Sheriff: 27,000 guns held by revoked FOID holders unaccounted for in Cook County

CHICAGO — Tens of thousands of people across Cook County and even more throughout the state are still holding on to guns they shouldn’t, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said Thursday, and he’s calling on Springfield lawmakers to step in.

To legally possess firearms or ammunition, Illinois residents must have a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card issued by state police. But those privileges can be revoked for a number of reasons, including mental health issues, order of protection violations and felony indictments.

According to a report put together by Dart’s office, more than 39,000 people have their FOID cards revoked in Cook County. About 27,000 of those have not turned in their cards or guns to law enforcement. Across the state, the numbers are even higher: nearly 112,000 have been considered too risky to own guns, but about 84,0000 may still have them.

“Tragedies already have occurred with this because people have not gone and gotten guns out of houses,” Dart said at a morning news conference.

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His office in 2013 put together a gun team that visits people with revoked gun privileges, accounts for guns and takes possession of any they find. Those efforts have led his office to handle 9,200 cases, collect 4,000 FOID cards and confiscate 1,500 weapons, he said.

“In the areas that I’m in charge of, that me and only me patrol, we have zero numbers of people whose rights are revoked that still have guns,” Dart said.

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Richard Pearson with the Illinois State Rifle Association echoed the demand to disarm those who shouldn’t have guns but said that officers need to tread lightly when enforcing the law so the rights of law-abiding citizens aren’t taken away.

“The databases go back so far that a lot of time there is no way for them to prove innocence because the charges were dropped and the court records weren’t kept,” he said.

While Dart’s office has been assisting with taking guns from people who’ve lost their rights, Illinois State Police is the agency responsible for enforcing the law. ISP has been awarded grants to fund the revocation enforcement program, which has brought nearly 4,300 people into compliance. But Dart said recent data show the number of revocations is increasing and said the state is having a hard time keeping people in compliance.

“This is something clearly that’s not going in the right direction,” he said.

He’s seeking $10 million from Springfield and called on state lawmakers to sponsor a bill that would increase the $2 fee on firearm purchases or transfers to $10.

In a statement, Illinois State Police said it works with law enforcement agencies around the state on enforcement, adding that it provides grants to other agencies for firearm enforcement.

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