"Oak Lawn, city's Southeast Side lead county in concealed carry permits" [View all]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-concealed-carry-cook-county-20160308-story.html

"Let burglars and bandits beware the city's Southeast Side, where residents had the most active concealed carry permits in the city through the beginning of the year.

In Cook County, southwest suburban Oak Lawn leads all in total number, according to data from the Illinois State Police that lists total permits by ZIP code. About 685 residents of the 60617 ZIP code — a large four-mile chunk of the lakefront stretching from East 79th Street to 122nd Street, from Lake Michigan to an area bordering the Bishop Ford Expressway — hold permits that allow them to carry concealed firearms in public since the state police began issuing them in 2014."

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"Outside the city, the 60453 ZIP code, which covers Oak Lawn with just more than 57,000 residents, leads all of Cook County with 753 permit holders. The ZIP code 60477, which covers much of Tinley Park, came in second with 709; Orland Park had 667; 60411, which covers portions of south suburban Chicago Heights, Sauk Village and Lynwood, had 546; while 60402, which covers Berwyn, had 439.

Illinois became the last state in the nation to grant its residents the right to concealed carry after the law's passage in 2013. Citizens with permits and firearm owner's identification cards are allowed to carry concealed handguns but can be denied, or have law enforcement agencies object to their applications, if they have prior convictions. Permit holders also can have their permits suspended or revoked if they are the subject of a protective order or commit a serious crime."

The required 16 hours of training ($$$) demanded by Chicago and a $150 price tag for 5 years combine to slow the growth of concealed carry in Illinois. But with Chicago crime reaching new record highs ... again, twice the number of murders as last year, a lot of people are saving up and taking advantage of concealed carry. Lots of new gun owners, and all thankfully getting the required safety training, including a 6 hour section on the Illinois laws on the use of deadly force.