Allegheny County PA: More Concealed Carry Permits in 2013 'Than Ever Before'

Allegheny County, PA Sheriff Bill Mullen says that in 2013 his office “issued more concealed-carry gun permits than ever before.”

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Mullen’s “office issued 20,708 permits to carry a concealed weapon in 2013.” This marks “a 31 percent increase over 2012, when 15,797 permits were issued.” 

Mullen said the demand for permits was so great in the beginning of 2013 that the wait time for a permit was four times what it was later in the year as demand leveled off. He said the “spike” in demand was probably the result of a renewed focus on personal protection following the heinous crime at Sandy Hook Elementary and part of an overarching attempt to get guns and permits before the federal government could pass more gun control.

Numbers for 2014, he stated, indicate things are closer to “normal,” and it “does not seem as though the office is on track” to break last year’s record.

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.