Sheriff Dart Announces Results from First Month of Conceal Carry Applications

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office has objected to the concealed carry applications for 240 individuals within the first month of Illinois’ new concealed carry law, Sheriff Thomas J. Dart said today. Among the 240 applicants, five have already been denied by the Illinois State Police. The Illinois Concealed Carry Licensing Board will review and decide the merits of the remaining 235. 118 of the individuals reside in Chicago, while 93 reside in suburban Cook County. The suburban breakdown includes 54 from South Suburban Cook County, 24 from Central Suburban Cook County and 19 from Northern Cook County. 25 of the individuals currently live outside of Cook County, as the law stipulates that the Sheriff’s Office is responsible for reviewing all applicants who have lived within Cook County at some point in the last 10 years. Justifications for the objections include (note that many applicants fall into multiple categories): Domestic Violence – 88 Gun Crimes – 77 Battery/Assault – 52 Orders of Protection – 29 Aggravated Battery/Assault – 27 Gang Activity – 12 Burglary/Theft – 10 Sex Crimes – 4 False Personation – 4 Drugs – 4 Mental Illness – 1 Other – 16 14 of the individuals for whom the Sheriff’s Office has filed objections are currently certified as concealed carry training instructors by the Illinois State Police. One applicant has been arrested 20 times, with two convictions. This individual’s criminal history includes 12 arrests for theft, three for battery – including two domestic batteries – and two for resisting a peace officer. Another applicant has been arrested 12 times, with one conviction. This individual’s criminal history includes gun-related offences such as aggravated battery with a firearm, failure to keep a record of firearm transfer and defacing firearm markings. The applicant has also been arrested for assault and battery. An additional applicant has been arrested nine times, with one conviction. This individual’s criminal history also includes several gun crimes such as unlawful use of a weapon and two aggravated assaults with a firearm. The applicant has also been arrested twice for battery – including domestic battery – as well as resisting a peace officer. Of the 12 objections based on the applicant’s gang activity, four are affiliated with Latin Kings, one is affiliated with the Gangster Disciples, one is affiliated with the Satan Disciples, one is affiliated with the Insane Unknowns and one is affiliated with the New Breeds. The remaining four objections were based on documented gang activity or arrests, such as gang loitering. Sheriff’s Office personnel have spent in excess of 2,000 combined hours on concealed carry application reviews to this point. This process has been split among 25 employees, several of whom review applications full-time. All of these individuals have been pulled away from their usual tasks, which include important responsibilities such as criminal intelligence and police patrol.