Clark Aposhian holds a plastic training weapon to illustrate... (Paul Fraughton / Salt Lake Tribune)
Posted on 11/03/2008 1:23:05 PM PST by neverdem
Budget hike allows bureau to catch up on overdue revocations and suspensions
Scores of concealed weapon permit holders were able to carry their guns for months after they should have had their licenses suspended or revoked for crimes ranging from unspecified felonies to drunken driving.
The problem wasn't fixed until the second half of 2007 when the state Bureau of Criminal Identification received a budget hike and hired four additional investigators.
Those new staffers helped the agency to clear a huge backlog of shelved enforcement actions. The result was a dramatic spike in revocations and suspensions of concealed-carry permits. They jumped from 167 in 2006 to 568 in 2007.
The extra staff also sent permit application denials soaring from 133 in 2006 to 453 in 2007.
"We didn't let anything slide, but it may have taken a bit longer to get to it," said Alice Erickson, bureau chief of BCI, which oversees concealed-carry permits.
BCI now is caught up and staying current with revocations and suspensions as daily court checks identify criminals among the permit holders.
"It's a shame that we couldn't monitor people with permits more carefully," said Steve Gunn, member of the board of directors of the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah, regarding the previous backlog.
Utah's is one of the most popular weapon permits nationwide, and Gunn believes rapidly increasing applications from around the country made the problem worse.
"My suspicion is that because we were providing this service for nonresidents, we were harming our own residents in the process because the state was not properly monitoring those with permits," Gunn said.
Even with the backlog, Clark Aposhian, chairman of the Utah Shooting Sports Council, says Utah's system is superior to others.
"They should have been suspending them, even if they weren't revoking them," Aposhian acknowledged. "But we're still way better than other states, where they check only every five years."
BCI runs a daily court check for in-state permit holders, and a quarterly check for out-of-staters. But during the backlog, those court checks were shelved as investigators focused on trying to bring down the time it took to issue permits to try to meet the 60-day deadline in state law.
Denials of concealed gun permits also skyrocketed in 2007, but no permits were issued if an application raised any red flags. Instead, the application was held until it could be properly investigated, said Lt. Douglas Anderson, program manager over the concealed firearm section of BCI.
Applicants must not only pass a criminal background check, but must meet the standards of "good character," meaning any questionable police reports or court appearances could disqualify them.
"We're not going to rush something through to meet a statutory guideline," Anderson said. "If the applicants require investigation, they're not going to get the permit unless we are sure they meet the good character guideline."
While state law requires BCI to issue a concealed weapon permit within 60 days of receiving the application, by mid-2007, BCI was taking more than 120. They now have it back down to fewer than 60 days.
"They're now technically under the limit, but it's nowhere like it was a few years ago," said Charles Hardy, public policy director for Gun Owners of Utah. "Then, I knew of people routinely getting a permit in 30 days or less."
BCI officials point to a huge increase in the number of applications, especially those from out-of-staters. "There's an overall increase in national permits, and those take time," Anderson said.
But the boost in applicants also has led to a surplus of about $260,000 in agency revenues from fees.
While some argue for a decrease in fees, that surplus likely will be eaten up as renewal rates skyrocket in the next few years from 13,000 this year to 40,000 by 2012, Anderson said.
The state charges $35 for an original application while a renewal is only $10, though both require the same amount of work, Anderson said.
However, there is no movement to change the fees for out-of-state applicants, he said.
Right now, BCI is focusing on meeting the statutory limit of 60 days to issue permits and staying current with their investigations.
"We didn't have the time and manpower last year, but we're full swing ahead right now," Anderson said. "We're doing the investigating, technicians are doing the permits. We're a well-greased wheel right now."
smcfarland@sltrib.com
Clark Aposhian holds a plastic training weapon to illustrate... (Paul Fraughton / Salt Lake Tribune)
“It’s a shame that we couldn’t monitor people with permits more carefully,” said Steve Gunn, member of the board of directors of the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah.
He’d probably settle for ankle bracelets or chip implants.
Welcome to Obamanation.
IMO the 2nd ammendment is enough law for a concealed carry.
ping
We hold these truths to be SELF-EVIDENT; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed BY THEIR CREATOR with certain UNALIENABLE rights ... that TO PRESERVE THESE RIGHTS governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED.
Wonder if it rings any bells with anyone these days.
So much for "shall not be infringed."
as I said about the trib.
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