Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant Police on What Conceal Carry Means for Their Departments

With the conceal carry bill already passed in the state Senate and soon to hit the Assembly floor, Mount Pleasant-Sturtevant Patch asked the police departments of each village what it could mean for officers if the bill does become law.

In a nutshell, the law:

• Creates a licensing system under which an individual is permitted to carry a concealed weapon.
• Makes changes in Wisconsin law to account for a federal law that requires the state to permit an individual who works as or who formerly worked as a federal, state, tribal, or local law enforcement officer in Wisconsin or in any other state to carry a concealed firearm.
• Makes changes to laws regulating firearms and other weapons.
• Residents will not be able to carry guns into churches, police stations and other public buildings, or onto airplanes. 
• Licensed permit holders can transport their weapon in a vehicle. 
• Business owners have the right to not allow concealed weapons into their establishments and employers retain the right to not allow employees to carry concealed guns while at work.
• Convicted felons cannot carry concealed weapons.

So how do local police feel about the law?

Sturtevant Police Chief Sean Marschke said his officers are trained to treat everyone as if they're armed so from this standpoint, the policy will stand. 

"CCW permit holders must disclose to an officer immediately that they are armed and have a permit," he said. "That is helpful to the officer, but it won't change the way we operate."

Mount Pleasant Police Captain Brian Smith said he doesn't think it will have much effect on crime, but he does worry about the potential that people could pull out a gun in situations that could have severe and negative long term consequences.

"Officers are constantly undergoing training for shoot-don't-shoot situations," he said. "We worry about people getting into situations that are clearly over their heads and then lead to legal trouble for using the weapon even if they have a permit to carry it."

Marschke is also questioning what kind of training will be required. He feels the "When?" or "When not to?" questions are almost more important than safe handling training.

"Police have annual training to retain our gun certification so we're waiting to see what the legislature lays out, but it would be reasonable that recurrent training be required when citizens renew their permits," he said.

Smith said residents should also think about the potential for an increase in gun-related accidents and deaths at home.

"Kids get into all sorts of things when parents aren't looking," he pointed out. "How many times do we hear about kids shooting themselves or others because a gun was not properly secured?" 

Both Marschke and Smith acknowledge that as long as residents abide by the law and act responsibly, most people, including police, won't know that anyone is carrying a weapon.