As Illinoisans rang in the New Year, several laws that were passed in 2013 went into effect. Most notably, Illinois became the last state to allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons.
The law passed in July after years of the state dragging its feet, as Chicago Democratic leaders in the legislature blocked any previous attempts made from members of both parties to enact changes, even while other states embraced such laws.
The final straw came when a federal court struck down the state’s ban on concealed weapons a little over a year ago. Lawmakers responded by passing legislation after several hurdles that included an amendatory veto from Gov. Pat Quinn (D – Chicago), a gun control advocate who wanted further safeguards.
Concealed carry, like it sounds, refers to the practice of carrying a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner. But, before citizens can exercise this privilege, a series of steps must be followed.
First, those who wish to carry must file an application with the state police, who will review whether or not the individual is eligible for a permit. Applicants must be 21 or over and pass a background check conducted by various levels of law enforcement. An objection from any level could result in an application being denied. So far, the number of applications filed has been quite impressive.
“A lot of people, a few thousand in fact, have already applied,” Dave Neigebauer of Illinois Firearm Training Experts said. “And on top of that, there’s already 400,000 people with Firearm Identification Cards.”
This makes it likely that the number of applications will rise, as those with FOID cards have to apply in order to carry their firearms. The next step for those who get approved is to complete 16 hours’ worth of firearms training. This stage is split into two eight- hour sessions.
“The first eight is your basic NRA pistol class where we go over the ABC’s, like the difference between a revolver and a pistol, how to aim, how to hold a gun, and the different parts of the gun,” Neigebauer said.
After this is completed, another eight- hour class focuses on the law, such as the many restrictions and aftermath that using a weapon may have on the person, plus the legal aspects that may follow.
There are certain areas where the law has banned concealed weapons, including bars, schools, parks, public transit and gatherings with large crowds. With all these places where CCW are not permitted, firearms instructors try to make sure that people are made especially aware of the consequences, since having a weapon in one of the banned areas could land a person in jail.
“We go through the law line by line and do the due diligence as there’s no excuse for having these weapons in those areas,” Neigebauer said. “[Applicants] need to know these things.”
And while the law gives many Illinois residents peace of mind that they can protect themselves, some are still left uneasy.
“I do not believe that there should be concealed carry in Illinois,” DePaul freshman Joe Arcus said. “From my experience in states with concealed carry, I have never felt safer.”
Perception could be huge, especially in Chicago, which has a reputation as the murder capital of the country.
According to a press release from the Chicago Police Department, “Chicago closed 2013 at historic lows in crime and violence. The year saw the fewest murders since 1965, the lowest murder rate since 1966 and the lowest overall crime rate since 1972. The progress is a result of the City’s strategic policing, greatly expanded investments in prevention efforts and a close partnership with communities.”
With CCW now legal and last week’s ruling by a federal judge that Chicago’s ban on gun sales within city limits is unconstitutional, the effect on crime in the city, increase or decrease, will be something to watch.
“The studies say that crime has gone down in states where concealed carry is enacted,” Neigebauer said. “In my opinion, I think [crime in Chicago] will go down.”
However, not all Chicago residents have warmed up to the idea of concealed carry.
“It is allowing a segment of society to decide when it is permissible to kill, at their own will, without legal authority,” Arcus said. “Police and security forces have that legal authority.”
One possible issue could be the absence of a Stand Your Ground law or other policy that protects people when they use their weapons. According to Neigebauer, this can make things a little confusing. If he could make an improvement to the law, Neigebauer believes that a uniform curriculum from the State of Illinois would help instructors.
“That is what I am hearing from a lot of instructors,” Neigebauer said. “Because right now, liability-wise, they are going to come after me instead of the state if something were to happen.”
But regardless of the issues some may have with the law, many are happy to finally be able to legally carry a gun in Illinois.
“At least we have it,” Neigebauer said.