From Oshkosh News (thenorthwestern.com)
As deadlines to process concealed carry applications approach, the state Department of Justice says its resources are being stretched to the limit.
The DOJ has been asking employees to work overtime and is pulling employees from other units to assist the firearms unit, which is responsible for processing the applications.
About 24 people from other units work on processing concealed carry applications at any given time, in addition to the 11 employees in the firearms unit, DOJ spokeswoman Dana Brueck said.
Workers are checking that applications are complete, have related documents and do not note a felony conviction.
The state Legislature provided the department with enough funding to hire one full-time employee and 10 part-time employees, who would work from November to March, to process applications. That wasn't enough, Brueck said.
"We have shifted people to (process applications) from other areas due to the lack of personnel provided … and due to the aggressive deadlines under which we need to process applications for this brand new program," Brueck said.
The Legislature allowed the DOJ 45 days to process applications submitted between Nov. 1 and Dec. 1. The department has 21 days to process applications received after Dec. 1.
During the first two weeks of December, the DOJ received an average of 860 applications each day it received mail. The department had received 55,747 applications as of Dec. 11, Brueck said.
Some of the employees brought in were part of the department's Handgun Hotline unit, which approves the sale of handguns. Gun dealers must call the hotline before they sell a handgun, and the hotline must respond to calls within 48 hours.
Because some people are being asked to assist the firearms unit, fewer employees are available to respond to calls, which have increased by 52.9 percent over last year. November was the hotline's busiest month on record with 10,656 calls — an average of 400 calls per day, Brueck said.
The addition of 11 new part-time employees will help alleviate the strain, Brueck said. The new employees are expected to join the firearms unit from January through the end of June.
From Oshkosh News (thenorthwestern.com)
As deadlines to process concealed carry applications approach, the state Department of Justice says its resources are being stretched to the limit.
The DOJ has been asking employees to work overtime and is pulling employees from other units to assist the firearms unit, which is responsible for processing the applications.
About 24 people from other units work on processing concealed carry applications at any given time, in addition to the 11 employees in the firearms unit, DOJ spokeswoman Dana Brueck said.
Workers are checking that applications are complete, have related documents and do not note a felony conviction.
The state Legislature provided the department with enough funding to hire one full-time employee and 10 part-time employees, who would work from November to March, to process applications. That wasn't enough, Brueck said.
"We have shifted people to (process applications) from other areas due to the lack of personnel provided … and due to the aggressive deadlines under which we need to process applications for this brand new program," Brueck said.
The Legislature allowed the DOJ 45 days to process applications submitted between Nov. 1 and Dec. 1. The department has 21 days to process applications received after Dec. 1.
During the first two weeks of December, the DOJ received an average of 860 applications each day it received mail. The department had received 55,747 applications as of Dec. 11, Brueck said.
Some of the employees brought in were part of the department's Handgun Hotline unit, which approves the sale of handguns. Gun dealers must call the hotline before they sell a handgun, and the hotline must respond to calls within 48 hours.
Because some people are being asked to assist the firearms unit, fewer employees are available to respond to calls, which have increased by 52.9 percent over last year. November was the hotline's busiest month on record with 10,656 calls — an average of 400 calls per day, Brueck said.
The addition of 11 new part-time employees will help alleviate the strain, Brueck said. The new employees are expected to join the firearms unit from January through the end of June.
(Page 2 of 2)
The initial 10 part-time employees will finish working with the department in March. Afterward, the department hopes to have 14½ positions filled — including two employees in information technology who will work to streamline the application process and "provide a more user-friendly experience" for applicants, Brueck said.
Despite the current lack of personnel and influx of applications, the department so far has been able to meet all deadlines, Brueck said.
"We're meeting our deadlines, and that is our goal," she said. "People are working long hours and working weekends. All applications received before Dec. 1 will be processed within the 45-day timeframe."
The deadline to process the 145 applications submitted on Nov. 1 was Friday, but the agency already had approved 123 permits on the same day they were received. Applications submitted during the first few weeks after the law took effect must be processed in the next few weeks.
Applications submitted after Dec. 1 must be processed within 21 days, and the shorter timeframe might be more difficult to meet, Brueck said.
"Those (applications) that fall within the 21-day deadline … will be more of a challenge, but we are doing everything we can to meet that deadline and to ensure they're processed in as timely a fashion as possible," she said. "It's too early to say that there will be issues, but we're conscious of the short turn-around time."
It can take the DOJ at least one or two weeks to process an application that includes all the required documentation. But some applicants' background checks require the department to ask for information from a court system.
"For apps that generate hits in the background check, we have to do further investigation and can't always control the time," Brueck said.
The DOJ had processed 25,117 applications as of Dec. 11 — about 45 percent of all applications received. Of the processed applications, 24,821 were approved and 296, about 1.2 percent, were denied.
Most of the denials were because of mismatching addresses in the applications, Brueck said.
"Almost all of those denials have been due to an address mismatch, which means the address on the application doesn't match the address on file" with the state Department of Transportation, she said. "When that happens, the applicant is notified. If the situation is resolved, that application is then returned to the front of the pile, so to speak."
Fewer than 24 of the denials were because of criminal records that disqualified the applicant from receiving a permit, Brueck said.
Disqualifications include felony convictions or being prohibited from possessing a weapon as a condition of bail. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and show proof of firearms training.
For applications missing documentation, such as the payment of $50 or proof of training, the application is sent back to the applicant, but he or she can reapply, Brueck said.
