DECATUR, Ala. — Last year we saw a spike in gun sales, and in turn one North Alabama county also saw a spike in people wanting to carry their guns.
Our WZDX News reporter spoke to law enforcement at the Morgan County Sheriff's Office about why they think there was such a big increase.
"When you add a pandemic, civil unrest across the nation, as well as a shutdown, masks, everything else that we went through, plus a contentious election - all those things add to people's desire to make sure that they're protected," says Morgan County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer, Mike Swafford.
Swafford says there was a 72.5 % increase in concealed carry permit applications last year compared to 2019. The application process was moved online due to the pandemic.
"Early on in March we moved our process online, making it easier for the public to have access to that so we think that contributed early on," says Swafford.
He says there is a screening process that goes rather quickly. "Anybody who applies, they go through a federal background check. We check their criminal history. There's a mental health component to it. So that's what everybody goes through. If they've had violent issues in their past, that's looked into and checked."
However, applicants can encounter some delays. "Domestic violence incidents - those type of things can slow them down, but as long as they're able to get a disposition from the courts, we're able to work through that," says Swafford.
Overall, Swafford's message for this year: "We're going through it right with everyone. 2020 was what it was, but we have to hope for 2021 and we're here to support and serve just like we always have."