The New Falcon Herald August issue addressed the legalities of concealed firearm carry in Colorado. This month, the conversation continues with the pros and cons of concealed carry. Colorado requires that applicants meet specific conditions before a concealed carry permit is issued by the county sheriff. The reasons individuals choose to carry a firearm span from constitutional right, self and family defense to a prepared/protective personality.All 50 states legally permit firearm carry within their borders. Research into the widely debated topic of concealed carry finds the following common responses for and against concealing firearms:Pro 1: Concealed handguns deter crime. In a 2005 National Crime Victimization Survey, 26 women said they used a weapon to resist being raped. In all 26 cases†the rape was not completed nor did the victims suffer additional injury after deploying their weapon.Con 1: Permitting concealed carry handguns increases crime. It is believed a person will escalate an altercation to the use of a firearm in a situation where they normally wouldnít consider it.Pro 2: The right to carry concealed handguns is guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. The federal 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, in the December 2012 case†Moore v. Madigan, ruled 2-1 that the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms “must be interpreted to include a right to have a concealed gun in public, to have it ready for use, and to have it for self-defense.”Con 2: Second Amendment rights have limits. Conversely, the argument can be made the right to bear arms is intended strictly for militias and not personal use.Pro 3: Most adults who carry concealed handguns are law-abiding and do not misuse their firearms. Andy Wolf, a permit holder and Iraq War veteran said, ìEverything changed in my first two years being legally armed. Since then, I donít drink in public, Iím very polite to people, I avoid a fight whenever possible, drive carefully and Iím†very†careful about what I say in public.î Con 3: Concealed carry application requirements and background checks do not prevent dangerous people from acquiring firearms. In May 2007, the†South Florida Sun-Sentinel†reviewed a list of concealed gun permit holders in Florida and found that 1,400 had pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony; 216 had outstanding warrants; and 128 had active domestic violence injunctions.Pro 4: Carrying a concealed handgun could help stop a public shooting spree. In December 2007, a volunteer security guard at the Colorado Springs New Life Church utilized his concealed handgun to shoot an attacker who had opened fire in the church.Con 4: Criminals are more likely to carry a gun if they suspect that victims may also be armed. The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research reported 75 percent of incarcerated felons admitted carrying a gun during their crime because there is always a chance their victim would be armed.†Pro 5: Concealed handguns protect people who cannot always rely on police forces for protection. Depending on location, police response time could mean the difference between life and death. Con 5: Public safety should be left to professionally qualified officers, not private citizens with little or no expert training. Concealed carry permit classes can be less than 24 hours in length, whereas law enforcement officers have years of continued training.To conceal or not to conceal: How does this apply to the Falcon, Black Forest and Peyton community? The El Paso County Sheriffís Office provided crime statistics for the last three years and added the current numbers for reported cases in 2017. Worthy to note, there were three homicides over the last two years in Falcon and Peyton. One of the three deaths involved the use of a handgun, while the second was a stabbing, and the most recent homicide labeled an undisclosed cause. According to arrest papers, in May 2016, accused killer Gustavo Torres-Gonzales shot and killed Daryl Ritz, a 33-year veteran of the Colorado Springs Fire Department, on Judge Orr Road in Falcon. An August 2016 KRDO article details how Timothy Hagins, allegedly schizophrenic, went into a Falcon home and attacked, strangled and stabbed the home owner with an ice scraper, spatula, mop handle and other items. Hagins was later overpowered and held at another home in Black Forest until deputies arrived. Lastly, an April 2017 ìGazetteî article revealed one body was dumped along Highway 24 near Peyton with an undisclosed cause of death. In the category of non-violent crime, Falcon has substantial numbers of reported theft and criminal trespass auto. Angela Gillespie, EPSO crime analyst, noted that the ìheightened numbers of theft in Falcon during 2016 were attributed to a specific group of individuals working their way through the communityî before finally being caught by EPSO detectives.The reported crime statistics for Falcon, Black Forest and Peyton appear rather consistent. Murder is not something residents in the community expect to happen on a regular basis. Would a concealed weapon have made a difference in any of the three homicides? Who knows? The pros and cons have been stated. In the end, itís a matter of choice.The El Paso County Sheriffís Office provided the following chart to the NFH.
