Starting next year, you will no longer need a pistol permit to carry a concealed gun in Alabama. That's when the new permitless carry or what some call constitutional carry law takes effect, and the Mobile County Sheriff's Office says there are concerns about its impact.
"We're looking at it from a safety standpoint. We're enhancing the training of our deputies," said Chief Deputy Paul Burch.
Incoming Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch, who will be sworn in next month, believes the law will lead to more guns in the wrong hands.
"At least with the permit process, part of the application of getting your permit, your criminal history is run through NCIC," said Burch.
That's the Justice Department's National Crime Information Center. Permitless carry law proponents point to the mandated creation of a new state firearms prohibited person database the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is tasked with creating.
"If you read the law and where the database is set up, currently, it pulls from agencies within the state. They've included some of the mental health red flags, but nothing from out of state. And that's where you can potentially run into some problems," said Burch.
According to the law, the prohibited persons database that agencies are supposed to be able to access during traffic stops was supposed to be created by October 1st, but Burch questions if that's actually happened. Mobile's Public Safety Director also said they haven't received any indication it's up and running.
"You need something to be able to determine whether this person can legally carry a gun or not," said Burch.
We asked ALEA about the status of the database but did not get an answer on Wednesday.
Burch says because of permitless carry the department has lost $700,000 this year alone from issuing fewer concealed carry permits.