The Honolulu Police Department has finalized its new rules for concealed carry permits.
"The Honolulu Police Department has been working diligently on concealed carry permits, following the Supreme Court's ruling striking down the New York law that required individuals to provide a specific need to carry in public," HPD Chief Joe Logan said Tuesday.
The revised concealed carry permitting process includes a four-hour firearm training program and testing requirements on top of a background and mental health check for a one-year permit.
HPD has a backlog of about 600 pending permit applications. Processing began Monday, but there are no approved permits yet.
At a press conference Tuesday, Logan said the rules have received criticism for being too strict and also for being too lax.
"Weighing the citizens' concerns of public safety with that of the Second Amendment rights of individuals to bear arms and then to make sure that there's a balance there so the public is confident that the individuals getting the permits to carry are capable and are qualified to carry that firearm," Logan said. "So I don't think there's any barrier or obstacles. There are requirements within the licensing process that I think everyone can get through."
During a public hearing on the rules in October, some said these rules are just a start but needed to be beefed up, while others said the rules imposed unfair turnaround times.
This comes as the City Council gets ready to have a public hearing on "sensitive places," which would be areas where firearms would be prohibited, whether or not the carrier has a permit.
"We've come to these procedures (and) I understand there is a bill pending, that may have those areas of sensitive places, but we're not working in conjunction with each other," Logan said.
Logan said that the upcoming state Legislative session may have the potential to impact these rules.
"The (other county) chiefs and I have all got together to discuss the future," Logan said. "As a Legislature comes into session next year, January, what did that mean to all of us as they may impact or, I guess, relook at (Hawaiʻi Revised Statues Chapter) 134 and maybe change legislation."
