Concealed Weapons Permits in Maryland

[Bo Pryor]

According to the Maryland State Police it is not possible to obtain a concealed handgun permit without proof of threats on your life. These threats have to be corroborated by a witness and have to have been reported to the police. At that point you may be eligible for a permit. The permit may still take up to 90 days to process.(http://www.mdsp.org/Downloads/Licensing_Appli... )

Does this seem like a horrible idea to anyone else? States like VA, PA, WV and countless others are "Shall Issue" states, meaning that they shall issue a concealed carry permit as long as the applicant has no criminal record or mental health/addiction issues and can pass a training program. Maryland has a higher crime rate than any of our bordering states. Is it unreasonable to think then, that the gun laws in Maryland are not helping at all. After all, criminals, by definition, don't obey the law. I am of the opinion, and the Dept of State and USMC agree with me, that you are safer when I am armed. Why doesn't Maryland agree?

[Bo Pryor]

Addendum to previous post:

It is possible to obtain a concealed carry permit if you have to make large cash deposits on a regular basis. Again, why is money worth more than the life of everyone around me on a regular basis?

In case you were wondering, the only way to stop an active shooter (someone on a killing spree) is to kill them. Police take time, through no fault of their own, to respond to an incident. However, if a potential victim is armed and can defend themselves and the lives of those around them then there shouldn't be any law that prevents that from happening.

[Just one guy]

if you obtain a letter or memo from the state police or local law enforcement stating the average response time to a call involving threat to life and can prove you have a good reason to think such a threat exist and has not yet surfaced ( such as a member of the armed forces who has served over seas, because of the large population of people that have recently move into the DC/Baltimore area) they will more than likely grant the permit.

[Southside Gang Member]

With the cops being redneck, this summer will be a warzone and I plan to go watch the mayhem and participate in it too as long as I soon get awayh with the money and go to disneyworld.

[GANG KILLER]

Southside Gang Member wrote:

With the cops being redneck, this summer will be a warzone and I plan to go watch the mayhem and participate in it too as long as I soon get awayh with the money and go to disneyworld.

YOU ARE A FOOL

[maryland resident]

i pay taxes like everyone else. These rich congressman need to step up and look at our rites to bar arms. I cant afford a body guard like them. Im an honest citizan. We should be able to carry like concealed like all the other states. I cant help live close to DC. They have their own laws.

[AL for us]

I moved out of maryland, i am in detroit but at least i can carry my glock where i want.

[Tye]

I agree with the statement about us wanting to protect ourselves and our families before we're prayed on by criminals. Just look at the police blotter in and around Balto. Co's and City. It's only getting worse. I just read the requirements from the MD state police and it's rediculous. I want to even show my wife how to shoot and carry a gun, espcially while she has our kids out in the evenings or whatever. People are getting robbed and carjacked like it's noting now.

[Chris]

I understand the whole idea of background checks and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. It's a good idea and it should continue. However, being that I'm an honest citizen shouldn't I be able to acquire a concealed weapons permit without having to prove a threat upon my life (2nd ammendment right). Furthermore, even if there was a credible threat on my life in ninety days I'd probably be dead before I could even get my hands on the permit. It's funny because it seems like the criminals in our government are same the people keeping guns out of the hands of honest citizens. I live in baltimore isn't that enough threat for you! INNOCENT people are being killed and our rights as honest citizens are being trampled.

[Anonymous]

Chris wrote:

I understand the whole idea of background checks and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. It's a good idea and it should continue. However, being that I'm an honest citizen shouldn't I be able to acquire a concealed weapons permit without having to prove a threat upon my life (2nd ammendment right). Furthermore, even if there was a credible threat on my life in ninety days I'd probably be dead before I could even get my hands on the permit. It's funny because it seems like the criminals in our government are same the people keeping guns out of the hands of honest citizens. I live in baltimore isn't that enough threat for you! INNOCENT people are being killed and our rights as honest citizens are being trampled.

First off, the 2nd amendment, the right to bear arms wasn't put there so everyone who wanted who was paranoid about being assaulted could carry a gun. It was put there to give the people the right to bear arms and form militia to protect against the tyranny of government. In other words, The United States, having just overcome the dictated laws and taxes of England, wanted protection to ensure the same couldn't be done by their own government. Now, do you really think we're on the brink of another Civil War? I highly doubt it. So there goes that need.
I too grew up and have lived in the Baltimore area all of my life. I like to think that while the area has it's problems, my life is not in imminent danger every time I step out of my home.
This is not to say that I think no one should own guns. I believe everyone should be given the right to a THOROUGH background check and then have the right to own a gun either for game (hunting) or home invasion protection. If someone breaks into your home with a gun, I think you have the right to shoot them. I'm not a bleeding heart liberal who thinks no one should own a gun and we shouldn't hunt or eat meat, blah, blah, blah. If you want to own a gun and use it responsibly for hunting and home protection, go right ahead and apply for a permit to do so.
But if you want to be able to walk the streets of my city/state (yeah, it's my city/state too, I pay my taxes) then you had better prove, beyond a doubt, that you need to carry that pistol because your life literally depends upon it.

[Peter]

Yes I do believe that our govenment, particulaly my state government is abusing its power. And shoudl we not have the right to carry a weapon outside of our homes, how would we ever be able to resist a corupt govenment. Furthermore, there is abundant data which clearly demonstate that the states which have shall carry laws have significantly less murder and violent crime than those states which do not. Maryland has approximately 26% more violent crime than Pennsylvania and Virginia. It's simply amazing, that so many people continue to make decisions baed on the feelings, rather than the evidence.

