INDIANAPOLIS — Police organizations want Indiana to keep its handgun licensing system, officials told a legislative study committee on Tuesday.
“I feel this is a necessary tool to protect our officers on the street,” said William Owensby, president of the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police.
A joint Senate and House Judiciary and Public Policy Committee is looking at repealing Indiana’s handgun permit law.
The committee is addressing whether Hoosiers should be able to carry a handgun, either concealed or openly, without a license. Such an allowance, known as constitutional carry or freedom to carry, is in 12 states. although each has separate requirements concerning identification.
On Tuesday, police organizations including the Indiana State Police spoke to the 23-member panel.
State Police Major Mike White said the agency would uphold whatever legislation is signed into law, but he also said he was concerned about the safety of troopers. State police staffers perform background checks on applicants.
“All of this is necessary in our eyes as far as the state vetting to make sure the right person has that license and the wrong person does not,” White said.
He said a top concern was for safety of road troopers and the public.
Under the current system, Hoosiers complete an online application through the Indiana State Police. Applicants must submit their fingerprints at a local police agency.
More than 800,000 Hoosiers have permits. Fees vary, but a new lifetime personal protection permit costs $75. State fees brought in $9.1 million in 2016.
Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, questioned each of the police organizations about the the Indiana Constitution’s guarantee that people “shall have the right to bear arms.”
“Somehow we lost our path, we lost our way and me and many others are trying to return to that part of the original wording,” Lucas said.
In response, Owensby said, “For three-and-a-half hours, we’ve been debating an issue I don’t think is broken.”
A representative of the National Rifle Association spoke in favor of repealing the law. NRA state representative Chris Kopacki called fears that officers could be in danger was a “myth,” citing success in other states.
“There is no evidence of increased crime or increased danger to the police that we’ve seen,” he said.
The committee is to file a report by Nov. 1. It is also examining ways to reduce handgun violence and increase the number of police officers in Indiana.