After the Connecticut tragedy, a record number of Coloradans seeking to buy guns

By Sam Levin Tue., Dec. 18 2012 at 9:13 AM

CBI says that, in an effort to address the surge in the past weekend's checks, the InstaCheck Unit brought in additional staff, "even pulling employees from other work units to meet the demand."

Sam Levin

Signs from an anti-gun peace rally over the summer in Denver.

And given that there is such a large volume of checks waiting to be processed, wait times jumped to nearly 18 hours of the weekend -- which is apparently an "unprecedented timeframe for a unit that prides itself on maintaining low check times."

But the unit, CBI Director Ronald Sloan says, is doing a good job.

"CBI's InstaCheck employees are dedicated professionals who take tremendous pride in providing exceptional customer service while balancing the critical public safety role they perform in the background check process," Sloan says in a statement. "The team routinely works well past operating hours of the unit to reduce numbers in the queue and subsequent wait times. I'm extremely proud of their efforts this weekend, and throughout the year."

As of Monday morning, there were 801 checks in the queue from Sunday. By noon yesterday, that wait list grew to 1,197, which included both requests from Sunday and Monday.

Here's the full CBI press release:

CBI: Record Number of Firearm Background Checks Submitted on Saturday
(Denver, CO) - The Colorado Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) InstaCheck Unit is currently experiencing a record setting volume for firearms background checks submitted in Colorado.

CBI received a record one-day total of 4,154 firearm background checks submitted for one day on Saturday, December 15, 2012.

Although 4,154 background checks were submitted on Saturday (December 15), the Unit processed 3,001 checks that day; therefore, the record from Black Friday (November 22, 2012) of 4,028 background checks processed for firearms purchases remains.

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is experiencing similar volume to CBI's InstaCheck numbers.

To address the surge in this past weekend's checks, CBI's InstaCheck Unit activated additional staff, even pulling employees from other work units to meet the demand.
Because of the volume in the queue (those checks awaiting processing) wait times exploded to nearly 18 hours this weekend, an unprecedented timeframe for a unit that prides itself on maintaining low check times.

Those wait times will remain high as the InstaCheck team works to clear the queue. As of 9:00 a.m. on Monday, there were 801 checks in the queue from Sunday waiting processing before the team can begin on Monday's requests. At Noon on Monday, the queue grew to 1,197 with the combination of requests from Sunday and Monday.

"CBI's InstaCheck employees are dedicated professionals who take tremendous pride in providing exceptional customer service while balancing the critical public safety role they perform in the background check process," said CBI director Ronald Sloan. "The team routinely works well past operating hours of the unit to reduce numbers in the queue and subsequent wait times. I'm extremely proud of their efforts this weekend, and throughout the year."

CBI will continue to evaluate the increases in the demand for background checks for firearms purchases by adjusting staffing of InstaCheck both in the coming days, weeks and in the future.

Citizens are asked to remain patient as CBI's InstaCheck Unit works to process the background checks for firearms purchases.

CBI cannot speculate on the reasoning behind this weekend's surge as staff simply processes the requests, and has no interaction with customers.

Follow Sam Levin on Twitter at @SamTLevin. E-mail the author at Sam.Levin@Westword.com.

Tags:

aurora theater shooting, Barack Obama, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, firearms, gun control, guns, John Hickenlooper, Sandy Hook Elementary, tragedy

We Recommend

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

"Apparently so, though, CBI notes in a statement that officials aren't implying any causality in these new numbers, saying, 'CBI cannot speculate on the reasoning behind this weekend's surge as staff simply processes the requests, and has no interaction with customers.'"

Just go ahead and read internet forums, and you'll know why. The number of people talking about various bans has encouraged people who value freedoms to exercise those freedoms now.

Juan_Leg topcommenter

1 Like

I just scored a cool 'G-N-R' bootleg .

That's all the 'Guns' I need .....

