Tennessee handgun permit applications surge

[Tim Nunan]

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/jul/1 ... ons-surge/

NASHVILLE — Applications for Tennessee handgun carry permits increased by more than 100 percent during the first six months of this year, a period that saw the Legislature enact new laws protecting permit holders from criminal prosecution and prohibiting public release of their names.

The state Department of Safety and Homeland Security, which issues the permits, reported Thursday that it accepted 86,334 handgun carry permit applications at driver services centers from Jan. 1 through June 30, compared with 40,503 applications accepted during the first six months of 2012 — an increase of 113 percent.

The state had 431,538 handgun permit holders as of July 8, the department said. That includes 27,742 in Knox County — more than any other county except Shelby, which had 50,570.

Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons said the surge in handgun permit applications is apparently a factor in causing an increase in waiting time at state drivers license stations, which handle handgun permits as well as driving licenses.

Jennifer Donnals, communications director for the department, could offer no explanation for the increased number of handgun permit applications. But she did have some observations.

“We have experienced a steady increase since the shooting in Newtown, Conn., last December,” she said, referring to the shooting deaths of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school on Dec. 14, 2012.

Also, she said, handgun permits are on a four-year cycle for renewal and 2013 is a renewal year for Tennesseans who got their initial permit when the current system was first set up.

Donnals noted that legislators approved a law earlier this year that makes confidential the department’s records of handgun permit holders. Previously, the permits were public records and some media outlets had made the full, statewide list available.

During legislative debate, proponents of the new law contended that some people have been reluctant to obtain a permit because of concern that their names would become public.

The General Assembly earlier this year also enacted a law that says permit holders cannot be criminally prosecuted for keeping a weapon in a personally owned vehicle while it is locked, even if the vehicle is parked in an area where guns are prohibited.

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, who led efforts for passage of the new law, recently said he will “probably” support an expected push to change the law next year so it is clear that handgun permit holders cannot be fired by their employers solely because they kept a gun in a locked car on company property.

The state Board of Regents on Tuesday became the latest major employer in the state to send out a memo declaring that the new law — known as “guns in trunks” or “guns in parking lots” — does not change policies against employees or students having guns in their vehicles. The University of Tennessee had sent out a similar memo earlier.

The Regents memo, written by General Counsel Mary Moody, said the new law, formally known as Public Chapter 16, has no impact on the prohibition against students, faculty and staff bringing a weapon onto any campuses.

“While it may no longer be a crime for a student or an employee possessing a valid handgun carry permit to have a firearm in his or her privately owned vehicle, under the conditions required by PC 16, IT IS STILL A VIOLATION OF TBR and/or INSTITUTION POLICY,” the memo says.

“Possession of weapons anywhere else on institution property is still a CRIME. For example, no one may carry a weapon outdoors on institution property, or may anyone have a weapon in an office, residence hall, classroom, arena, stadium, or any other campus facility.”

Gibbons said in a news release distributed by the Department of Safety that the increase in handgun permit applications may be part of the reason for an increase in waiting time for those seeking a driver’s license that occurred earlier this year. Another apparent factor, he said, is that operations were slowed at some stations for installation of new equipment and training of staff to use it.

The average wait time in a driver’s license station increased from 30.5 minutes in the first quarter of 2013 to 32 minutes in the second quarter, the department said.

For the first six months of 2013, the average wait time was 31.5 minutes, down from 34 minutes during the first six months of 2012, the department said.

Once operational, the new equipment and software being installed at driver’s license stations across the state will speed things up, Gibbons said.

Donnals said summer is also traditionally a peak season for driver’s licensing activities with students out of school and seeking permits or licenses for the first time.

[Fred762]

Things which make one go "hmmmm..":

quote: "Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons said the surge in handgun permit applications is apparently a factor in causing an increase in waiting time at state drivers license stations, which handle handgun permits as well as driving licenses".

I have written about this very problem several times in the past & IMHO there is NO real logical reason to have the state DL stations have ANYTHING to do with HCP applications! Why?? Simple! The places certified to do the handgun SHOOTING training are also easily competent to handle 'watching a person fill out an application'. They are capable of looking AT a photo, and of taking fingerprints.
All this could be done in under an hour after the shooting part of the training was completed, and the aplications would then be sent to the 'state' for final approval. It would greatly simplify things and ease the congestion at the Drivers License Offices, since we HCP applicants would not have to compete with all the illegal aliens getting IDs there. What say ye????

[ProguninTN]

[Fred762]

Renewals could be as easily done as the originals...you can now renew yer DL online, so you should be able to do the same same w yer HCP. Hell, once you've gone thru a fibbi background check & sent in yer finger prints etc nothing much is gonna change except you will have added a few wrinkles! I say we HCP holders need to petition the .gov to get the process OUT of the greasy hands of the TDOT and into the hands of shooters! How about it John????????