This article is close to the article I posted previously, but includes a local write up. It also has a statistic that I have never read: He added that a book titled “Thank God I Had A Gun” by Chris Bird claims to cite FBI statistics from 2004 stating that gun owners thwart a crime 285 times each hour across the nation. http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080709/NEWS01/807090315 Tyler Following State Trend With Applications For Gun Permits Up (Staff Photo By Jaime R. Carrero) Clint Cooper demonstrates a .45-caliber pistol at Lock and Load in Tyler. Applications for concealed weapon permit have soared in Texas in the past few weeks By KENNETH DEAN Staff Writer Across East Texas, and the rest of the state, concealed handgun applications have increased dramatically, causing the agency responsible for approving or denying the applications to hire additional people to keep up with the requests to carry a weapon. In Tyler, the trend is the same. Classes are full and some are on waiting lists. <SCRIPT language=javascript type=text/javascript><!--var rnd = Math.random() + "";var idn = rnd * 100000000000000000;document.write('<S'+'CR'+'IP'+'T LANGU'+'AGE="JavaScript1.1" SRC="http://tpads.sv.publicus.com/apps/OAMS.dll/src/tp001/RECTANGLE01/NEWS01/40046202025526067/-1/-/;idn=' + idn + ';Type=1?"><\/SCRIPT>');//--></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://tpads.sv.publicus.com/apps/OAMS.dll/src/tp001/RECTANGLE01/NEWS01/40046202025526067/-1/-/;idn=58262631873287976;Type=1?"></SCRIPT><OBJECT codeBase=http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0 height=250 width=300 classid=clsid27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000> <embed src="http://tpads.sv.publicus.com/ads/10/contest_soundsfishy2008_300x250.swf?clickTAG=http%3A%2F%2Ftpads.sv.publicus.com%2Fapps%2FOAMS.dll%2Fhref%2Ftp001%2FRECTANGLE01%2FNEWS01%2F-1%2F-1%2FEASTTXNEWS%2F11217%2F%3BURL%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F" quality="high" width="300" height="250" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"> </embed></OBJECT> “We are seeing increases from previous years and I think it has to do with rising crime and fears that there will be new anti-gun legislation passed by new political leaders,” said Max Gilfillan, a certified concealed handgun license instructor. More than 52,000 people in Texas have submitted an application for a first-time concealed handgun license or renewal since the beginning of the year, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Public spokeswoman Tela Mange. That is an almost 5 percent increase over the first six months of 2007; but, because of the increased applications. there are lengthy waits for those applying. Mange said the average wait for new applicants is between 80 and 90 days for their licenses; renewals are taking about 70 to 80 days to process. They are seeing as many renewals. By law, new applications should take no more than 60 days and renewals 45 days to process unless a required background check raises flags. “We’re still hacking away at those numbers,” Ms. Mange said. To speed up the process, DPS is paying overtime and has hired an additional 11 temporary employees. “We believe we’re going to be able to get a handle sometime in the next couple of months,” Ms. Mange said. “If people renewing their licenses would begin the process sooner or do it online, it would help us a lot.” Some believe last year’s passing of legislation called the castle law, which gives property owners the right to use deadly force against another person in defending themselves if they reasonably believe the person is committing or is attempting to commit certain crimes, is the reason for the spike. Gilfillan, who instructs at Gander Mountain in Tyler, and Kenneth Lottman, assistant manager of Lock & Load Indoor Shooting Range, also in Tyler, said the classes are full. “We are averaging 40 to 60 new people each month and about the same number in renewals,” Lottman said. Both men said the people taking the classes come from varied backgrounds. “They are young and old, professionals and average everyday working people,” Gilfillan said. He added that a book titled “Thank God I Had A Gun” by Chris Bird claims to cite FBI statistics from 2004 stating that gun owners thwart a crime 285 times each hour across the nation. Gilfillan said the requirements for approval were strict. Applicants will be denied if: They owe back taxes, student loans or child support. Have been convicted of a felony. Have been admitted involuntarily into a mental hospital. “What people need to remember is that those who are applying for the concealed licenses and who have the licenses are not the bad guys. The bad guys don’t ask to carry a gun, they just do it,” he said. The cost of the class varies for each instructor, but the state charges a flat rate of $140 for each new license. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Re: Tyler Following State Trend With Applications For Gun Pe Bravo, best line in that article! Yeah, and shelby county in TN has issues more "permit certificates" than any other county in TN, infact, my local range is the states number one issuer. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing (you should see some of the people that come through those classes).
