LITTLE ROCK, AR — Arkansas State Police Colonel Mike Hagar spoke before a legislative subcommittee this week, addressing concerns over gun-free zones in state parks and other public areas. His remarks came during a broader discussion of a high-profile homicide case, when lawmakers shifted focus to Second Amendment rights and public safety.

Hagar made it clear that he supports the right of law-abiding citizens to carry firearms, even in places currently restricted under state law. “The more good people that we have with weapons and the ability to defend themselves, the better that we all are,” Hagar told the committee.

He pushed back on the common argument that stricter gun control leads to safer communities, citing cities and states with heavy firearm restrictions that still experience high crime rates. “If you restrain guns then there should be less gun crime. That’s just not the case,” Hagar said. “And we see that—that’s not an opinion, that’s fact.”

Hagar also emphasized that law enforcement does not view armed, law-abiding citizens as a threat. “As a police officer, I’ve never minded encountering a good law-abiding citizen that has a weapon. Ever. I’ve never felt threatened by that at all,” he stated.

He argued that the presence of armed citizens deters criminals from targeting Arkansas residents, noting that would-be offenders often hesitate because they know many households are armed and prepared. “The ability to pull off a crime like that is impeded significantly just by the fear of what’s waiting on the other side,” he said.

Hagar’s comments underscore what gun rights advocates have long maintained: that law-abiding citizens carrying firearms make communities safer, not more dangerous. Removing so-called gun-free zones in public spaces such as state parks would allow Arkansans to exercise their constitutional rights while also providing an added layer of deterrence against violent crime.