Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran took to social media on Thursday evening to decry the permitless "Constitutional carry" legislation (HB272), which was passed and signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey earlier this month.
Cochran, who has served as Mobile County's sheriff since 2006 and is not seeking reelection, has been one of the bill's most outspoken opponents.
Last year, Cochran fired State Rep. Shane Stringer (R-Citronelle), who served as a captain in his department, publicly claiming it was for his support of Constitutional carry legislation.
Stringer was the primary sponsor of HB272.
On his "TEAM SHERIFF" Facebook page, Cochran claimed that had the law previously been in effect, the Mobile Police Department would not have had the ability to arrest four suspects in their response to a shooting at a vigil. The law is set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2023.
"As most of you know, I fought hard to prevent PERMIT LESS CARRY from passing in Montgomery," Cochran posted on the TEAM SHERIFF Facebook page. "Our legislatures ignored the voices of Law Enforcement and passed the bill anyway. Had permit less carry already been active last weekend, then there would be NO arrest, NO seizer [sic] of guns and NO way of knowing whether or not those guns were stolen or used in other crimes."
The post also includes five members of the Mobile County delegation who voted for HB272, Reps. Margie Wilcox (R-Mobile), Stringer, Chris Pringle (R-Mobile), Chip Brown (R-Hollingers Island) and Victor Gaston (R-Mobile).
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