Q&A of the Day – Trends with Florida’s Gun Owners After the Permitless Carry Law
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Today’s Entry: Brian- what’s your take on this?
Bottom Line: The “this” that I was asked about was a story from Fresh Take Florida’s Jack Lemnus that made the rounds in numerous state publicans last week. The headline to the story is this: Florida’s permitless carry gun law leads to dramatic drop in safety classes. From there the story details a significant decline in Floridians seeking firearms training courses since the state’s new permitless carry law went into effect July 1st. Before diving into what’s happened over the past four months with the new law in place, here’s a quick reset as to what is in the new law for those who may not be aware. Here's the legal summary:
- Authorizes person to carry concealed weapon or firearm if he or she is licensed to do so or meets specified requirements; requires person who is carrying concealed weapon or firearm without license to carry identification & display upon demand by law enforcement; prohibits person who is carrying concealed weapon or firearm without license from carrying such weapon or firearm in specified locations; authorizes nonresident to carry concealed weapon or firearm in this state if he or she meets same requirements as resident; requires Office of Safe Schools to develop behavioral threat management operational process.
The crux of the new law is that Floridians who are legally able to purchase and possess firearms may conceal carry that weapon with or without a CWL, with the preexisting restrictions as to where one may carry in place: IE schools, government buildings and businesses which prohibit them on their property. And it’s on that note which the article referenced in today’s Q&A is largely focused. Knowing what Florida’s guns laws are and being properly trained in the use of a firearm. As noted in the story, there’s been a 64% decline in those seeking formal firearms training courses which were previously required for one to lawfully conceal carry in Florida. That’s a large number but it’s not quite as large as it seems in context.
Historically we’ve seen a trend with gun purchases. When politicians are threatening additional restrictions on the purchasing of firearms sales surge. When politicians loosen the regulations involving the purchasing of firearms, sales tend to decrease. That’s exactly what we’ve seen since Florida’s new law took effect. While the exact total of firearms purchased isn’t tracked, the number of background checks for the purchasing of firearms are off significantly since July 1st when the new law took effect with a year-over-year decline of 15%. Effectively what we’ve seen since Florida’s new law took effect is about half of gun owners undergoing optional firearms training and about half opting not to. Now, part of what’s potentially a bit misleading in this story is the implication that this is necessarily an apples-to-apples comparison.
While the decline in both those seeking formal firearms training and those seeking background checks is lower, what isn’t known is how many of those who’ve purchased firearms since Florida’s new law took effect intend to conceal carry those firearms. If you were paying attention to the rhetoric by critics of the new law preceding its implementation, you would think there would have already been a rash of mass shootings and a regular rise in murders. We haven’t seen any evidence of this being this case, and in reality, if you didn’t know the law changed as of July 1st, you almost certainly wouldn’t have known that anything has changed. What we’ve seen thus far is effectively what has long been expressed by those who’re supportive of 2nd Amendment rights. Criminals by definition commit crimes. Law abiding gun owners by definition don’t. It was always unlikely that easing concealed carry laws would lead to a rash of otherwise law-abiding citizens committing crimes with firearms. With that said there is a caveat. If you aren’t informed about what the law is, it’s possible to accidentally break it.
As is noted in the story many firearms instructors, who obviously do have a dog in the hunt, point towards many lawful owners not being fully aware of what Florida’s law currently is which could lead to unintended consequences along the way. From carrying firearms into airports, to carrying firearms within 1,000 feet of a school, there are examples of well-intended gun owners either making mistakes with where they carry their firearms because they’ve grown accustomed to carrying and/or because they aren’t aware of where they’re not allowed to carry. Gun related charges are almost always a big deal.
Speaking from my perspective, while Florida’s law may not mandate training, I’ve always thought it’s important to be well informed and well trained prior to purchasing let alone carrying a firearm. My wife Ashley and I have taken numerous courses and undergone several training exercises over the years to stay current on the changes in laws that might be relevant to us and to keep our skills up. I personally think that’s the responsible thing to do. That said, that doesn’t always equate to needing a prescribed course. Many gun owners have access to experts who are friends or family they can train with that aren’t documented as official courses but that may be every bit as effective (or perhaps even more so). For that reason, while I think there’s validity to the point behind the story, the truth will be told with the trends we see with gun related crimes throughout Florida going forward. Don’t be surprised if we continue to see a decline in crime.