Texas law enforcement ‘skeptical and nervous’ about constitutional carry gun bill

Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn and the Fort Worth Police Department appear to be on opposite sides of the permitless carry debate as legislation that would allow Texans to carry a handgun without a license nears passage.

The Fort Worth Police Department is opposed to House Bill 1927, according to an April letter Chief Neil Noakes sent to the bill’s Senate sponsor. But Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn has indicated support for the legislation, as long as changes made on the floor aligning with fellow sheriffs’ recommendations remain.

“The Fort Worth Police Department is opposed to HB 1927 and does not support any legislation that would allow the carrying of a handgun in a public place without a license or permit,” the April 28 letter to Sen. Charles Schwertner reads. “Such action would remove crucial safeguards that are meant to protect Texans.”

The proposal would allow anyone to carry a handgun without a license as long as they’re not otherwise barred from doing so.

“I would have never offered this bill if I thought it would in any way put Texans in harm or diminish law enforcement’s ability to enforce the law,” Schwertner said as lawmakers prepared to vote.

Several amendments were added to the bill on the Senate floor as it was debated May 5, including changes that made the bill agreeable to the Sheriff’s Association of Texas, said Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne, the organization’s legislative chairman.

An amendment recommended by the sheriffs would prohibit permitless carry for people convicted of certain misdemeanors in the past five years. Some of the crimes include assault that causes bodily injury or disorderly conduct with a firearm. But only some of the association’s recommended misdemeanors made it onto the legislation, which some sheriffs are uncomfortable with, Hawthorne said.

“Sheriff Waybourn supported the recommendations of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas, which included added amendments and clarifications for HB 1927,” a Monday statement from the sheriff’s office reads. “He agreed with their position on the Bill, providing the recommendations were followed before the final passing of it.”

The statement continues that Waybourn “is an advocate of the 2nd Amendment and believes in individual responsibility.”

“With that, he strongly encourages anyone carrying a weapon to seek out good training in both the law and the use of the weapon,” the statement reads.

Waybourn declined an interview through spokespersons. He was unavailable for comment on the full list of misdemeanors not making it onto the bill.

In the April letter shared by Sen. Beverly Powell on Twitter, Noakes said the department supports the constitutional right to carry a firearm, but also recognizes “the great responsibility that comes with that right.” Noakes points out that when getting a license to carry, applicants must demonstrate firearm proficiency and undergo safety training that includes learning state and federal laws.

“This increases the safe handling of firearms by those carrying their weapon in public, thereby decreasing the chances of another firearm tragedy,” the letter reads. “It comes down to responsibility and safety, not an infringement on Texan’s rights.”

Noakes was not made available for an interview on the legislation after the Star-Telegram reached out to the department’s public relations office, and the department did not immediately return a request for comment on whether the amendments to the bill changed its position. The Arlington Police Department declined to comment on the pending legislation.

Hawthorne said that while the association supports the amended bill, it prefers people get licensed to carry a handgun given the training and protections that come with it, such as reciprocity with other states for carrying a firearm.

The bill, which has received mixed-reviews from firearm instructors as well as law enforcement, passed out of the Senate on May 5 and is headed back to the House as amended. There, lawmakers can either accept the changes and send it to Gov. Greg Abbott, where it is expected to get his signature, or come up with a version agreeable to both chambers in a conference committee.

The Sheriff’s Association of Texas is waiting to see what happens with the bill in the House.

“Nobody really knows for sure, but hopefully they will honor and respect some of the wishes of law enforcement,” Hawthorne said. “Most law enforcement officers are very skeptical and nervous of the bill. From a sheriff’s association perspective, we believe that the criminals are going to be carrying guns anyway. We’ve never seen a law that stopped a criminal from carrying a gun, so we support the law abiding citizens to carry.”

Going into the Senate’s debate, it was unclear whether the bill had enough support to pass. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick previously said the votes weren’t there. Asked what changed on Inside Texas Politics, Patrick pointed to Senate amendments.

“We think the House passed a good bill,” Patrick said. “We think we made it stronger.”