La Plata County Sheriff Duke Schirard said more residents are seeking permits to carry concealed weapons, probably a result of new gun laws passed this year.
Schirard said he usually receives five to 10 applications for concealed-carry permits every two weeks. But lately, it’s been more like 20 to 50 applications per week.
“Sometimes, I almost get writer’s cramp reviewing all of them and signing off on them,” he said, acknowledging the exaggeration. “I think it’s a reaction to the political climate.”
The number of people getting permits to carry concealed weapons has risen nearly 90 percent this year in Colorado.
Between January and June, nearly 32,000 background checks were processed for concealed-carry permits by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, The Denver Post reported Monday. Last year, fewer than 17,000 were processed during the same period.
Analysts and authorities say some residents are concerned about new gun laws that restrict the size of ammunition magazines and tighten gun-purchase laws, while others want to be better prepared for a disaster.
Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said the demand for permits has become so intense, he had to add staff to keep up with applicant numbers.
University of Colorado at Boulder professor Hillary Potter said the driving force behind permit-seekers may be political, with increasing concern about moves to tighten gun laws.
“A lot of people are concerned with what the government did (by passing gun-control laws), and they are feeling restricted,” said Potter, an associate professor in the department of sociology.
Schirard said the CBI is so busy with background checks that sometimes the agency doesn’t complete them within 90 days, in which case the law allows permits to be issued anyway. This happens about 10 percent of the time, he said.
It’s not just concealed-carry permits, Schirard said; people are buying up weapons and ammunition in general.
“Within the firearms community there’s an overall fear that the federal government and the state government are moving toward, certainly limiting one’s ability to possess and keep these things,” he said.
New Colorado laws include mandating universal background checks for gun sales, a 15-round limit on firearm magazines and banning online-only concealed-carry certification training.
Richard Abramson, general manager of the Centennial Gun Club, said people want to be prepared because by the time a violent crime has been committed, it is too late to rely on police.
Robinson said there have been few instances of permit holders misusing their weapons permits in his jurisdiction.
Herald Staff Writer Shane Benjamin contributed to this report.
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