Local Police Chief on Conceal Carry Law: 'I'm Hoping We'll Be Safer'

After legislation paving the way for Illinois citizens to carry concealed firearms passed through both houses on Tuesday, law enforcement officials started to contemplate how the new law will affect their day-to-day operations.

How does the prospect of armed civilians alter how a police officer does his or her job on the street? Or does it?

"I'm hoping we'll be safer," Channahon police chief Jeff Wold said. "I know gun control has been a hot topic since the tragedy in Newtown (Conn.). I don't know if a conceal-carry law would have helped in that case or not.

"A lot of criminals carry firearms illegally anyway. But maybe someone—with a conceal-carry law in effect—could have stopped that from happening or prevented so many from dying."

Wold said police officers around the state will need to be educated on the new law—which requires citizens to undergo firearm training, pass a background check and purchase a license. And he said various agencies will take steps on their own to handle enforcement.

"If someone takes a firearm into a school or a liquor establishment, is it legal?" Wold said. "It will depend on exactly how the law is written. We'll have to get a hard copy and go over it line-by-line. We're going to have a meeting on Friday afternoon to discuss it here in Channahon."