
> Permit is required to carry on your person, and there are restrictions that prohibit carrying a concealed weapon at places, including public- owned buildings, sporting events, churches, schools, nuclear power plants and the General Assembly. This requires the purchase of a five-year, renewable Georgia firearm permit that's issued after you are fingerprinted and pass background checks for criminal and mental problems.
What can you do with a Georgia firearm permit?
The permit allows you to carry your gun outside the home, car and place of business, subject to certain restrictions. You don't need a permit for those places. The permit also allows you to conceal the weapon.
GETTING A PERMIT
What it takes to get a Georgia firearm permit, which allows you to carry a concealed weapon.
Step 1: Meet the license qualifications for Georgia as listed in Georgia Code 16-11-129. Basically, you have to be a state resident, a legal United States resident, a resident of the county where you are making your application and at least 21 with a clean criminal and mental history.
Step 2: Apply to the probate court in your county, where you will fill in an application, pay the required (usually nonrefundable) fees and find out how to get fingerprinted. Permits are usually issued within 60 days.
Step 3: Provide a photo ID and proof of residency. A Georgia driver's license or state ID card will serve as both. Check with your local probate court for other qualifying documents. The permit is valid for five years.
Source: GeorgiaCarry.org and probate courts
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"I had previously had a permit that had expired. I have always had guns for sport/hobby. However, I believe there is a greater need now for personal protection than ever before."
RAY BRADY
retired, Douglasville
"I obtained a license to carry concealed weapons for several reasons. The economy is bad and getting worse, and with this I perceive a rise in crime. With this license, I now have another option for action if my family or I am faced with a life threat. … I wanted to increase the chance that my Second Amendment rights would be preserved or at least grandfathered for the duration of my license period in case firearm rights were reduced under a Democrat majority power hold."
PAUL ELIA
entrepreneur/IT consultant, Atlanta
"I don't trust the federal government, the state government or the local government to do the right thing. I believe in self-reliance."
BOB WELLS
truck driver, Auburn
"Obtaining a concealed weapons permit has only extended to me the right afforded me by the Second Amendment of our U.S. Constitution. I do not flaunt that right, nor do I actually carry my weapons that often. But when I feel the need to do so, I am happy that I have that right."
GARY MARTIN
national sales manager for a major auto parts manufacturer, Decatur
"One night my wife and I were lying in bed when we heard a crash out on the back deck. I then heard two voices and the sound of people running off. It made me and my wife nervous that people had been on our property late at night, looking at possibly breaking in when we had a baby in the house. I applied for my license that very [next] morning."
CHRIS NICOLL
nurse, Marietta
"By acquiring a GFL [Georgia Firearm License] it allows me to comply with the law when and if I choose to carry a weapon. Additionally, I wanted to add myself to the number of people with permits to send the message to the powers that be that we represent a very large voting block."
HARRY R. GARRETT
retired, Woodstock
ELIZABETH LANDT / Staff
FIREARM PERMIT APPLICATIONS
For metro countries
....................2007 ......2008 ......Percent increase
Cherokee County......1,304......2,943......125.7%
Clayton County ......1,837......2,955......60.9%
Cobb County..........3,660......8,770......139.6%
DeKalb County........2,096......4,082......94.8%
Forsyth County ......1,203......2,470......105.3%
Fulton County........3,206......5,364......67.3%
Gwinnett County......3,952......7,340......85.7%
Sources: Metro probate courts, GBI
ELIZABETH LANDT / Staff
STATEWIDE CONCEALED WEAPON PERMITS
Total submissions by month (online and in person)
Jan. 2008: 7,276
Dec. 2008: 15,056
2008 Total: 121,219
Jan. 2007: 6,371
Dec. 2007: 5,142
2007 Total: 67,640
Source: Georgia Bureau of Investigation
By Nancy Badertscher
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, February 01, 2009
On the morning after the presidential inauguration, Sean Ely was in Cobb County Probate Court to apply for his first concealed weapons permit.
The Acworth builder had read that it might become harder to get a permit during the Obama administration.
"I figured I'd get it while I can," Ely said.
Adrian Brown, an EMT student from Austell, was at the court office minutes later to do the same thing but for a different reason.
"I want to protect my family," said Brown, father of two girls, ages 2 and 6 months. "I don't think I have to walk around with a bulletproof vest. But in areas I know are high crime, I want to feel safe."
Across Georgia, there's been a dramatic surge in applications for firearm permits, and no sign that the trend is slowing. Statewide, 121,219 applications were submitted in 2008, up 79.2 percent from 67,640 in 2007, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
It fits with what's occurred over the last year in other parts of the country, where dealers report that guns are flying off store shelves, when little else is moving.
The reasons for the surge in Georgia vary —- for some permit seekers it's based on political uncertainties. For others, it was a law change last year that opened up the places where a concealed weapon is allowed.
