Dart: Concealed Carry Law Fell Short On Review Process
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A year after the state began allowing people to carry firearms in public in Illinois, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart suggested some counties might not be as thorough in reviewing concealed carry applications as Cook County.
People who want a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Illinois must file an application with the Illinois State Police, but local law enforcement agencies may object to applications if they suspect someone poses a danger to public safety.
Of the nearly 24,000 people who applied for permits in Cook County last year, more than 1,100 were denied.
Dart said, despite getting no extra funding to do so, he has diverted personnel to check applications in Cook County.
"Many counties don't object to anything or anybody. Many entities don't. We just took it very seriously," Dart said.
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He said lawmakers should have provided local law enforcement with money for the manpower needed to sort through applications.
"We've had people that … have been charged with illegally possessing guns. I remember we had people with sex crimes. We've had 18 people who have been charged with murder. Numerous people, over 100, that had serious gang connections," Dart said.
Fifty-five of the 102 counties in Illinois objected to five or fewer applications, and one county – Macoupin – objected to none of the 546 applications there.
