4,200 Valley residents got concealed-carry licenses in ’13

Staff and wire report

COLUMBUS

More than 145,000 concealed-carry licenses were issued in Ohio in 2013 for the largest number issued since licensing began in the state in 2004, Ohio’s attorney general reports.

The significant growth also is reflected in the Mahoning Valley, where more than 4,200 new concealed-carry licenses were issued in 2013.

The report issued by Attorney General Mike DeWine says statistics show that county sheriffs in Ohio issued nearly 97,000 new licenses and more than 48,000 renewal licenses in 2013 for a total of 145,342.

The previous record for total licenses issued was in 2012, when nearly 77,000 were issued.

The attorney general’s office says it compiles an annual report required by law on the number of licenses issued each year.

Each county sheriff must report concealed handgun license statistics quarterly to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission within DeWine’s office. .

According to the new data released Friday, 1,032 new concealed-carry firearms licenses were issued in Mahoning County and 662 were renewed last year. That’s almost double the number of new licenses issued in 2012 and about four times the number of renewals.

In Trumbull County, 1,825 licenses were issued to residents in 2013, compared with 1,483 issued in 2012. Renewals there also increased dramatically, from 350 in 2012 to 1,379 in 2013.

In Columbiana County, the attorney general’s report shows 1,387 licenses were issued in 2013, compared with 1,045 in 2012.Renewals increased from 122 in 2012 to 505 in 2013.

Since permits were first issued, more than 570,000 people have received new permits or renewed existing ones.

In the past five years, state records show, 220,804 new licenses were issued, and 94,910 were renewed.

The past year also produced record numbers of suspensions of concealed-carry licenses (1,154) and denials (1,142). Over five years, 4,446 licenses were suspended and 4,110 denied.