New concealed carry restriction law takes effect amid legal battle, but how will it be enforced?
Concealed carry weapons permit holders in California are no longer allowed to have their firearms in most public places, at least for now, after a new state law took effect on Monday.
On Saturday, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals suspended a U.S. District Court judge's previous ruling that had temporarily blocked Senate Bill 2. California Attorney General Rob Bonta had asked the appeals court to step in.
Judge Cormac J. Carney ruled that the law was unconstitutional, and wrote that SB 2 "impermissibly denies the core Second Amendment right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense to people who have gone through a lengthy permit application process including a thorough background check and safety and training course."
However, the administrative stay issued by the three-judge panel has temporarily halted the injunction until a different federal appeals court could consider further pausing the lower-court judge's ruling while the legal process plays out.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement praising the appeal court's temporary order. "This ruling will allow our common-sense gun laws to remain in place while we appeal the district court’s dangerous ruling. Californians overwhelmingly support efforts to ensure that places like hospitals, libraries and children’s playgrounds remain safe and free from guns, "Newsom said.
When it comes to enforcement of the law, we reached out to our local police departments and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department to get a better understanding of every department's approach.
"If the police is informed of people they suspect might be violating the law or carrying a weapon, they will notify the police department and we'll investigate it," according to Benjamin Guitron, Public Information officer with Indio Police Department. He added, "If it's an area they legally can possess it or as the law prescribes, that'll be followed. If its something that the law is being violated, that will be addressed."
Sheriff Chad Bianco has expressed disappointment with the new law, saying it "does absolutely nothing to keep anyone safe." He explained that responding to calls related to suspected CCW permit holder violations is "a very low priority for law enforcement" compared to higher priority calls, such as assault.
"It's a burden on law enforcement because someone may assume someone has a CCW in their possession and goes into a place where they shouldn't be, and call 911. Well the reality is we shouldn't be responding to that anyway because number one there's no real threat to that person and it's taking a deputy out of the field from doing the job that we should be doing anyway of keeping the public safe," according to Bianco.
