Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Cook County Sheriff's Plan to Deny Concealed Firearms Permits

Capitol Fax reports on Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart:
Illinoisans can begin applying next month for the state’s first-ever permits to carry concealed firearms. But the Cook County Sheriff complains to FOX 32 News that the system to screen those applicants is full of holes. Unless the system is fixed, Sheriff Tom Dart says he’s prepared to take extraordinary action to prevent permits from being granted to anyone with a serious arrest record.

FOX 32 has learned that Sheriff Dart sent a letter to the director of the Illinois State Police announcing his “blanket objection” to granting a concealed carry permit to anyone who’s been arrested even once in the last seven years for domestic violence, a gang-related crime or illegal gun possession. Even if they haven’t been convicted, Dart says, those charges are “red flags” that need to be pursued. […]

“I gotta imagine we’ll be objecting to hundreds, easily thousands of people,” Dart told FOX 32’s Mike Flannery. “What we’re gonna have is this massive influx of the applications. And they’re gonna be given out. And we’re just left holding the bag when the inevitable bad thing will happen. It happens in other states. And in other states they also have people who are armed who stop crimes. It happens both ways, I understand that. But when the inevitable bad thing happens, people will say, ‘Why wasn’t this person caught?’”

That's right : you haven't even been convicted of something and Sheriff Tom Dart wants to deny you your constitutional right! Speaking of red flags, being an elected official in Cook County means you could be corrupt according to these reports.

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