Criminal charges faced by those who have a permit to carry a concealed weapon have jumped by a 10-fold increase in the Detroit tri-county area over a 10-year period.
According to a comprehensive story published today by MLive, that spike in alleged crimes committed by those with a concealed pistol license (CPL) is roughly consistent with the corresponding statewide statistics from 2003-04 to 2013-14.
Relying on Michigan State Police yearly data that is kept on a June-to-June timeline, MLive reported that arrests of CPL holders in Wayne County rose from 128 in 2003-04 to 1,203 in 2013-14. In Oakland County, the increase in these arrests went from 62 to 680. And in Macomb County, where a jump in CPL holders began 20 years ago, the increase went from 63 to 466.
News of these huge increases comes as a bill was introduced in the state House earlier this month that would eliminate the CPL licensing system and allow anyone who passes a basic background check to purchase a gun to also carry that gun as a concealed weapon on the streets.
That Republican-sponsored legislation follows on the heels of a state law that took effect on Dec. 1 which eliminated the county gun boards –- three-member panels of law enforcement officials – that had scrutinized requests for concealed weapons permits in Michigan for decades.
The statewide statistics show that the number of CPLs increased by approximately 300 percent during the 10-year time frame but criminal charges for those with a CPL increased 11 times what they were 10 years prior.
Many of the arrests, while reflecting criminal behavior, did not involve a gun. In some cases, the defendant was found not guilty or charges were dropped. In other cases, offenders were convicted of crimes as severe as second-degree murder as a result of an altercation.
Law enforcement officials emphasize that the vast majority of people who have a concealed weapon permit are average, law-abiding citizens. But the dramatic liberalization of the CPL process that was approved by the state Legislature in 2001 resulted in many more permit holders – and, among those, most would not have qualified for a carry permit under the prior licensing system.
In 2003-04, CPL holders across Michigan were charged with just 48 cases of “brandishing” a pistol. Ten years later that number jumped to 367.
MLive provides county-by-county data here.
One case highlighted by MLive was a road rage incident in Macomb County last October that was ignited by competing claims of reckless driving. At a traffic light, a man got out of his vehicle and threw a Slurpee in the face of a female motorist. She responded by firing a pistol shot that missed the man, with the bullet lodging in a door of his truck.
“I’m a licensed CPL holder, so I shot at him because I didn’t know what the hell he was doing,” she told police.
She was charged with assault with intent to murder and other offenses, a case that remains pending in court. The other driver was charged with misdemeanors.
“Every now and then you’re going to have someone not acting within the law,” said Macomb County Sheriff Tony Wickersham.
