Simi Official Now Armed With Concealed-Gun Permit

City Councilwoman Sandi Webb got what she wanted Friday: her own fully legal concealed-weapon permit.

Asked how it feels to legally tote her .38-caliber revolver around in its hand-tooled leather fanny-pack, Webb said mildly, “About the same. It’s kind of nice.”

Webb has said on many occasions in recent years that she sometimes carried a pistol illegally for self-defense, particularly when she drives into Los Angeles.

Last spring--after Police Chief Randy Adams revised the permit requirements to clarify California’s hazy gun laws and make it easier for residents to obtain concealed-weapons permits--Webb applied for a permit.

Police fingerprinted her, ran a criminal background check and put her through a three-hour psychological exam with Ventura County Sheriff’s Department psychologist Randolph Nutter--all part of the new requirements.

Then Webb underwent three, three-hour sessions of handgun training and target practice. Finally, after proving she had $1 million in personal liability insurance and had signed an affidavit showing good cause why she needed to carry a loaded gun, she went to the police station Friday and picked up her freshly laminated permit card.

“It’s taken a few years, but I’m feeling pretty good that the chief is issuing permits,” she said.

Adams said Friday that 53 Simi Valley residents now have concealed-weapon permits, contrasted with about 21 before he changed the rules.