64,000 People With Concealed Handgun Permits in Metro Portland Counties

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Monday, January 19, 2015

Annie Ellison, GoLocalPDX Reporter

Between 2011 and 2014, 46,655 permits to carry concealed firearms in the counties surrounding Portland were issued, according to data obtained by GoLocalPDX. 

In Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah Counties, there are a combined 64,308 active Concealed Handgun Licenses (CHL), according to the most recent available data. 

In Multnomah County alone, the number of active permits grew from 16,090 in 2011 to 22,875 in 2014.  The number of permits grew more slowly in Washington County, from 14,339 in 2011 to 19,965 in 2014. Between 2011 and 2014, 23,347 CHL’s were issued in Clackamas County. 

Application and denial 

To get a concealed handgun license in Oregon, an applicant must take a National Rifle Association (NRA)-sanctioned class, apply in their county of residence, and undergo a background check. The process can be expedited if the applicant proves military or law enforcement training. Permits can be denied if the applicant has committed a felony, has a history of violent crime, misdemeanors, an active arrest warrant, or a history of mental illness.  

Clackamas County denied only 771 permits between 2011 and 2014, compared to the 23,247 permits it approved. In 2011, a mere 22 were denied out of 4,777 applications. In Multnomah County, 13,409 permits were granted between 2011 and 2014 and only 411 were denied. 

All three counties showed a spike in concealed carry permits of at least 44 percent between 2012 and 2013. In Multnomah County, 53 percent more CHL’s were handed out in 2013 than in 2012. 

Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Steve Alexander said a combination of factors, including the election cycle and catastrophic events like shootings at Clackamas Town Center and Sandy Hook Elementary School, contributed to an uptick in CHL applications. 

Why more people apply

“Most criminals aren’t going to go apply for a concealed handgun license,” Alexander pointed out. The numbers of people applying and being approved spiked in 2013, something Alexander said could be attributed a backlog in applications from the previous year. 

Sgt. Bob Ray of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said permit holders are advised to seek frequent and continued training after being approved, but there is no official follow up on that advice. He said he sees a pattern to CHL applications: public talk of gun control or ammunition restriction motivate people to apply for a CHL, especially if they had considered the idea in the past.

According to a 2014  report by the Crime Prevention Research Center, a gun law and public safety think tank, 194,162 people in Oregon carried concealed weapons as of July 2013. Roughly 6.3 percent of adults in Oregon have concealed carry permits compared to 4.8 percent of the population nationwide. 

John Lott, the Center’s president and author of the book More Guns, Less Crime, argued that concealed carry permits lower murder and crime rates, particularly crimes against women and the elderly. 

“Police are the single-most important factor for reducing crime,” Lott noted. “But they virtually always arrive on the crime scene after the crime.” He said allowing people – particularly women and the elderly -- to carry weapons allows them to defend themselves against violent crimes.  Lott added that more people with permits to carry weapons do not pose a threat to public safety. “What you find is people with concealed handgun licenses tend to be extremely law abiding.”

A Call for More Stringency 

However, gun violence policy advocates argue concealed handgun permits are too easy to obtain, and that they do not reduce violent crime. 

“We know that more guns does not mean less crime,” said Penny Okamoto of Ceasefire Oregon, a group that advocates on the local, state and national level for legislation to reduce gun violence. Okamoto argued that the requirements to have a concealed handgun license are not stringent enough.

Although applicants must undergo a background check and pass a test, there is no live fire or situational training. 

“You don’t have to prove marksmanship or undergo situational training. It’s a concern, you don’t have to touch a gun,” Okamoto said. She added that another area of concern is all the places permit holders can enter carrying a concealed or open weapon. 

“You can’t carry a sign into the state capitol building, but you can carry a loaded assault rifle,” she pointed out. Okamoto said laws should be changed so that concealed or open weapons cannot be brought into public buildings or K-12 schools. Research by the Violence Policy Center states that 679 people were killed by open carry permit holders in 506 incidents between 2007 and January 18, 2015. The group argues concealed weapons increase violent crime.

Okamoto said Oregon’s concealed carry permit holders do not prevent shootings. “I guarantee you if there were a plethora of people with CHL preventing shootings, the NRA would be making bumper stickers for every incident.” 

Kevin Starrett, Director of the Oregon Firearm Federation, the state's go-to gun rights organization, said there are not enough facilities for registered CHL holders to continue their training, something counties recommend but do not enforce. Starrett said the lack of available facilities for hands-on training presents a problem. 

He argues the number of people obtaining CHL’s annually grew over four years because of lingering feelings of uncertainty. 

“People just recognize you are responsible for your own safety,” Starrett said. “It is a fantasy to think the police will protect you.” 

Editor's note: the current version of this story reflects an updated quote from Kevin Starrett. 

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