Wake sheriff to resume pistol permit applications halted by coronavirus concerns
The Wake County sheriff will resume processing pistol purchase permits in “as timely a fashion as possible under the current conditions,” according to a court order filed Tuesday.
Sheriff Gerald Baker said he was pleased with the order, signed by Resident Superior Court Judge A. Graham Shirley.
“I believe the court’s review of the entire situation reveals that my primary purpose has always been, and will continue to be, to protect the safety and welfare of my staff, Wake County citizens and the jail residents housed in the Wake County Public Safety Center,” Baker stated in a news release.
Baker announced last week that he was suspending pistol purchase permit applications until April 30 because of a backlog in applications and a concern that growing numbers of people coming in seeking permits could potentially spread the coronavirus.
Pistol purchase permit applications were up nearly 500% over the same time period as 2018, The News & Observer previously reported. The applications require a background check, and the Wake County Clerk of Courts, which does the checks, could not keep up with demand, the sheriff said.
“Baker’s decision to temporarily suspend acceptance of applications was due to his efforts to comply with proclamations of emergency restrictions and his paramount and legitimate concern for the public health and safety in light of the existing declared states of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak,” according to the court order.
Soon after Baker’s decision, Wake County resident Kelly Stafford, state gun-rights group Grass Roots North Carolina, and two national organizations, Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Paul Valone, president of Grass Roots North Carolina, said his organization is reviewing Tuesday’s order.
The consent order gives Baker up to seven days to implement the changes needed to resume accepting pistol purchase applications. Information on the modified application process will be available on the Sheriff’s Office Pistol Permits Office’s website in the next few days.
Tuesday’s order does not affect new concealed-carry permit applications. The Raleigh/Wake City-County Bureau of Identification has suspended public fingerprinting, and the Sheriff’s Office is unable to process new concealed-carry applications, said Eric Curry, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office. Concealed-carry renewals are still being processed, he said.
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 5:15 PM.
