Nearly 400 people have applied to carry a gun in public in Honolulu since the U.S. Supreme Court left it to the states to decide the rules, and police are close to finalizing a process for issuing permits, officers told the Honolulu Police Commission on Wednesday.

A public hearing will be held at 10 a.m. on Oct. 4 in HPD’s first-floor conference room at its Alapai Street headquarters to gather input before amending the Rules of the Chief of Police to include the process and policies for issuing a license to carry a firearm in Honolulu. The permit applications eventually will be reviewed in the order they were received.

The proposed amendment to Chapter 15 of the Rules of the Chief of Police is on HPD’s website, Deputy Chief Rade Vanic told police commissioners Wednesday, and the public is encouraged to submit written testimony at HPDLTC@honolulu.gov.

“We want to make sure we get the rules right,” Vanic told commissioners.

Maui and Hawaii counties became the first two municipalities in Hawaii to revise their permit process for a license to carry firearms after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a New York state law limiting who can have a permit to carry a pistol outside their home.

In Hawaii the ruling meant that police chiefs will no longer have the discretion to deny a permit to carry a handgun for law-abiding citizens who satisfy basic requirements crafted by each county. Only four permits to carry a gun in public have been granted statewide in the past 22 years.

The proposed background checks for applicants include more than a dozen searches for court records, police interactions, review of mental health records and checks with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the National Crime Information Center for warrants and the Interstate Identification Index national index of criminal histories, according to a proposed set of rules on HPD’s website.

Personnel with the department’s firearms unit also will confirm citizenship, query Hawaii’s medical cannabis cardholder database and “any other databases required by law,” according to the proposal.

Police are working with the city Department of the Corporation Counsel and seeking public input to establish the criteria for testing, training, performing background checks and all other necessary policies and procedures to safely prepare the city for a community where law-abiding citizens are allowed to carry guns in public.

“One (gun) at a time,” said Vanic. “That’s part of the rules.”

Vanic pointed out that Hawaii is one of the states with the lowest rate of gun violence and police are aware that its enforcement of existing rules plays a part in that. Vanic said officers do not want new rules and the proliferation of firearms in public to make Honolulu prone to gun violence.

“We at the police department, we understand that we have a role in that and we want to make sure we honor that role,” said Vanic.

Commissioners pressed police for details on the proposed rules during Wednesday’s meeting.

Commissioner Carrie K.S. Okinaga pointed out that other jurisdictions are looking at limiting where people can carry a gun and asked Vanic if HPD is looking at restricting areas of the island or certain events from any gun-toting outside of law enforcement.

“That process is separate from the rules of the chief, ” said Vanic.

Police are working with city attorneys to come up with a proposed ordinance that will determine where on Oahu people may carry a gun in public. That ordinance would have to go through the normal City Council review and vote process.

Commissioner Ann Botticelli asked Vanic who the public will be testifying to about the proposed rules on Oct. 4.

“We’ll have our personnel here to assist,” said Vanic, who noted that city attorneys also may be involved in the public hearing on the proposed changes to the chief’s rules.

Vice Chair Gerard “Jerry” Gibson asked if there is any coordination between county police chiefs to come up with a “cohesive package” for issuing the licences.

The county police chiefs have met at least three times, including last month, Vanic said.

“They keep in regular communication with each other and other chiefs have given us … valuable resources,” said Vanic, referring to Maui and Kauai’s police chiefs who have previous backgrounds in states with concealed-carry permits.

“Aside from prohibited locations it really should be the same criteria,” said Gibson.

“That’s correct,” said Vanic.

In Hawaii the law has prohibited carrying a firearm in public except to transport it to and from places where it can be purchased and used legally, such as from a gun shop to your home or to the police department for registration.

Statewide, firearm registrations were up nearly 7% in 2021, continuing a trend of increasing gun ownership that has stretched over two decades, according to a report issued by the state Attorney General’s Office.