Idaho Sheriff Defends Use of Concealed Carry Permit Fees to Revamp Office
Posted by jhingarat21 on 7th Aug 2015
A man shoots a revolver, at Dragon man’s firing range and gun dealer, outside Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)
An Idaho sheriff is defending the use of fees collected from concealed weapons permits to buy his office new tile and carpet.
“The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is and has Idaho Sherrifs always been dedicated to serving all the people of Madison County; this includes wise use of all monies,” Madison County Sheriff Roy Klingler wrote Tuesday on Facebook.
Mr. Klingler was responding to an Idaho Reporter story that revealed his office spent about $60,000 on items unrelated to concealed-weapons permit administration.
The office reportedly spent more than $42,000 on tile and carpet in 2011 and 2012. The permit fees also funded a $750 bark purchase for a gun range, $2,339 for guns and $14,270 to purchase a Chevrolet Cruze for a civil deputy, according to the Idaho Reporter.
“This is only a story for those who want to construe the facts, trying to implicate that the Sheriff’s Office, its employees, or the Sheriff have done something wrong, when in fact we have not,” Sheriff Klingler wrote. “This is all part of the hate campaign against government/Law enforcement and in this case more specifically me as the Sheriff. We have not done anything illegal or unethical with these funds or any other funds.”
He also declared his support for the Second Amendment.
“It is no secret that as Sheriff it is and has been my opinion that lawful citizens should not need the permit to carry and I would just as soon not have the permit for anything other than the ease of purchasing firearms and for those who want the reciprocity while traveling in other states. This is not about us trying to make money,” the sheriff wrote.
However, Greg Pruett, president and founder of the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance, disagreed.
“The sheriff admits he used CWP funds to purchase items which had nothing to do with the CWP process,” Mr. Pruett told the Idaho Reporter. “He proved exactly why this whole process is a scam on Idaho gun owners.”