Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office Playing Favorites with Gun Permits

Authors Current Events S.H. Blannelberry

The average Joe in Los Angeles County doesn’t have a right to keep and bear arms. He needs to seek permission from the overlords at the Sheriff’s office before he can carry in the public square.

Since it’s a May-Issue county, Joe needs to provide the department with “convincing evidence” of a “clear and present danger to life or of great bodily harm.” Basically, he needs to prove he is going to be a victim of a crime before it happens.

As you can imagine, what this means is that average Joes can’t get permits.

A recent audit of the permits in Los Angeles County found that the majority went to current or former law enforcement officers, judges and prosecutors. Surprise, surprise. Right?

Los Angeles County

There are over 10 million people living in Los Angeles County. Of those, only 197 have permits to carry. Of those with permits, only 5 percent fall outside the legal and law enforcement communities. (Photo: BSA.CA)

The audit found that there was a reason the legal and law enforcement communities were getting preferential treatment. The Sheriff’s office was waiving that imminent threat standard. One of the lieutenants told an auditor that because of the “nature of their job” applicants from those communities don’t need to provide that “convincing evidence.” But that’s against the rules!

“However, making that decision based solely on the applicant’s profession both directly contradicts Los Angeles’s written policy — which specifically states that no position or job classification in itself shall constitute good cause for issuance — and has led the department to treat applicants inequitably based on their occupations,” the audit stated.

SEE ALSO: New California Ammo Regs Already Giving Vendors Trouble

L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell disputed the claims, telling the LA Times that the auditors misinterpreted the policy.

“The LASD policy simply requires that the applicant provide ‘convincing evidence’” that his or her life or physical safety is threatened, the sheriff told LA Times. He went on to argue that the policy does not require additional documentation of that evidence if sufficient information is provided in the application.

Hmmm. Nice try, Sheriff McDonnell. Nice try. Keep ensuring your buddies have the right to defend themselves. Forget about the rest of Los Angeles County. You know, the people you are sworn to serve. The people who pay your salary.

The underlying problem with this situation is the policy itself. May-issue is a sham. All law-abiding citizens should be able to carry a concealed firearm. Period. No documentation required.

At least forty states have either Constitutional or Shall-Issue carry. It’s about time California catches on.

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  • John July 17, 2020, 10:25 pm

    As a native Californian I am very aware of the “Good Ol’ Boys Club” when it comes to honoring political oaths and what it takes to legally obtain a CCW permit. The 2A makes it very clear that our gun rights are being denied daily and there is little that can be done to correct a corrupt legal system, it’s always been a large part of Kalifornia’s history, with very few exceptions.

    The so-called “Right” to vote is merely a political privilege tossed to the masses in order to keep the natives from becoming restless. “When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold to the masses gradually over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and it’s speaker a raving lunatic.”

  • Kaiser Soze May 15, 2018, 2:45 pm

    Hey, thanks for the info! Based on all the NRA wingnuts here, I’m voting for McDonnell!

    • Kaiser Roll June 6, 2018, 11:25 am

      You are part of the problem. You keep voting incumbents who only serve the elite of the state, and not the proletariat. California will wither and die eventually because of the static political climate. Real positive progress is made through change and agile thinking. When you look back in retrospect 20 years from now, remember you were part of the problem.

  • Rick April 4, 2018, 8:55 pm

    James McDonnell, Its a shame that you you think you can deny someones rights. Who made you God ??

  • Norm Fishler December 26, 2017, 3:44 pm

    As Inspector Louis said to Rick in “Casablanca,” “I am shocked! Simply shocked.”

  • Glacierwolf December 24, 2017, 9:31 pm

    I left the East Coast (Mass) and moved to Alaska. Best damn decision I ever made. Turned out to be a great place to live, work, play, and raise kids. Honestly, we do NOT want Cali-a-holes here in Alaska, and, you probably do not want them in your state either. I would hate to see any nice place put up with what Oregon has had to……… first thing Cali refugees do when they move into a new state is try to make the laws like Cali.

  • Norm Fishler December 23, 2017, 12:32 am

    I for one have all but given up trying to tell old friends and family to vacate the Left Coast. Now that it has been exposed for the open sewer that it is they have no excuse for not getting out. Their blood be upon their own heads.

  • Ricky Price December 22, 2017, 10:42 pm

    MOVE.

  • Auggie December 22, 2017, 8:09 pm

    The people out there would have it no other way.
    That’s why they keep voting the same people back into office.
    Just as the streets there are so very safe and the jobs are moving out we have had to deal with a lot of them moving to Austin, Texas.
    They are too small of a group to get any of there home away from home gun laws here but they are a pain in the ass

  • MO December 22, 2017, 8:05 pm

    I was reading a article, the state of CA is getting sued. I seems as if there are more registered voters then residents who are eligible and of age to vote. The state was told to hand over the roster of registered voters for inspection, they refuse to do it. The state was told to clean up their roster of people that have moved, passed on, underage, lost voting privileges so forth and so on. Again the state refused to do it. They were warned about the forthcoming Law Suite and decided on: BRING IT ON. Tease Bozos keep on re-electing themselves.

