ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Senate Bill 215 takes effect Monday, making Ohio a “constitutional carry” state where “qualifying adults” can carry a concealed handgun without a license.

According to the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, qualified adults must be 21 years old or older, legal state residents, non-fugitives who have not been subject to a protection order and who have not been hospitalized or adjudicated mentally ill, have not been dishonorably discharged from the military, and with no conviction or delinquency for a felony, a misdemeanor offense of violence in three years or two in five years, or are otherwise forbidden under state or federal law.

“We’ll still offer a concealed carry (class) on our end. Yes, there’s open carry on that date. That means that people can carry, which they have to watch — they can only open carry in Ohio. It doesn’t have an effect in any other state like the concealed carry does,” Chief Deputy James Zusack said.

He spoke about law enforcement’s expectations and preparations.

“As far as us stopping a vehicle, they no longer have to announce immediately that they have a concealed carry, we have to ask them. Other than that, just a drop probably in our concealed carry licenses a little bit,” he said of what is expected.

He noted that firearms may still be prohibited in private businesses.

“If an establishment does not allow weapons … they must abide by that,” he said.

Guns also are not permitted in buildings with a courthouse.

“They passed the law. We have to abide by it and change our ways just like the law changes. Our guys are trained,” Zusack said. “We’re updated (with) what we need to do on our end. … It’s basically the same procedure we treat every stop. You don’t get lackadaisical on stops. You’ve got to treat everybody the same. We’ve just got to train our guys to ask, ‘Do you have a concealed carry?’ or ‘Do you have a weapon in the vehicle?'”

Dick Quinlin of Bethesda is among those in the area who provide concealed carry training and has advice for people considering whether to carry a firearm.

“I’m very pro the Second Amendment, and I very much support it,” Quinlin said. “The right to keep and bear arms, I believe it’s a good thing as long as you meet the requirements. … The new constitutional carry, I’m very happy the governor of the state of Ohio signed that into law.”

However, carrying a deadly weapon is a responsibility as well as a right, and Quinlin said it is important to be familiar with gun safety and the law.

“I would recommend that anybody take a concealed carry course that’s offered by various instructors,” Quinlin said. “In it, they teach you the safe carry procedures, how to handle the gun, marksmanship, and it teaches the law about defending yourself. I know most of the instructors. … I have an attorney that works with me. It’s usually just an eight-hour course, but it’s good to get any extra training you can have if you’re going to be carrying. Then of course, God forbid you’d ever have to use it, you’d know how to use it safely … (and) when you can legally use it.

“You want to know what you’re doing with it,” he said of a firearm. “Take the course. It’s not going to hurt a thing, and it’ll better prepare you if there’ll be a confrontation.”

Quinlin added that there are numerous local trainers in the area, and sheriff’s offices can either provide training or a list of trainers.

Martins Ferry Police Chief John McFarland also commented on the change.

“I have some mixed emotions on it,” he said. “Over the course of the last month to two months we have recovered a lot of handguns from various traffic stops that the officers have done, and those were just illegal carries. Some of them were felons and had possession of drugs in possession of a gun. There were some that were under the influence that were in possession of drugs and alcohol. That’s just what worries me about people being under the influence that think it’s OK to be in possession of a firearm.

“We’re dealing with it in smalltown Martins Ferry. Over the course of the last two months we’ve seen a spike in it. When you mix drugs and alcohol with firearms, nothing good comes with it,” McFarland said.

“On the other hand … with some of the things that go on in the world, maybe down in (Uvalde), Texas (during a recent school shooting) if someone had a gun with them that day, they could have saved some people’s lives,” he said, adding there have been instances when an armed bystander has stopped a shooter.

Like Quinlin, McFarland advises members of the public to take a concealed carry class before deciding to carry a gun. He said his department is considering ways to increase the availability of training.

“Our firearms instructor, he and I have talked about putting on a couple of trainings over the summertime, maybe over the fall to educate the public on the importance of how to handle a gun if they choose to carry a firearm,” he said. “We’ll just roll with it as it comes. Hopefully everyone’s safe and will try to get educated. That would be the most important thing.”

Bellaire Police Chief Dick Flanagan said he foresees no major changes in his department’s operations.

“We’ll go about business as usual,” he said, adding he believes armed criminals should receive heavy sentences but law-abiding gun owners should not be penalized.

“Don’t take it out on the Joe-average-day citizen who abides by the law,” he said.

Other area police officials agree that the change in law will have little impact on their day-to-day efforts.

“I don’t think it’s going to change anything at all with how we operate,” Lt. Maurice Waddell with the St. Clairsville post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.

Monroe County Sheriff Charles Black said his deputies have been briefed on the new legislation.

“We already expect everyone to have a weapon, that’s just the day and age we’re in,” he said. “We’re going to deal with it how the law has it written up.

“If you still have the disqualifiers as domestic violence, felon, drug convictions, stuff to that degree, there are restrictions and you are excluded from that particular right,” he said, adding that the list of restrictions is posted on his department’s Facebook page.

“Hopefully we won’t have no real, real major issue,” Black said. “Of course, all the law-abiding citizens are going to go ahead and comply with the law, and the criminals are the criminals.

“This day and age, it’s a very unique time and officers need to adapt to the situation,” Black said.