Handgun Permits on the Rise in Inver Grove Heights, Dakota County

Purchasing a handgun for personal use is not a simple process in Minnesota, but that hasn't stopped an ever-growing number of Inver Grove Heights residents.

In 2010, 166 permits to purchase a handgun were issued, according to data provided by the Inver Grove Heights Police Department, which is responsible for processing and approving those permits. The following year, in 2011, the police department issued 234 permits—a roughly 31-percent increase.

With 145 permit applications submitted by the end of April, Inver Grove Heights is on track to surpass last year's number by a significant margin. In 2010 the average number of permits per month was about 14, and in 2011, that number increased to 19.5.

So far in 2012, IGH police are processing 36.25 permits per month. At this pace, 435 permits to purchase will be issued in Inver Grove Heights by the end of the year. 

Number of Permits to Purchase a Handgun Issued in Inver Grove Heights Since 2010*

*Information courtesy of the Inver Grove Heights Police Department. 

An Alarming Trend

The trend seen in Inver Grove Heights is reflected county-wide as well. 

Under Minnesota state law, a person interested in owning a handgun must first apply for a permit to purchase a handgun from his or her local law enforcement agency. If a person lives in an unincorporated area, the local sheriff is responsible for processing requests.

In 2007, Dakota County issued 455 new permits to carry handguns, not including permit renewals. In 2011, that number jumped 209 percent to 1,407, according to data released by the Dakota County Sheriff's Office. So far in 2012, the department has received 613 applications.

Number of Permits to Carry a Handgun Issued in Dakota County Since 2007*

*Information courtesy of the Dakota County Sheriff's office. Numbers do not include permit renewals.

Unlike a permit to purchase a handgun, which must be renewed every year, a permit to carry a handgun stays valid for five years and allow residents to keep a handgun in their possession while in public. In order to receive a permit to carry, a person must also complete a handgun training course from a certified instructor.

The number of permit to carry applicants has grown so much that Sheriff Dave Bellows occasionally allocates some of the department's overtime hours to processing permit applications.

Bellows acknowledged that there was a concern about handgun regulations after the presidential election in 2008, but doesn't think politics plays a significant part in the increase.

Nor are safety concerns a factor, Bellows said. Violent crime rates are decreasing countywide and more local residents feel safe in their neighborhoods, Bellows said, citing resident surveys conducted across the county.

"I don’t think I can probably fully answer it," said Bellows, referring to the trend. "It's their right to [own a weapon], and I think they just wanted to exercise a right."

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