State oversight of gun ownership in Illinois is “limited” in its ability to safeguard the public because of poor follow-through, inadequate collection of mental health records and tardy action on permit applications by “overwhelmed” Illinois State Police officials.
That’s according to a report from the auditor general’s office. It finds the state police program for issuing and monitoring Firearm Owners Identification cards falls woefully short in gathering court records on potentially mentally ill gun owners, confiscates only 30 percent of the FOID cards that police revoke, and doesn’t report critical information to federal authorities required by a criminal background database.
