The number of permits given out by each county varies a lot, according to new numbers. But by making the data public, the state Department of Justice put permit holders' personal information at risk, according to a report by CalMatters.org.
Over the past 10 years, Orange County gave out 65,171 permits to carry a concealed handgun, and both Fresno and Sacramento counties gave out more than 45,000. San Francisco issued 11.
The California Department of Justice put this information online on Monday, but it has since been taken down because reporters found out that the open database had the names, home addresses, and other personal information of more than 200,000 people with concealed carry permits in the state, CalMatters said.
The big difference between counties was at the heart of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week to throw out New York's concealed carry system, which was very similar to California's and gave local police a lot of freedom to decide who could carry a hidden handgun in public.
In California, county sheriffs are usually the ones who decide if an applicant has "good cause" to get a permit to carry a gun on their person. In places like Orange and Sacramento, where the sheriffs are more conservative, they have used this power to give these permits to anyone who meets the paper requirements. There are almost no concealed carry permits in San Francisco.
The court's decision last Thursday means that the sheriff's office in San Francisco has to act more like the one in Orange County, at least until state lawmakers pass new laws.
Over the past 10 years, Orange County gave out 65,171 permits to carry a concealed handgun, and both Fresno and Sacramento counties gave out more than 45,000. San Francisco issued 11.
The California Department of Justice put this information online on Monday, but it has since been taken down because reporters found out that the open database had the names, home addresses, and other personal information of more than 200,000 people with concealed carry permits in the state, CalMatters said.
The big difference between counties was at the heart of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week to throw out New York's concealed carry system, which was very similar to California's and gave local police a lot of freedom to decide who could carry a hidden handgun in public.
In California, county sheriffs are usually the ones who decide if an applicant has "good cause" to get a permit to carry a gun on their person. In places like Orange and Sacramento, where the sheriffs are more conservative, they have used this power to give these permits to anyone who meets the paper requirements. There are almost no concealed carry permits in San Francisco.
The court's decision last Thursday means that the sheriff's office in San Francisco has to act more like the one in Orange County, at least until state lawmakers pass new laws.
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