The number of concealed-carry permits applied for and issued in Hancock County was way down last year.

A total of 715 CCW licenses were issued last year, down from 1,297 in 2018.

Sheriff Michael Heldman says the number of permits issued goes up and down, usually depending on if gun control is the hot topic that year.

“It’s kind of interesting to watch the trend, but it has grown ever since 2004 when we started issuing the carry concealed licenses.”

191 permits were issued in that first year in 2004.

The sheriff says 5 permits were denied last year and 12 were suspended.

Statewide, 132,385 CCW permits were issued in 2019.

Of those, 77,959 were renewals, a 21 percent decrease from 2018, and 54,426 licenses were new, a 21.5 percent decrease.

Denials were rare – 1,310 in total, for a rate of less than 1 percent.

Go over the full attorney general’s report here.