The city of Chicago saw a surge in legal gun ownership last year, a report released on Friday shows.
Data released to DNAinfo by Illinois State Police reveal there was a 63 percent increase in the number of gun permits issued to Chicago residents between 2015 and 2016. There were 38,712 Firearms Owner Identification, or FOID, cards issued to people in Chicago last year as opposed to 23,725 issued the year before. There are now around 212,000 FOID card holders in the city of Chicago.
Unlike the majority of the country, Illinois requires gun owners to obtain a permit before they can legally purchase firearms. The process for obtaining a FOID card includes a background check, photo requirement, $10 fee, and up to a 30-day waiting period.
"Currently the Illinois State Police Firearms Services Bureau is experiencing a record number of Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) card applications each month," a message on the Illinois State Police website warns. Because of the "extremely high volume of firearm-related inquiries," wait times for citizens looking to obtain a FOID card may be higher than normal. One local gun trainer said the surge in gun purchases is driven by residents' desire for personal protection. Joel Ostrander of SafeShot Ltd. said he has many Chicagoans come to him for firearms training.
"People are worried about crime in Chicago," Ostrander told the newspaper. "These are well-educated, professional people looking for a way to protect their homes and families."
There were 762 murders, 3,550 shootings, and 4,331 shooting victims in 2016. That represents a sizable increase in violent crimes from what the city had experienced in recent years.
The Chicago Police Department said it is only concerned with guns used to commit crimes and legally purchased firearms are rarely involved in criminal activity. "Our issue is with illegal guns and repeat offenders who use them to engage in violence," Chicago P.D. spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told DNAinfo.