OK Police Express Few Concerns Over Constitutional Carry

Gun control proponents often argue that one of the issues with constitutional carry is that it makes things more difficult on police. They suggest that with a permit requirement, police can tell more easily who is carrying a gun lawfully and who isn’t. That may or may not be the case.

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However, having started on Friday, Oklahoma residents are now able to enjoy constitutional carry.

More interestingly is how law enforcement doesn’t seem to be particularly bothered by that fact.

Officials with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Tulsa Police Department and Oklahoma Highway Patrol all said this week they are briefing officers, reviewing the new laws and training, but they don’t expect great changes in day-to-day operations or to have a larger number of firearms-related issues to address in the long run.

But representatives of the Second Amendment Association and of Moms Demand Action see it as a major political and social shift — and the “gun sense” lobby argues there may indeed be more gun-related incidents with the changes.

Of course, groups like Moms Demand Action have been saying for years about how every single pro-gun law passed will lead to blood in the streets only for it to never happen.

You’d think they’d eventually get tired of being wrong, but they’re not. Not only that, but their friends in the media never really bother to check them on that fact either. If any group on the political right was so universally wrong on the impact of legislation, we’d be hearing night and day about how wrong they are on everything.

Gun control groups? Not so much.

The police, however, know better than to take those hysterics seriously.

“I think I’d rate it slightly above no big deal,” said Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado. “Kind of the same things were asked prior to concealed carry and open carry, if you remember. People were worried that the Wild West would reappear here in mid-America and it didn’t. I know it sounds simple, but I’ve got to say your average, law-abiding citizen will see very few openly carrying and in the grand scheme of things I think the average Tulsan won’t see a difference.”

Oklahoma Highway Patrol offered only the following statement on the issue: “The Oklahoma Highway Patrol sent a comprehensive training bulletin to all troopers setting forth and explaining the changes in the firearm statutes. The way we interact with the public and conduct traffic stops will not change as we continue to uphold the laws and provide a safe and secure environment for the public.”

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Sheriff Regalado is absolutely correct. This nonsense popped up in every state that looks to expand gun rights and it always will. That’s because all groups like Moms Demand Action have is fear. That’s all they have to peddle, so they try to use it to keep people from considering their own civil liberties.

For those in Oklahoma who might be a little worried, don’t be. The bad guys were already carrying regardless of the law. The police know that, too.

They’re probably just happy that there will be more armed good guys out there now.

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