Number of gun permits drops by half

COLUMBUS (AP) -- The number of licenses issued for concealed-weapon permits dropped by half in the first full year of the law's implementation, Attorney General Jim Petro reported.
Petro's annual report on Ohio's concealed-weapons' law says sheriffs issued 22,487 licenses in 2005, down from 45,497 issued after the law took effect in April 2004.
Sheriffs suspended 219 licenses in 2005 compared with 78 licenses suspended in 2004. Petro's office and the Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association speculate that the number of licenses dropped after an expected rush to apply during the law's first year.
Some potential license holders may also be frustrated by limitations on where guns can be carried, said Robert Cornwell, executive director of the sheriffs' group.
The weapons are banned in public buildings, and business owners are allowed to post signs prohibiting weapons. If carried in a car, weapons must be in plain sight or locked up.
Montgomery County issued the most licenses in 2005 with 1,298, followed by Clermont with 1,163, Franklin with 1,123, Lake with 1,001 and Butler with 969.