For still others, it's about plain old protection. Long gone are the days when the front door could be left unlocked. More and more, locks don't suffice and steel bars have replaced wire-framed screens. Some crime rates, property crime in particular, are up across metro Atlanta, from the suburbs to intown neighborhoods, where a recent string of violent crime has residents banding together in ways they might not have imagined until now.
In areas where high crime already was an issue, things could get worse before they get better, particularly as officials wrestle with having to cut public safety services to help their budgets. And in areas known to be safer, perceptions are changing —- areas like Atlanta's gentrifying intown neighborhoods.
In recent weeks, motivated by the shooting death last month of Grant Park bartender John Henderson, residents have taken their concerns public, showing up in force for anti-crime rallies, town hall meetings and community vigils to raise awareness and urge change.
In a recent interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta police Chief Richard Pennington said "according to the data that we have, there are some neighborhoods where the data don't go along with what has actually transpired in their community. We've had reductions [in crime] in a lot of those neighborhoods. And then, some of the neighborhoods that we've had an increase in burglary and property crimes, those neighborhoods haven't had a large outcry."
2nd Amendment rights
In Cobb County, where Ely and Brown filed their applications, the increase in applications was even more dramatic than it was statewide. Records show permit applications were up in the county by 139.6 percent for 2008, from 3,660 to 8,770.
It caught the eye of Cobb County Probate Judge Keli Wolk on Jan. 2 of this year, her first day in office. By
2 p.m. that day, 71 people had submitted permit applications, Wolk said.
"There are quite a few people in our license area filling out applications at most any time of the day," she said.
Officials in other counties report a palpable rush. "We literally sometimes have to get deputies to direct our lines," said Lorraine Stafford, who processes permit applications in Gwinnett County.
Permit applications were up 85.7 percent in Gwinnett, from 3,952 in 2007 to 7,340 in 2008. In the first 15 days of January, another 500 applicants walked through the door, Stafford said.
Ely, who lives in Acworth and works in building in Atlanta, fits with the majority of the more than three dozen, mostly first-time applicants who were interviewed in person, by phone or by e-mail about their decision to obtain a firearms permit. They expressed concern that the Obama administration and the Democrat-controlled Congress may take aim at the Second Amendment by banning certain weapons or even raising the costs of some guns and ammunition.
Ely said he read of that possibility in publications he receives from the National Rifle Association, the Republican Party and his industry publications.
Spikes in gun permits and sales have been reported before, including after President Bill Clinton was elected and when there were debates over gun restrictions in the 1993 Brady Bill that imposed nationwide background checks on buyers.
Top officials with the NRA have predicted that the Obama administration will be "anti-firearms ownership and anti-Second Amendment." Gun rights advocates also point to his support, as an Illinois state legislator, for a ban on all forms of semiautomatic weapons and for tighter state restrictions generally on firearms.
The White House Web site describes the president and Vice President Joe Biden as respectful of the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, but supporting measures to keep guns away from children and criminals. It also says they favor making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.
In Georgia, citizens can keep a loaded firearm in their home, vehicle or business without a permit, provided they are not convicted felons.
Georgia's law on carrying concealed weapons was relaxed last July, when House Bill 89 took effect. The bill expanded the places where permit-holders could carry, to include restaurants serving alcohol, on public transit and in state parks. The Georgia firearm permit, which is obtained through the local probate court, is good for five years, costs about $40 and is issued after the applicant is fingerprinted and three background checks are run through the GBI and FBI for criminal convictions and mental health problems.
Ed Stone, whose group GeorgiaCarry.org pushed for last year's law change, said he believes the move by the Legislature made having a concealed weapons permit more appealing to Georgia gun owners.
"I believe people view the license as worth something now," Stone said. "Now they can carry in places where they actually go."
Packing peace of mind
Sandy Springs resident Cressel Anderson said the state law change made a difference to him. "I wanted to get a GFL (Georgia Firearm License) since I moved to Atlanta in 2006. However, the complicated restrictions on where a firearm could legally be carried discouraged me."
He applied for his license July 3, two days after the new state law took effect.
July had the single highest number of applications for 2008, with 11,732. There were 11,221 applications the month before the presidential election.
The state does not track how many of the 121,219 concealed permit applications were turned down.
There also are no records kept on how many guns are sold. The closest estimates are based on data from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System. In 2008, there were 8.4 million background checks from Jan. 1 to Sept. 28, compared to 7.7 million in the same period, it was reported late last year.
Alice Johnson, director of Georgians for Guns Safety, which opposed Georgia's law change last year, fears the surge in applications will mean more guns "winding up on the streets, in the hands of people who shouldn't have them by law.
"It is problematic," she said.
Another concern is the lack of mandatory training.
Mike Jones, the police chief of Suwanee and the president of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, said the association's concern has always been about the lack of mandatory training.
"You don't have to show you can read or write or make decisions," Jones said. "At a minimum, there should be some training on when to shoot legally."
Covington Police Chief Stacey Cotton sees a positive in the application surge.
