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Number Of Michigan Women Getting Concealed Gun Licenses On The Rise

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - Records show an increase in the number of women getting a license to carry a concealed handgun.

Records from the Michigan State Police show the number of women statewide who received or renewed concealed pistol licenses rose from 10,862 in 2010 to 25,418 last year, an increase of 134 percent, according to a report in the Detroit News.

The number of new CPL licenses issued to women between 2010 and 2014 climbed 122 percent in Macomb County, 90 percent in Wayne County and 74 percent in Oakland County.

The number of newly issued licenses dipped, however, from 2013 to 2014. Statewide, numbers from the Michigan State Police say 114,872 people obtained or renewed concealed pistol licenses in 2014.

Michigan has about 457,550 active concealed pistol license holders, according to the state police, up from 401,000 in 2011.

Rick Ector, a firearms instructor in Metro Detroit, told WWJ's Chrystal Knight he's seeing a dramatic increase in women taking his courses. Ector said when he first became a firearms instructor 10 years ago it was predominantly an activity for men, but that's not the case anymore.

"They realize that the police are striving to do their best ... but at the end of the day, they're ultimately responsible for themselves," Ector said.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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