More new gun owners are seeking permits in Somerset County. Here's why.
Permits to carry a concealed gun in public are climbing in Somerset County, and many of those seeking gun permits have never done so before.
"A lot of people are new getting permits," said Somerset County Sheriff Dustin Weir. "They are getting their guns."
Recent statistics in Somerset County
In February, the sheriff's department issued 337 licenses to carry.
"We have 1,432 pending permits to pick up," Weir said on the day of the interview by Daily American. "And we have more to come in to process," he said.
"In two years back, we probably average around 500 permits to pick up daily," he said. Now that number has tripled and he is not sure why.
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He and his deputies have spoken with the people registering for a permit and the results of why they are doing so cover a lot of reasons, but none in particular that can answer they question of, "Why?"
How to apply for a Pa. concealed carry permit
To obtain a Pennsylvania Concealed Carry Permit/License, the person needs to take a Pennsylvania driver license or state ID to the county sheriff's office in the courthouse. The names, addresses and phone numbers of two references are required. The person needs to fill out the application and pay the $20 fee. Weir has 45 days to issue the permit/license or deny it. The permit/license is good for five years.
Some states do not require permits to carry, but when gun owners enter Pennsylvania they need those permits, Weir said.
Learning how
With the interest in obtaining gun permits, the sheriff's office plans to provide training both in a classroom and on the range for anyone who wants to get familiar with their weapons.
"It is more a safety class," Weir said.
The sheriff's office already has a full waiting list. Weir said he is planning for the gun safety class to occur around the beginning of April.
"To pull one off I'd like to have, 12 to 15 guys. It is lining up all the stars to try to get as many as we can. We don't need a lot for the classroom, a handful of us do that, but obviously on the range we need more."
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The sheriff and his deputies all give up an evening and a weekend to lead the safety course on a volunteer basis. In fact, some other local law enforcement officers help out. There are some officers with gun instruction background and others have 20, 30 years of experience in law enforcement.
"We have fun," said Deputy Mark Hogan.
Some of the women in the gun safety class even bake some cookies in the morning, which is a bonus for the volunteers.
"We get a lot of positive feedback," Weir said.
Other statistics
In January, the sheriff and his deputies average issuing more than two Protection From Abuse orders per day.
"January was bad. February seemed to slow down a little bit," Weir said.
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Besides having to issue PFAs, the sheriff's office in February provided the following services: "We received 92 new civil papers for service. We did 81 hours, 2,173 miles in in-state transfer, did six hours involving 102 miles in out-of-state transport and 547 hours of courthouse security."
"We are definitely on a standard year," the sheriff said.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Why are concealed carry permits on the rise in Somerset County PA?