"I think it's a good thing that the citizens of Georgia are taking the time to lawfully get their permit instead of carrying it and, maybe, unknowingly breaking the law," Cotton said. "Law-abidding citizens are usually no threat to us."
Some applying for concealed weapons permits say having a firearm provides a bit of peace of mind.
David Hsu, a software engineer from Norcross, said his car was broken into while he was running errands in Midtown last May.
"A witness had called the police as it happened, but the police ended up not even showing up at the scene, instead offering to take a report over the phone," he said.
"This really opened my eyes as to how people must take responsibility for their own safety."
Attitudes like his have added to the boom in business, say operators of gun shops and shooting ranges.
Tom Coyne with the American Classic Marksman shooting range in Norcross didn't have to see any government statistics to know there's a dramatic increase in gun interest. It started for his company on Election Day.
"That Tuesday was the busiest day the company had," said Coyne, whose company also has added more training classes and instructors.
"People were in buying. I'm not saying it was a frenzy, but they were very interested."
GEORGIA LAW
> No permit is required in Georgia to keep a gun in your home or any place in your car, provided you are eligible for a Georgia Firearm License.
> Permit is required to carry on your person, and there are restrictions that prohibit carrying a concealed weapon at places, including public- owned buildings, sporting events, churches, schools, nuclear power plants and the General Assembly. This requires the purchase of a five-year, renewable Georgia firearm permit that's issued after you are fingerprinted and pass background checks for criminal and mental problems.
What can you do with a Georgia firearm permit?
The permit allows you to carry your gun outside the home, car and place of business, subject to certain restrictions. You don't need a permit for those places. The permit also allows you to conceal the weapon.
GETTING A PERMIT
What it takes to get a Georgia firearm permit, which allows you to carry a concealed weapon.
Step 1: Meet the license qualifications for Georgia as listed in Georgia Code 16-11-129. Basically, you have to be a state resident, a legal United States resident, a resident of the county where you are making your application and at least 21 with a clean criminal and mental history.
Step 2: Apply to the probate court in your county, where you will fill in an application, pay the required (usually nonrefundable) fees and find out how to get fingerprinted. Permits are usually issued within 60 days.
Step 3: Provide a photo ID and proof of residency. A Georgia driver's license or state ID card will serve as both. Check with your local probate court for other qualifying documents. The permit is valid for five years.
Source: GeorgiaCarry.org and probate courts
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"I had previously had a permit that had expired. I have always had guns for sport/hobby. However, I believe there is a greater need now for personal protection than ever before."
RAY BRADY
retired, Douglasville
"I obtained a license to carry concealed weapons for several reasons. The economy is bad and getting worse, and with this I perceive a rise in crime. With this license, I now have another option for action if my family or I am faced with a life threat. … I wanted to increase the chance that my Second Amendment rights would be preserved or at least grandfathered for the duration of my license period in case firearm rights were reduced under a Democrat majority power hold."
PAUL ELIA
entrepreneur/IT consultant, Atlanta
"I don't trust the federal government, the state government or the local government to do the right thing. I believe in self-reliance."
BOB WELLS
truck driver, Auburn
"Obtaining a concealed weapons permit has only extended to me the right afforded me by the Second Amendment of our U.S. Constitution. I do not flaunt that right, nor do I actually carry my weapons that often. But when I feel the need to do so, I am happy that I have that right."
GARY MARTIN
national sales manager for a major auto parts manufacturer, Decatur
"One night my wife and I were lying in bed when we heard a crash out on the back deck. I then heard two voices and the sound of people running off. It made me and my wife nervous that people had been on our property late at night, looking at possibly breaking in when we had a baby in the house. I applied for my license that very [next] morning."
CHRIS NICOLL
nurse, Marietta
"By acquiring a GFL [Georgia Firearm License] it allows me to comply with the law when and if I choose to carry a weapon. Additionally, I wanted to add myself to the number of people with permits to send the message to the powers that be that we represent a very large voting block."
HARRY R. GARRETT
retired, Woodstock
ELIZABETH LANDT / Staff
FIREARM PERMIT APPLICATIONS
For metro countries
....................2007 ......2008 ......Percent increase
Cherokee County......1,304......2,943......125.7%
Clayton County ......1,837......2,955......60.9%
Cobb County..........3,660......8,770......139.6%
DeKalb County........2,096......4,082......94.8%
Forsyth County ......1,203......2,470......105.3%
Fulton County........3,206......5,364......67.3%
Gwinnett County......3,952......7,340......85.7%
Sources: Metro probate courts, GBI
ELIZABETH LANDT / Staff
STATEWIDE CONCEALED WEAPON PERMITS
Total submissions by month (online and in person)
Jan. 2008: 7,276
Dec. 2008: 15,056
2008 Total: 121,219
Jan. 2007: 6,371
Dec. 2007: 5,142
2007 Total: 67,640
Source: Georgia Bureau of Investigation
