ShareThisNew sheriffs in California's Sacramento and El Dorado counties say that, despite the deadly Tucson shootings, they are preparing to fulfill their campaign pledges to make it easier for residents to obtain concealed weapons permits.
El Dorado County Sheriff John D'Agostini and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said Saturday's attack on U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, which left six dead and 14 others wounded in Arizona, hasn't dissuaded them from fulfilling their campaign promises. Arizona does not require concealed weapons permits.
Both Jones and D'Agostini won runoff elections in which concealed gun permits were a major issue.
As mass shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner made his first court appearance Monday, Jones said the shooting in Tucson had reinforced his faith in California's concealed weapons law.
He said the public was better protected by California's procedures, which mandate gun training, require applicants to show good cause for needing a concealed firearm, and restrict permits to those of good moral standing.
"People who have the power of carrying are also tempered with the responsibility that goes with it," Jones said. "We've never had anybody get shot by somebody holding a (concealed weapons) permit."
Since taking office in December, Jones said, "we've had a boom in the number of applications" for concealed weapons permits. So far none has been issued under his leadership.
El Dorado County's D'Agostini, who took office last week, said his staff is preparing new policies and procedures for issuing concealed weapons permits.
Both D'Agostini and Jones say they intend to use their broad discretion to more freely issue permits to law-abiding citizens who can show cause. "It's their right," D'Agostini said.
Jones' policy is likely to be more liberal than that of his predecessor, John McGinness, who endorsed him.
McGinness, who this week began a new job as a talk radio host on KFBK, an AM station in Sacramento, discussed the Tucson shootings in an interview before he went on air.
He said he couldn't help wondering what might have been prevented if more citizens at the gathering had been armed.
"It may cause the results of a massacre to be somewhat reduced by virtue of someone in the area being prepared and able to defend themselves with firepower," he said.
(Contact Hudson Sangree at hsangree(at)sacbee.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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