Concealed Carry Permits have increased in 2020 in Allen County.
A total of 751 permits were issued in 2020 compared to 519 in 2019, according to the Allen County Sheriff's Office.
Allen County Sheriff Matt Treglia says that there could be a variety of reasons for the increase in permits.
"Fact of the matter is people want to be safe and feel safe," said Treglia. "They feel like if they can take the CCW class and carry a firearm at this point they would feel safer and they could protect themselves."
Treglia also believes that Senate Bill 175, which was signed into law by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in early January of this year, was also a factor in the increase of concealed carry permits.
According to Ohio Legislature, Senate Bill 175 "grants civil immunity to nonprofit corporations for certain injuries, deaths, or losses resulting from the carrying of handguns and to expand the locations at which a person has no duty to retreat before using force under both civil and criminal law."
"I think the Stand Your Ground law that came into effect that Mike DeWine signed plays a big part of it," explained Treglia. "Like I said, people want to feel safe and people want to know that they can protect themselves."
According to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, 169,232 concealed carry licenses were issued in the state of Ohio in 2020.
