Report 2017-101 Recommendation 2 Responses

Report 2017-101: Concealed Carry Weapon Licenses: Sheriffs Have Implemented Their Local Programs Inconsistently and Sometimes Inadequately (Release Date: December 2017)

Recommendation #2 To: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

To ensure that it only issues licenses to individuals after receiving evidence of residency, firearms training, and good moral character that aligns with its policy, Los Angeles should only issue licenses after verifying that it has received this evidence. To avoid overlooking required evidence, Los Angeles should create procedures by March 2018 for its staff to follow to ensure that each CCW file contains the evidence its policy requires before issuing the license.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2020

Response: Concur in part. The Department has been issuing CCWs only after applicants have demonstrated good moral character, good cause exists, and residency of the County and firearms training. We agree to improve our process of documenting when an applicant demonstrates they have fulfilled the legal requirements necessary to obtain a CCW. We have therefore developed and implemented a checklist that will be completed before any license is issued, verifying that the file contains all necessary documentation of good moral character, good cause, residency, and training.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

The department provided us a copy of the checklist it created to verify that applicants provided all required information, but it did not provide us with any evidence of procedures for its staff to follow to ensure that the licenses the department issues comply with its own policy.

All Recommendations in 2017-101

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.