The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 01/11/2009 08:59:04 AM MST
Gun owners are flooding the state with applications for concealed weapons permits, with almost 45,000 applications filed in 2008, easily a record number, quadrupling the figure from just four years ago.
With the surge, about one in every 25 Utahns over age 21 could be carrying a licensed concealed weapon, according to a Salt Lake Tribune analysis of numbers from the Bureau of Criminal Identification.
In December, alone, BCI received 6,000 permit requests — the highest number ever, capping a year with six record-breaking months.
In all, about 71,000 Utahns have a license to pack a concealed weapon. It is estimated that another 71,000 out-of-state residents have a Utah permit.
For those of you who have a concealed weapon permit what were your reasons? The article attributed the rise “to several factors: national politics, the economic downturn and well-publicized shootings”. Do your reasons coincide with those?
For the rest of us: do you feel safer? or does the prospect of more guns on the street make you a little nervous
First of all – 1 in 25 Utahns have permits. That doesn’t mean they all pack heat. I helped organize a local CFP class this weekend and 80 people showed up. I slept much better that night knowing 80 of my neighbors will soon have their permits.
I’ve had my permit for over a year. I got it for many reasons. For the most part, it gives me one other option in the unlikely (though ever increasing) chance that things were to go bad. Rather than cower, run, or hope I don’t become a victim, I have an option to be proactive and defend myself and my family. I carry every day and am better trained and shoot more than any police officer I know.
Obama has publicly commented many times that he wants to get rid of concealed carry rights. I think Utahns are simply taking him at his word.
My guess is, the big upswing is because of Obama and his very anti-gun ways…
People are trying to grandfather themselves in before something happens, look at all the EBR sales this year, especially right after the election – I guarantee it wasn’t because people didn’t feel safe.
My reasons were more of a political nature than safety – I mean who doesn’t feel safe in Logan?
What’s great about Utah is, you don’t even need a permit to open carry (none in the chamber). It’s also nice to know 31 states except my permit to carry as their own…Now if we could only get it to be like Vermont, that would be AWESOME!
Reason:
I will give you 5 reasons.
1. My wife.
2. My oldest son.
3. My middle son.
4. My youngest son.
5. Myself.
There is only 1 person responsible for, and able to, protect me and my family and that is me. I simply carry a gun because I have the responsiblity for my own safety and the safety of my family. Remember….when seconds count, the cops are only minutes away.
The government estimates that there are 2 million crimes per year prevented in the USA by civilians using personal guns.
I occasionally get asked if I could actually shoot someone and if I could live with that. My reply is simple, I hope I never have to use my gun. I would not wish that on anyone or the consequences of doing so on anyone. However, I would rather live with those consequences than with the consequences of NOT protecting myself or my family.
If you want some insight into Utahn’s and concealed carry issues, please visit http://www.utahconcealedcarry.com and spend some time on our forum.
I agree that the upswing is because there is a fear that Obama will not look favorably on a citizen’s right to self defense.
I have a concealed weapons permit. I don’t often carry, maybe 1-2 times in the last 3 months. Why? I feel a certain responsibility to be capable of defending my family. I do a lot of backpacking, in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah, and prefer to have more than pepper spray. The story is somewhat misleading, the statistics may show 1/25 have a permit, but I would bet that not more than 1/200 of those with a permit are actually carrying daily. The real story here is the fact that 71,000 Utahns have the ability to conceal loaded firearms and how many are committing crimes with them? How many have overreacted and used them inappropriately? Where are those statistics? If guns are sooo evil why do we not have these 70,000 armed Utahns causing more problems?
@Jakester84321
Because that’s not the way to disarm the people.
Scare tactics and misleading information is the way to do it – well that and “WON’T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN” mantra.
Why does Chicago, LA or DC have such high gun crime rates – yet have such strict gun laws? Who’s winning there? The people who are hampered by these gun laws or the criminals who don’t follow the laws.
The people loose everytime…