(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Authorities in Lake County, Illinois are stepping up efforts to ensure firearms stay out of the wrong hands.
When residents have their Firearm Owners Identification Card or their Concealed Carry License revoked, Sgt. Christopher Covelli said the sheriff's office will be notified -- and take quick action.
"Sheriff's detectives will now be assigned to make contact with those individuals," Covelli said Monday. "The detectives will make steps to recover the physical FOID or CCL cards and work to ensure that firearms are no longer in the possession of people with revoked privileges."
In the past, the county has simply made note when Illinois State Police notified them that cards have been revoked. Covelli said last month's deadly workplace shooting in Aurora played a big role in Lake County’s new procedure. The gunman was not supposed to have a gun because his FOID card had been revoked.
"When that tragedy occurred, I think it's safe to say that police departments and sheriff's offices across the region looked at the way they were handling receiving notification from the state police."