[Gene]

Anonymous wrote:

<quoted text>
First off, the 2nd amendment, the right to bear arms wasn't put there so everyone who wanted who was paranoid about being assaulted could carry a gun. It was put there to give the people the right to bear arms and form militia to protect against the tyranny of government. In other words, The United States, having just overcome the dictated laws and taxes of England, wanted protection to ensure the same couldn't be done by their own government. Now, do you really think we're on the brink of another Civil War? I highly doubt it. So there goes that need.

Supreme Court already settled that issue in Heller vs. DC case by affirming "Individual rite to bear arms" so there goes that argument.
As far as walking the streets of Baltimore and other cities of our state:
I'd be much more comfortable knowing that law abiding people around me MAYBE carrying concealed guns and that any occasional criminal in the crown knows it too and that HE is afraid.
Experience of every state that relaxed their carry laws have shown substantial reduction in violent crime rate.
So far the only way to achieve similar result in the City of Baltimore was by underreporting.
As for the politicians – I don’t think their decisions are based on emotions.
I believe it is a calculated strategy to get re-elected by exploiting emotions of undereducated populous.
By adapting restricting laws (that they know as well as anyone only applied to law abiding citizens) they get the ability to say I did something on the campaign trail and betraying the very people they ask for a vote.

[Hello Kitty]

This is for Gene... Thank you for answering "Anonymous" now all this is good but we seem to, mostly, be preaching to the choir. We need to send these remarks to Congress... daily! We need to call and e-mail with stats.. like the crime rates of Md to VA, PA, an, WVA. Also with information on the stats from places like Morton Grove, Illinois and Kennesaw, Georgia. Go to
http://progressivevalues.blogspot.com/2007/04...
for the truth.

[Howdy]

Having lived in Maryland for 5 yrs (1.5yrs in Bodymore), Texas for 5, and Florida for 4. I have only to say Maryland "takes the cake" as far as violent crime is concerned. Even though this is only an anecdotal statement on my part; I believe people can only remain ignorant about the statistics showing a drop in violent crimes in other concealed carry states for so long. Forget the stats from the NRA, or the Brady Campaign. All people have to do now is look up unbiased records kept by the various states office of vital records.

[USMC Corporal]

Anonymous wrote:

<quoted text>
First off, the 2nd amendment, the right to bear arms wasn't put there so everyone who wanted who was paranoid about being assaulted could carry a gun. It was put there to give the people the right to bear arms and form militia to protect against the tyranny of government. In other words, The United States, having just overcome the dictated laws and taxes of England, wanted protection to ensure the same couldn't be done by their own government. Now, do you really think we're on the brink of another Civil War? I highly doubt it. So there goes that need.
I too grew up and have lived in the Baltimore area all of my life. I like to think that while the area has it's problems, my life is not in imminent danger every time I step out of my home.
This is not to say that I think no one should own guns. I believe everyone should be given the right to a THOROUGH background check and then have the right to own a gun either for game (hunting) or home invasion protection. If someone breaks into your home with a gun, I think you have the right to shoot them. I'm not a bleeding heart liberal who thinks no one should own a gun and we shouldn't hunt or eat meat, blah, blah, blah. If you want to own a gun and use it responsibly for hunting and home protection, go right ahead and apply for a permit to do so.
But if you want to be able to walk the streets of my city/state (yeah, it's my city/state too, I pay my taxes) then you had better prove, beyond a doubt, that you need to carry that pistol because your life literally depends upon it.

so if a criminal is on a killing spree and is headed in our (yes i live in Baltimore) direction how do you want to defend yourself? i know how i would, one in the head and two in the chest!

[wishful thinker]

if everyone in maryland for that matter, if every one in the united states could carry a concealed weapon this would result in a 50 to 75 percent decrease in violent crime, because just like cell phones everyone would have one, a criminal would think first before he acted, no one would be a easy target..... food for thought.

[Anon]

http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/billfile/hb047...

Maryland citizens, do your part and contact your delegates to help get this bill passed! This will turn Maryland to a shall-issue state!

To the other Anonymous, you're showing a clear emotional reaction to the issue. do you really think that concealed carry license holders are going to be using their arms to commit crime? It doesn't happen. And in Maryland (and most other states, excepting Alaska) you DO need to pass a background check to get a concealed carry permit. I don't think ANYONE has a problem with this, it makes sense. the problem is that under Maryland law it is then entirely at the State Polices discretion as to whether you get the permit. This is not right, and there should be no need to prove to anyone that you need or deserve the god-given right to bear arms.

[Good Citizen]

I live in Maryland. I was a PI in Virginia but couldn't get licensed in Maryland where licensing is controlled by the State Police (as are the CCW permits). Maryland seems to be a liberal state politically but it has some of the most restrictive and controlling policies. Even an off-duty cop from across the river in Fairfax County VA can't legally carry his concealed weapon into MD. I wonder if it ever enters the mind of the criminally-inclined that the highest number of unarmed law-abiding citizens can be found in Maryland, New Jersey, and the other few may-issue states?

[mjt5689]

I also live in Maryland, and one of my friends got mugged last year by someone with a gun, in Bowie. Can't even be safe in my own town anymore it would seem. I also heard that if you walk into a State Police office and ask for a CCW form, they lie and say they ran out when they are really hiding it.

[Frank]

I live in PA but work 12 hr shifts day and night 6 to 6 in Bodymore I have a permit to carry for pa. I've been known to forget that my weapon's still in my car, I don't like the prospects of what would happen to me if stopped by the MD police and the weapon was found.