Winnebago County CCW Permit Stalled
From the Rockford Register Star:
The Winnebago County Board’s concealed carry subcommittee unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday night that essentially allows the sheriff to hire auxiliary deputies.
But that’s a power the sheriff already has according to state statute.
The key difference, committee chairman Tom Owens said, is“encouraging him to utilize that to the fullest extent that he can.”
Still, the practical result won’t give residents who want to carry firearms in the county what most probably believe they would get if a concealed carry resolution passed.
Auxiliary deputies can only carry a firearm while they are on direct assignment from the sheriff and they have to be in uniform while they do it. Once the assignment is up, the uniform comes off and the firearm can’t be legally carried in this state.
Furthermore, the law limits the scope of what kind of assignments a sheriff can assign an auxiliary deputy to do. Helping direct traffic is one such assignment, as is helping in the aftermath of a disaster. Fighting crime is not.
Posted 01:45AM Sep 25, 2008 by MCSA
