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Police chief for new gun lawBy Joel Stottrup While some might have guessed that the Princeton Police Department would be against a reduction of the restrictions for obtaining a permit to carry a concealed handgun, that isn't the case. At least Police Chief Dave Warneke and his next in command, Sgt. Brian Payne, are not against the new law. Warneke said some of his officers are for and some against this law that takes effect May 28. One of the major changes is that instead of local police chiefs handling the granting of permits, it will be up to the sheriff of the county where the applicant lives. Also, the law that is being replaced required an applicant to explain why it was necessary to carry a handgun. A major change with the new law is that now each applicant must have successfully completed a certified gun training course on gun safety. The minimum age will be increased from 18 to 21 and there are certain conditions barring getting a permit. They are if a person is mentally handicapped or mentally ill, is a gang member or a felon. Chief Warneke also noted that if a person has been chemically dependent they must show proof they had completed a course on that. The permit fee will rise as well, going from $10 for the one year that it is currently good for, to $100 for the new permit which will be good for five years. One question Warneke didn't know the answer for was whether a current gun permit could extend to the remainder of its term or if the person has to apply for the new permit. Fewer than a half dozen handgun permits are current in the city of Princeton, according to Warneke. Warneke's thoughts "It doesn't bother me," Warneke said about the new law. "It bothers some of my officers." Warneke's explanation about being at peace with the law overall, except for a few concerns, has to do with his training. His training had indicated to him, he said, that "you should always look for the unexpected and no matter who the individual is, expect the worst. "Even in a traffic stop. Keep your eyes on the individual. Keep yourself on guard. So if we're on guard all the time, what's the difference between the bad guys carrying guns and the good guys carrying guns?" Asked about his concerns, Warneke said he would have preferred that police chiefs were still in on granting of the permits. Not to say that sheriffs don't know a lot of the residents, but they have such a big area to cover, he said. Warneke added that he understands police chiefs will still be doing the checks on the purchase of handguns. Warneke also questions if having the new permit last as long as five years is wise. People change in that period of time and some may not have gotten caught for a crime they committed, yet their permit is in effect, he said. Responding to fears raised about more guns in people's possession possibly resulting in more shootings, Warneke said, "Most law- abiding citizens, no matter how pressed they are, even by officers, would not resort to deadly force. That isn't the case always. Some can turn and get into a frenzy. "But what's the difference between that and someone beating you to death? If they want to, they will find a way." Sgt. Payne Sgt. Brian Payne, second in command at the Princeton PD, also spoke in favor if the new law. "I personally wished it had been in effect years ago," Payne said. If anyone wants to learn why he feels that way, he said, he advises them to read the book, "More Guns, Less Crime," by John Lott. The book talks about states that have adopted a similar "shall-issue" law and how there is a "benefit to society that comes with it," said Payne. He added that his feeling of support for such a law was only strengthened when he read the book. The book, says Payne, tells how in the 30-plus states with a similar law as the one just passed in Minnesota, violent crime and incidences of rape and murder have "gone down significantly." Payne also reviewed how the author had spoken to inmates. They said that an armed cop was not such a fear because they felt if they didn't provoke an officer in some way, an officer would only shoot as a "last resort," Payne said. The logic is that the people who commit crimes with guns may now think more carefully about daring to break into a house of a citizen, Payne explained. Without the law change, the "bad guys" may have been thinking of residents as easy prey but now have to worry a little more about the consequences of unauthorized entry, Payne said. Criminals may factor in jail as an occupational hazard but don't want the hazard of getting shot, Payne said. Payne was asked about the concern people have expressed about armed people using their handguns while acting out some kind of rage. Data from the book shows that as little as .00017 percent of those who legally carry handguns have committed a crime with them, Payne said. "I'm not saying it won't go up in Minnesota," Payne continued, but added that he thought the use of a 4,000-pound vehicle in a road-rage incident is more deadly than the use of a gun. But Payne said he is watching closely how gun safety training will fit in with the new law. He said he would like to see training that includes teaching the safe possession of a handgun. For example, authorities do felony traffic stops in a similar manner everywhere and, therefore, the approaching of vehicles under the new gun law should also be standardized, he suggested. Payne explained that he would prefer to know up front if someone in a car he is walking toward has a firearm. Maybe it would be best if the driver who has a gun in the car and is stopped by an officer just places their hands on the steering wheel and tells the officer they have a permit to carry a handgun, and if they have a gun with them. "I'd like to know that rather than hand someone a ticket and then look down and see there is a gun," Payne said. "Personally, I think it [the new law] is a good thing as long as people take it seriously to get instruction." Chief Warneke predicted the outcome may not be quite what some expect. "This is going to be a fad, for the most part," Warneke said. "I think it [carrying of a handgun or keeping track of it] is going to be cumbersome. How many times in my life, even as a police officer, did I feel I may have had a need to use a gun?" Toting around a handgun with its added weight and having it rub against clothing is not necessarily easy to get used to, he indicated, telling how a handgun can wear holes just from rubbing against cloth. Also, people will have to contemplate the liability that goes with possessing a firearm, such as it getting into the hands of children or people that shouldn't be holding one, he added. Recalling the popular TV series that featured Andy Griffith as a sheriff in fictitious Mayberry and his comical deputy, Barney Fife, who kept his one allotted bullet separate from his pistol, Warneke said that isn't the kind of situation now. People will have to be more conscious of where their permitted handgun is kept because it isn't going to be like "Barney Fife with a gun in one place and a bullet in another," he said. Note that the new law allows private establishments and public buildings, leased or controlled even temporarily by a private organization, to post signs prohibiting firearms. School districts already prohibit permit holders from carrying a firearm on school property. Princeton Union-Eagle |