Wake gun permit process could be slowed after employee tests positive, sheriff says
Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker said an employee in his agency’s pistol permits division tested positive for COVID-19, which could cause a disruption in responding to an unprecedented number of permit applications.
The sheriff learned about the positive test around 8 p.m. Saturday night and announced it at a news conference Sunday morning.
Baker is working to pull together a modified crew to meet with the hundreds of applicants whose appointments are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, but there may be delays, he told The News & Observer in an interview.
On Monday the office has 171 people who are scheduled to pick up their permits, and 245 are scheduled on Tuesday, Baker said.
In general, the office is processing about 2,000 permits a week, Baker said, and has a backlog of more than 4,000.
The division has about 10 employees, who will have to be tested and isolated, he said. The employees work in fairly close quarters.
The staff member who tested positive didn’t have direct contact with the public, wrote Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Eric Curry in an email.
“However, if residents are concerned about possible exposure, as a precaution they should seek medical advice,” he wrote.
Baker said he is turning to staff who have been on leave or haven’t been in contact with the division. Individuals who haven’t received training won’t be able to perform all tasks, he said.
Under state law, sheriffs’ offices in North Carolina must inform pistol permit applicants whether their permit is granted within 14 days.
Baker said Sunday that may not be possible during this time.
The Sheriff’s Office has issued 32,700 pistol purchase permits in 2020, compared to 10,499 during the same period last year, according to information provided by the agency.
Baker has attributed the increase to the pandemic and the unrest that has followed the death of George Floyd.
Since the pandemic, gun rights groups have turned to legal action to ensure the sheriff continued to issue permits in a timely manner.
Baker said the Sheriff’s Office is working hard to address the demand, but people have to look at the numbers to understand the office’s challenges in processing the applications.
“They speak for themselves,” he said, “I don’t know how you could accuse me of anything else.”
In August, Sheriff’s Office officials said they were working extra hours and brought in extra staff, including three people who usually work as school resource officers and staff from other divisions.
In North Carolina, pistol purchase permits or concealed carry permits are required to buy handguns. You can apply for a permit at your local sheriff’s office.
This story was originally published September 13, 2020 at 11:20 AM.
