As a Florida county sheriff, I oppose permitless carry laws
As a law enforcement officer who has been serving his community for over 30 years, I vehemently oppose any type of permitless or open-carry legislation. I’m not alone. Many law enforcement leaders — even in states that allow it — oppose this senseless idea.
Gun violence across our nation continues at an alarming rate. Already in 2023, as of Sunday, there have been 49 mass shootings in the United States. Six of those were in Florida. By the time you read this, that number will likely have grown.
A “constitutional carry” or permitless-carry law will make its way through the Florida Legislature this session, and open-carry legislation will likely follow. When I look at any proposed legislation, I ask two questions: How will this help law enforcement, and what is the impact to our residents?
Permitless and open-carry laws put law enforcement in the dangerous position of having to determine, sometimes within a split second, whether someone with a gun is exercising their rights or intends to do harm.
In a world where my deputies’ heads are on a pivot, constantly looking out for active shooters, doing all they can to protect this community from violence, permitless carry would make their jobs exponentially harder.
I have patrolled the streets here in Orange County. I have walked a beat in downtown Orlando as the bars and nightclubs let out at 2 a.m. Anyone who has done the same would tell you that allowing people to carry guns openly, or without a concealed carry permit, is a recipe for disaster.
We already have too many violent encounters because of simple disagreements. Throwing more guns into the mix will only increase shootings and deaths by gunfire.
Why do we need this law? The current system of requiring a permit to carry a gun in public is working. The merit of a concealed-weapons license is that some level of training is required. Responsible gun owners do not have an issue obtaining those permits.
If it is legal for anyone to carry a concealed weapon, it will be very difficult for law enforcement to determine whether someone is a convicted felon or is prohibited from having firearms because of our state’s red-flag law.
More people carrying firearms — either openly or concealed — without proper training will inevitably lead to more shootings. In my opinion, Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law has already been used by criminals to justify unlawful shootings.
Passing a permitless carry law would open the door to more situations where someone fired shots because they “felt threatened” by the mere presence of someone else with a gun.
In some places around the country, heavily armed people are using opencarry laws as a silent intimidation tactic at peaceful protests. They know that in places like Florida — where we have seen the devastation mass shootings wreak on a community — just the presence of a heavily armed person in a public place is enough to create a sense of panic.
If open carry ultimately passed in Florida, imagine how our residents and visitors would react if a person, carrying a rifle and wearing body armor, walked into a supermarket or mall. Or simply walked the perimeter of an elementary school.
To me, it’s clear that this legislation, at this moment in time, is more about politics than public safety. And when politics takes precedent over public safety, it is very dangerous for all of us.
John Mina is the Orange County sheriff and the former chief of the Orlando Police Department.