Since Alabama’s new constitutional carry law went into effect in January 2023, it’s been met with mixed reactions from some public officials who believe it contributes to a rise in gun crimes. The latest example comes from Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch, who hopes his proposed plan to curtail permitless carry might help law enforcement reduce gang violence.
Given the rise of young offenders involved in gang-related crimes over the past year, Burch said he wants to see the carry law amended to require people under 21 to purchase a permit to carry a handgun, according to AL(dot)com.
Burch said this would allow officers to identify and confiscate guns before they are used to commit a crime.
“I agree with the argument that the people committing these crimes will get a gun regardless of what the law said,” he said. “But right now, we don’t have the ability to take it from them.”
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed — and recent Kamala Harris surrogate — has also tried to blame constitutional carry after he received intense criticism for his city’s sharp increase in violent crime.
Burch reportedly plans to lobby the lawmakers responsible for the permitless carry bill, including its sponsor, State Rep. Shane Stringer (R-Citronelle), who previously called Mayor Reed’s attempts to blame his bill on Mongteomery's rising crime “ridiculous.”
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