  • Robert Nagy December 22, 2017, 7:38 pm

    Retired law enforcement officers DO NOT NEED CONCEALED CARRY PERMITS! There is a federal law allowing retired LEO’s to carry concealed as long as they qualify with their carry guns every year. What a joke to even include them in this.

  • GVF December 22, 2017, 5:59 pm

    They should revoke all carry permits for judges – let them defend themselves with protection orders instead…

  • BGB December 22, 2017, 1:26 pm

    This is hardly news. It’s been going on for decades. While many of you are bent out of shape about the 1%(LEOs), you should realize that the 5% non LEO consists mainly f Hollywood, motion picture people and those who contributed to the Sheriff;s campaign.

  • Mike schubert December 22, 2017, 1:21 pm

    No comments on Orange Country CAlifornia….??OCSD has issued over 15,000 CCWs in the last
    3 yrs, 93¥% of those whom apply are granted! Thanks to Sherriff Hutchinson the Department has worked day and night to facilitate issuing the permits to those whom have applied.

  • Bobs yer uncle December 22, 2017, 12:47 pm

    I would think anyone living in or visiting Calif. would have good reason to have a permit and carry. All the government resrictions, regulations on rifles, pistols, amunition, haven’t stopped criminals, its dangerous there. Every time I see some pathetic whinning Dipshit politician posing with some menacing looking fire arm, I realize they can’t do anything about real issues in the state. They are in most other areas of government completly incapable of doing anthing except taking away citizens rights.

    • bill kuhlmann December 22, 2017, 6:58 pm

      “I realize they can’t do anything about real issues in the state.” the reason they won’t do anything about “real issues” is that the issues are populated at almost 90 % favored minorities. the ruling commie/socialist progressives can’t afford their paid for voter base, the black and Mexican population that keeps the criminals in the democrat party in office.

      • bill kuhlmann December 22, 2017, 7:00 pm

        “afford their paid for voter base” sorry for got to add “afford to offend their paid for voter base”

  • MO December 22, 2017, 11:57 am

    The citizen is of no concern, who cares if we live or die. On the other hand Government Officials and Law Enforcement need to be protected. These people have decided our fate because they have no concern for our safety. Unless we have Law Enforcement by our side 24/7 we will all be dead before the arrive. Maybe the LAW ABIDING CITIZEN can not be trusted or is legally not allowed to possess firearms or a CCW because of a clean record, passed background check and lack of training.

  • mauser6863 December 22, 2017, 11:35 am

    Los Angeles County has a population of 10 Million People. Los Angeles County issues 197 Concealed Carry Permits.

    The entire state of Arizona has a population of 6.9 Million. Arizona is a Constitutional Carry State and you do not need permission to carry a weapon openly or concealed. Arizona has issued 235,804 Concealed Carry Permits

    The entire state of California has issued around 70,593 concealed carry permits, which accounts for around .02% of the state’s population. In rural counties some Sheriffs treat permits just like a shall issue state. In fact only 7 out of the 58 counties, account for half of all permits issued.

  • Alan December 22, 2017, 11:32 am

    Hey folks, these bozos are ELECTED officials, so the people got what they wanted.
    Yes, the poor folk that DON’T want this nonsense are effected too, but that’s democracy for ya.
    Besides, if you’re one of those folk, they don’t want you either.

    • Penrod December 22, 2017, 2:18 pm

      Democracy? I don’t think so. Democracies, or democratic republics, don’t get to violate their own constitutions and continue to call themselves legitimate. What the majority wants is irrelevant if they want to violate their own constitutions. ‘Shall not be infringed’ does not mean ‘may be made a felony if the correct thinkers decide that’s a good idea.’

    • mauser6863 December 22, 2017, 9:21 pm

      WRONG, All Americans are entitled to the Rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights. Elected officials can not legally deny these rights. The fact that they do, does not make it right.

      We are not a Democracy, we are a Constitutional Republic and the Federal Government is required to guarantee that all of the states have a republican form of government. This applies even to Kalifornia.

      Action needs to be taken against California’s “Open Primary”, which allows only the top two vote getters to face each other in a general election, regardless of party affiliation. Not only does it deny people the right to freely associate, it has now created a defacto One Party State in Kalifornia. The federal government has a duty to reverse this, even if the people and their elected representatives voted for it, as it is contrary to the United States Constitution.

