Macon Reporter

The Illinois State Police (ISP) have reported an 80% increased in Firearm Owners Identification card applications this year.

According to WAND 17, Bullet Trap owner Dan Cooley said the increase is likely because of the pandemic. 

"In the times we're in, people have turned to firearms, as this county always does, during times of strife," Cooley said. "That's what we're in."

On average, an application takes 116 days to process and can sometimes take longer, Richard Pearson, director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, said. 

"We have people waiting years, actually, for FOID cards, " Pearson said. "They haven't heard anything from the state police."

Delays like this cause issues for Cooley's customers. 

"One gentleman had been beaten and robbed in his own home," Cooley said. "They took his FOID card. He was in this delay. He couldn't even keep his guns to protect himself."

The requirement to have a FOID card is what causes the problem, he said. 

"Only three other states have any requirement whatsoever, Illinois being one of them," Cooley said. "All it has done is created a lot of headaches."

But Pearson said delays are caused by misused funds. 

"The state police get $120 from every conceal carry application. You're talking about millions of dollars, and it was not spent properly," Pearson said. "Sometimes it was returned to the state and not used to upgrade equipment or hire people to do it."