Police Sgt. says "armed populace" "force multiplier"

From Keystone, Colorado:

Summit County may soon have a new batch of licensed concealed weapon holders, after Sunday's well-attended firearms class at the Keystone Fire Station.

Carrying a concealed weapon requires completion of the class, as well as two hours of training on a shooting range, said instructor Phil McFall, explaining that students also take a 50-question exam at the end of the session.

After completing the course, people can apply with the Sheriff's Office for a permit. Colorado law authorizes citizens 18 years and older to carry concealed weapons as long as they don't have any felonies on their record. Alcohol or drug-related charges are grounds for suspension of the permit until the charges are legally resolved.

Statewide, the number of concealed weapon permits has climbed in the past few years, according to a 2008 story in the Denver Post. Some sheriffs attributed the rise to a series of highly publicized shootings, while others said the increase was simply due to a round of renewals of expiring five-year permits.

Other statewide statistics show that crime rates in Colorado have dropped in recent years, although the most recent available figures are from 2007. . . .

Frisco police Sgt. Jim Donahue also offered a brief presentation at the class, emphasizing that he was there on his own time as a private citizen, not as a representative of the town's police department.

“Having an armed populace, in my opinion, if they are licensed and properly trained, is a good thing,” Donahue said. “The key to this whole thing is training.

“It's a force multiplier for us,” he added, explaining that there are certain situations when police can use the help of armed citizens.