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April 7, 2002Gun law spurs no violenceNo problems arising from concealed weapons permitsBy PATRICK SULLIVANRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Nine months after a state law that allows most people over the age of 21 to qualify for a concealed weapons permit, worries that gun violence would soar have not materialized and few glitches in the law have been reported. "It's obvious that people aren't shooting each other over traffic disputes, there's no blood in the street," said David Bieganowski, a Traverse City lawyer and chapter president of the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners. Michigan law was changed July 1, 2001, to allow citizens over 21 to receive a concealed weapons permit if they have completed a gun safety course unless they have been convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors or have a history of mental illness. Bieganowski, who is also a National Rifle Association certified firearms instructor and teaches the legal section of the gun safety course at several sportsman's clubs, said the biggest complaint he has heard is from people who have been denied permits because they have been cited for driving with an expired license plate. Because the law bars anyone with certain misdemeanors within the past eight years or any misdemeanor within the past three years from getting a permit, a violation for driving with an expired plate, a misdemeanor in Michigan, forces gun boards to deny permits. Department of Natural Resources fishing violations can also cause an applicant a three-year delay in obtaining a permit. "I'm sure it was an unintended consequence," Bieganowski said. "They call me and I tell them to call their state representative because I can't do anything about it." The overwhelming majority of people who apply for permits are granted them, according to records kept by the Michigan State Police and county clerks. In Grand Traverse County, 454 people have applied. Of those, five have been denied, 352 have been approved, and 97 are pending. Across northwest Lower Michigan, 2,273 people have applied, 14 have been denied, 1,798 have been approved and 461 are pending. Across the region, just over 10 percent of the applicants are women. Of the 1,798 permits approved, 182 went to women. The level of interest shown by women prompted Bieganowski to hold a "women-only" concealed weapon training course at the Cedar Rod & Gun Club in June. The class, announced last month, has already almost filled. "Women seem to light up a bit when they hear 'women-only,' " Bieganowski said. Many of the women who have already attended Bieganowski's classes are wives of men who own handguns. Women are more likely to want a concealed weapon permit for the purpose of personal protection than men, he said. "I'm sure the reasons are different and self-protection is the No. 1 reason for women, some men get them just out of principal," he said. No shootings in northern Michigan have been connected to concealed weapon permit holders. Wilson Brott, a lawyer who has also provided legal training for applicants, said the requirements to get a permit are meant to discourage violence. "What we try to do is make sure people are real wary of even pulling out your firearm," Brott said. The law also more severely restricts where people can carry a concealed weapon. Forbidden areas include bars, schools, churches, day care centers, hospitals and sports arenas. Missaukee County's gun board began issuing permits under the new law months before it took effect and they have seen no problems with permit holders, Missaukee Sheriff James Bosscher said. "Some people want them for traveling, some people want to carry, some people want them just because it's their right," Bosscher said. Patrick Sullivan is the reporter for crime, courts and public safety. He can be reached at (231) 933-1478, or at psullivan@record-eagle.com
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