      The feds also need to restore the California Constitution that required state senate seats to be apportioned by county, like the U.S. Senate is apportioned by state, but with one state Senator per county. This way the upper house protects the rights of the less populated areas of the state, while the assembly is proportioned by population.

      Prior to 1968, state senate districts were drawn so that each county had at most one state senator. This led to the situation of a populous county such as Los Angeles County being accorded the same number of state senators (1) as less populous counties such as Humboldt County. In Reynolds v. Sims, the United States Supreme Court compelled all states to draw up districts with equal population. As such, boundaries were changed to comply with the ruling, which the court simply got wrong and Congress needs to correct.

      Part of the problems California (and other states)now face is the result of the disenfranchisement of rural votes, whose interests are overridden by large urban areas of the state. The mob would still have all state offices and the assembly, but the Senate would have each county standing on equal footing, resulting in a true and more just republican system of Government.

  • joefoam December 22, 2017, 9:42 am

    CA residents, you elected these overlords. Enjoy!

    • Harry Walker December 22, 2017, 1:29 pm

      The most asinine statement possible.

  • Robert Waddell December 22, 2017, 8:03 am

    The state of California can only do, what we allow them to do! Who the hell told California that they were a higher power than the Constitution? They aren’t! Changes have to be made regarding California’s power over the people, instead of the People’s Power over Government!

  • Doug December 22, 2017, 7:31 am

    The author wrote this story based upon a 2007 report about the LASO’s CCW permit issuing practices, and then pins it onto Sheriff Jim McDonnell. The author ignores (this is where the word “ignorant” comes from) that McDonnell followed Sheriff Leroy “Lee” Baca, who is serving a 3 year federal prison term for corruption, obstruction, and perjury, in 2014. Baca issued permits to his supporters and buds, from 1998 through early 2014 (just like OCSO Sheriff Michael “Mike” Carona, who was concurrent with LASD’ s Sheriff Baca, and ran his own CCW permit program as a “good ol’ boy club”, issuing permits to his supporters and close personal friends – some of whom received Assistant Sheriff IDs and badges, along with their CCW permits. Dark days for both Los Angeles and Orange County Sheriff department during the Baca and Carona days.) Meanwhile, McDonnell served in the LAPD for most of his career, rising to Assistance Chief. McDonnell then serve for a brief period as Long Beach (CA) PD’s police chief, before being elected to Sheriff at LASD in 2014. So that your target readers understand better, it is as if the author were hanging the blame for everything that President Obama did during his term, around President Trump’s neck. It is sad that anyone can get anything published on line for pay or for free, with no vetting. Sadder that a website like this would permit such unfounded information to appear on their website and newsletter, endorsing it without first reading and checking it for accuracy.

    • S.H. Blannelberry December 22, 2017, 8:27 am

      Sure, some of it falls on crooked Baca. But McDonnell’s been on the job long enough to right the ship. The numbers — from mid-August 2017 — don’t lie.

      • Harry Walker December 22, 2017, 1:29 pm

        Goes back farther that Baca. Block, Pitchess, and Biscaluz did the same thing.

  • Richard Escareno December 22, 2017, 3:30 am

    I’m hoping that universal reciprocity in all fifty states passes in both houses with the President Trump’s signature into law. Stick it to CA and NY.

    • Penrod December 22, 2017, 2:20 pm

      And to the Hawaii Democratic Party.

  • Mark December 19, 2017, 3:50 pm

    Gee what a surprise! The cops were breaking the law and favoring their own. Just more proof that the cops are not our friends and just use us and our taxes we pay to finance lavish pensions, while the rest of us work 60 hour weeks just to pay rent. We need more articles like this exposing the hypocrisy. Thank-you GA! As for CA, it’s a straight up Commie state, that’s why I left with my guns years ago.

    • Kerry December 22, 2017, 9:21 am

      Really, blaming it on the cops? Sorry but the officers do not make these decisions, it was made by the clowns in charge and the clowns in charge of them, politicians. Kalifa is not a state anyone who believes in the law and the Bill of Rights should live in.

      • pjw December 22, 2017, 10:25 am

        Sir the law enforcement community, that supports “neutral gun control “ by not speaking out against such policies and practices that allow cronyism are complicite in denial of rights as those who implement such policies and programs. The
        honest officers would do whatever is in their abilities to stop an administration that was aiding and abetting thieves or gang
        members committing violent acts, so why not those who deny a citizen one of their most basic rights of self protection?
        Unfortunately the answer may be that too many sworn officers don’t believe in the basic right of individual self protection.
        Our basic inalienable rights will always be in jeopardy if some members of society are perceived too be more able and
        trustworthy than others who demonstrate an equal law abiding lifestyle. Our rights are for all our citizens not just a select
        group.

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