Permitless Gun Carrying Laws Pose Danger For Police

Many celebrate the end of the bureaucracy around what they consider Americans' constitutional right to carry any firearm they want. Permitless carry laws have created a dilemma for police officers working the streets: They now have to decide, sometimes in seconds, if someone with the right to carry a gun is a danger, the Associated Press reports. “Kentucky is one of the states that allows a citizen to ‘open carry’ – meaning it is perfectly legal to walk down a public street carrying a loaded gun out in the open,” said attorney Greg Simms. Advocates say permitless carry makes people safer. Opponents say it makes it more dangerous for ordinary people and for police officers.

“It’s no secret why so many law enforcement leaders are speaking out against permitless carry laws,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Allowing anyone to carry a gun anywhere makes the job of a police officer harder and more dangerous.” Gun violence is up nationwide. There have been 35,000 deaths in the U.S. so far this year, following 45,000 deaths in 2020 and in 2021. About seventy nine percent of the killings in 2020 involved a firearm, the highest percentage since at least 1968. This year, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a law removing the permit requirement for carrying a handgun in public even though Indiana’s state police superintendent weighed in against it. The new law took effect July 1. Under the new law, officers can’t immediately grab a gun or ask to see a permit when they pull someone over.