Permits issued with no checks

Dann has asked for the immediate revocation of the permits.
By MARC KOVAC
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- Ohioans applying for permits to carry concealed firearms have not been screened for mental issues despite requirements outlined in state law, according to a review released by Attorney General Marc Dann.
In fact, four Ohioans received the permits and one other could have secured one because proper checks were not conducted under the former attorney general, Dann said Friday.
He contacted local law enforcement to revoke the permits and level criminal charges against the holders for failing to make appropriate disclosures during the application process.
"We are going to investigate this situation and do all we can to find out why this inexcusable failure occurred," Dann said in a statement released shortly after a morning press conference. "But our top priorities over the past week have been to fix the problem and take the steps necessary that we do everything we can to protect the public."
He added in the release, "There is absolutely no excuse for the previous administration's failure to perform these critically important, legally mandated checks. Especially in light of the fact that a database containing the information needed to do them was set up in 2004 when the concealed-carry law was passed and has been regularly updated since."
What's being done
Dann said he asked Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation to review Ohio's permits after determining that a statewide database containing the names of individuals judged to be mentally incompetent was not being used during the permit screening process.
The study revealed that four residents were inappropriately issued permits. Two, issued in Lucas County, were no longer active, while two others -- one from Summit and one from Lorain -- were still in effect, according to the attorney general's office.
A Trumbull County applicant with mental issues was denied a permit based on an earlier felony, not the mental issues, Dann said.
Dann said he had contacted sheriff's offices in Lorain and Summit counties and asked them to "immediately revoke the permits of the individuals residing within their jurisdictions," according to a release.
Since April 2004, residents with proper firearms safety training and clear criminal records have been able to apply for and secure permits to carry concealed handguns.
Nearly 87,000 regular and temporary licenses have been issued to date, according to information compiled by the attorney general's office.
Anyone applying for a permit is required to undergo a criminal background check. County sheriff's offices submit fingerprints to BCI (for residents living in Ohio for five years or more) or to the FBI (for those living in the state less than five years), according to Dann's office.
Licenses can be revoked or denied for criminal convictions or mental incompetence.
mkovac@dixcom.com