More Oversight – An Opinion

Sacramento Bee Opinion.

Considering pre-Sykes requirements to “qualify” for a CCW, there is no doubt Scott Jones’ policies will appear more “liberal.”  Even so, I spent no less than $400 on the entire process, including training, to legally carry, and 180 days waiting.

Sheriff Jones’ liberalized gun policy puts him at odds with Sacramento city police Chief Rick Braziel, who says he’s never seen a study showing that more guns make society safer.

Though data suggests that more guns correlate with less crime, “There’s no clear relationship between more guns and higher levels of violence.” (www.GunFacts.info, Small Arms Survey Project, Keith Krause, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, 2007).

Even so, “We decide that by looking, not to which side has the better statistics, but rather to what the framers said in the Constitution, because that policy choice was made for us in the Constitution.”  – Alan Gura, Oral arguments in McDonald v Chicago.

Eventually, carrying concealed ought to be viewed as a right.  As such  “a legislature should respect the fact that there is a constitutional right at issue.”  And so should a Chief LEO.

Braziel interprets the “good cause” requirement in state law conservatively. Sacramento city police chiefs have issued only 10 concealed weapons permits since 1999 and only three remain active. One went to a deputy district attorney who lives in Sacramento but works in a different county where he prosecutes gang members, has been personally threatened and had his house broken into. The other two went to sitting judges who were threatened.

So otherwise, to get a CA PC 12050 license from Chief Braziel, we need to be among the only ones?  I don’t see business owner, father, mother, etc. on that list.

The good news is that this article highlights Cheif Braziel’s strict policies.

If you’re in Sacramento County and wish to apply for a CCW, click here.  You may also contact me for information on the process.