(CALMATTERS) – Here are some eye-opening numbers to start your morning: Over the last decade, Orange County issued 65,171 permits to carry a concealed handgun and both Fresno and Sacramento counties issued more than 45,000 — while San Francisco issued just 11, CalMatters’ Ben Christopher reports. Those massive gaps — revealed in an online database the California Department of Justice published Monday — are likely to narrow following last week’s U.S. Supreme Court opinion striking down a concealed carry law in New York state. On Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers advanced a bill to bring California’s concealed carry law into compliance with the ruling — while simultaneously creating a new statewide application process that explicitly disqualifies certain people seeking permits, Ben reports.
Meanwhile, the new concealed-carry database was removed Tuesday after reporters discovered it included the full legal names, home addresses and other personal information of more than 200,000 permit holders across the state — raising numerous legal, ethical and safety concerns, Ben writes.
- Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle & Pistol Association: “You basically advertise to criminals: ‘There’s a gun; here, come take it.’”
- Attorney General Rob Bonta’s press office: “Any unauthorized release of personal information is unacceptable. We are working swiftly to address this situation and will provide additional information as soon as possible.”
Also unavailable online Tuesday was a new report on California hate crime data in 2021. According to a press release from Bonta’s office, residents reported 1,763 bias events in 2021 — a nearly 33% increase from the year before and the highest total since the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001. Anti-Black hate crimes were the most numerous, with a total of 513 reported incidents. Meanwhile, hate crimes against Asian Americans rose by a whopping 178% to 247 incidents, and those motivated by a bias against sexual orientation increased 48% to 303 incidents. Anti-Jewish bias events saw a 32% uptick to 152 incidents.

Sign up for our newsletter
Don’t miss out on valuable news about the African American community delivered directly to your email inbox. By subscribing, you agree to receive our daily newsletter. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
