Law enforcement debates what the law will mean

Several police chiefs say the new law will imperil officers.
Interest in obtaining concealed-carry handgun permits will be strong at first but will ebb once people realize that packing a gun can be a bother, says the director of a statewide law enforcement organization.
About 100,000 Ohioans will get the permits this year, estimated Robert Cornwell, executive director of the Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association, which supports the new law.
That number is likely to lessen over time because "a lot of the novelty will wear off" as permit holders encounter the inconveniences and concerns that come with carrying a concealed gun, Cornwell said.
Can't take it everywhere
The law expressly forbids bringing firearms into certain places, such as bars and courthouses. Businesses and other establishments also are free to forbid firearms. Stiff penalties await those who violate such bans.
Gun training and permits must be renewed, and there's the awesome responsibility of bearing a deadly weapon to consider.
Permit holders concluding they just don't need to carry a concealed gun suits some area police chiefs who oppose the law.
"It sucks," Liberty Police Chief Anthony Slifka said. He dubbed concealed-carry one of the worst measures ever passed by the Ohio Legislature. Allowing even qualified citizens to haul hidden guns "is like taking gasoline into a bonfire," Slifka said.
"Putting more guns on a battlefield isn't going to save lives," he insisted.
"It puts us in a tough situation," said Niles Police Chief Bruce Simeone. "How do we know who the bad guys are if everybody has guns?"
Training issue
The 12 hours of training permit holders must undergo isn't enough to school them in the life-or-death skill of judging when to shoot, Simeone maintained.
"We're going to deal with the law the best we can," though it adds yet another challenge to the hazardous job of being a cop, said Robin Lees, Youngstown Police Department spokesman.
Salem Police Chief Mike Weitz doesn't share his peers' worries, however.
Weitz said 45 other states already allow some form of concealed-carry, and there hasn't been an upsurge of crime as a result.
Law enforcement is always dangerous; concealed-carry won't make it more so, Weitz added.
Salem's officers are trained to enter any situation prepared to suddenly encounter an armed suspect.
"There's no such thing as a routine traffic stop or a routine call," Weitz said.
Carrying a concealed firearm is a right for those who qualify, said Columbiana County Sheriff Dave Smith, who backs the new law.
Smith said he's not concerned about concealed-carry because it comes with rigid regulations and allows for background checks.
Cornwell said he realizes some people will abuse the right to carry, or make bad decisions with a firearm.
But many more will bear the privilege responsibly and society will be better for it, he argued.