An Alabama Republican sheriff wants to see youths under age 21 required to purchase a permit to carry a concealed weapon, and he’s gathering information to see if there can be an effort to change the permitless carry law in the Alabama Legislature.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch told AL.com last week that young offenders have increasingly been those involved in gun and gang-related violence in the past year, and that requiring them to carry a permit would give law enforcement a tool to seize the firearms before they are used violently.
“I agree with the argument that the people committing these crimes will get a gun regardless of what the law said,” said Burch. “But right now, we don’t have the ability to take it from them.”
He added, “I think what would help in maybe moving in this right direction is to have some education for law enforcement, as well, that this isn’t (targeted at) the school teacher who left a gun in their car. Common sense comes along with this. But when you got a group of people riding around at 2 in the morning with multiple guns in the car, there is no good intention there.”
Burch said he plans to approach lawmakers to gauge interest in his proposal, including the “primary contributors to the permitless carry bill” that was approved by lawmakers in 2022, and signed into law.
One of the chief proponents of the bill was Rep. Shane Stringer, R-Citronelle, a former Captain within the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office who was removed from his position in 2021, because of differing views about a statewide permitless carry law with then-Sheriff Sam Cochran. Stringer did not return a call for comment.
Alabama became the 25th state in the U.S. to approve a permitless carry law in 2022 amid a push by gun rights groups and a looming election that year. The approval came above the objection of law enforcement officials, particularly county sheriffs who were worried about public safety and revenue losses.
It’s unclear if any effort to undo the permitless carry law will have any interest from the Republican-dominated Legislature.
The gun lobby will likely have pause.
“NRA supports the right of all law-abiding adults to carry without government permission,” said Randy Kozuch, executive director with the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action.
Former Baldwin County Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack, the new executive director with the Alabama Sheriffs Association, told AL.com last month that he didn’t anticipate any legislation coming forward on permitless carry, saying the sheriffs have “accepted” the law that lawmakers passed. He said sheriffs have reached out to their county commissioners to handle the decreased revenues from the permit fees, and that taxpayers – via General Funds – are supplementing the losses.
Burch said he’s just trying to gauge interest right now, and only recently came up with the idea about instituting a permit requirement for youths who carry concealed guns.
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“I think it would help law enforcement toward tackling the gun violence an arresting and seizing those guns used in these crimes prior to a shooting having occurred,” Burch said. “I don’t know how it will be received, but I think it’s a discussion that needs to be had.”