Concern about crime and personal safety is behind a sharp increase in the number of concealed firearms permits issued by the Maine State Police, firearms instructors and gun rights advocates say. The number of people seeking concealed gun permits from the state police in 2009 was 5,706, an increase of 40 percent over 2008. Portland, the state's largest city, saw a 60 percent increase.
Read Original at: The Portland Press Herald (Maine)