Law enforcement mixed on handgun license repeal

Worry for officers, support for rights make for uneven response to the legislation

The Indiana Legislature has pushed a major pro-2nd Amendment bill to the desk of Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, and if he signs it, the landscape will change for citizens and public safety personnel. Local law enforcement officials, past and present, hold mixed views on the proposed change to repeal the registration requirement to carry a handgun.

The measure, passed with mixed support in the Indiana House and Senate, will allow anyone 18 and over to carry a handgun without a license. Felons still will be prohibited from doing so, but determining who is or is not a felon is at the center of the difficulty according to retired Howard County Sheriff’s deputy Harold Vincent.