Monkey

1 Like

Gun sales surge after well publicized shootings because people want to protect themselves, not from violent criminals, but from special interest groups that want to strip their freedom away. Gun and ammo dealers should thank the anti-gun groups, they increase sales better than any advertising could.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

@Monkey ... why do you live in such abject fear?

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@DonkeyHotay That, and the people who live in abject fear would be the ones so threatened by inanimate object that they're inclined to ban them.

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@DonkeyHotay Banning comes from cowardous, not allowing people to be free. I believe in a free market, WMD would be actively discouraged because their impact cannot be limited to an aggressor.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

@Cognitive_Dissident ... so you wouldn't ban WMD ... because they are merely "inanimate objects", eh coward?

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@DonkeyHotay Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@DonkeyHotay The behavior of banning is cowardous, not freedom. That requires the kind of courage of which you have an obvious deficit.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

@Cognitive_Dissident

Obvious Cowards are Obvious

JimTom topcommenter

2 Like

Got to get what you can before all the liberals take away you rights. It's funny that liberals used to be known for personal freedoms. I guess they should start looking for a new definative term.

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@chrisestus The "liberals" today are not liberal.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

@Cognitive_Dissident @chrisestus

The "principled" libertarians today are neither.

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@DonkeyHotay When jackasses like you use the term "anarchist" it generally invites visions of leftist bomb-throwers. I'm not leftist, and I'm not a bomb-thrower.

I believe all human interaction should be peaceful and voluntary. What's wrong with that?

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

@Cognitive_Dissident = closeted Anarchist

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@DonkeyHotay I am, so go fuck yourself, troll.

BackOffImStarving topcommenter

@chrisestus your*

JimTom topcommenter

then get a job or some food stamps or something. There are plenty of my tax dollars to go around.

BackOffImStarving topcommenter

1 Like

@chrisestus I'd like a pony, a toy choo-choo and an AR-15 with a ergonomic front grip, a twin mag lock and a heated stock for those cold winter nights.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

Behold American Gun MADNESS!

American Gun Cowards!

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

1 Like

@DonkeyHotay Willingness to purchase an instrument of self-defense is not cowardice. Running to mommy government to STOP people from doing so IS.

No Snakes

1 Like

True. If the government takes away guns, people with just use knives, axes, clubs, and anything else that can possibly kill. Are we going to outlaw kitchen knives, or baseball bats? How about requiring a background check, which I condone in the case of firearms? A lot of female college students have been choked to death with their own underwear in the process of being raped. Are we going to outlaw bras and panties? (No lewd comments, please).

If guns were outlawed, only the good people would comply. Face it, bad guys don’t care if the break one more law. Since a large number of people on this site HATE the police and don’t feel like the police will protect them. I am curious what their SERIOUS plan is. Are they going to arm for their own defense, or roll over and be someone’s B****?

You can’t eliminate evil, but eliminating the ability of good people to defend themselves is not an option.

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@DonkeyHotay Effective enough to kill dozens at a time, legal or not. As you like to say:

Regulation works! Not.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

@Cognitive_Dissident

1) not very efficient for spontaneous tactical deployment.

2) which is why Home Made Bombs are ILLEGAL.

hth.

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

1 Like

@DonkeyHotay Home made bombs.

No Snakes

Actually any other than a gun would be the correct answer. When a person fires a gun (barring a silencer) it makes a sound that warns others of the threat. A psychopath could easily kill a hundred people with a knife and nobody would know until the killer was clear of the area.In the unlikely event you are a Trekkie, there is a Klingon proverb that says, “Four thousand throats may be cut in a single night by a running man.”I know Star Trek is a TV show and a movie, but I suspect the proverb, while exaggerated, could hold a great deal of truth.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

@No Snakes "If the government takes away guns, people with just use knives, axes, clubs, and anything else that can possibly kill."

Which weapon can kill more people in the shortest amount of time with the least risk to the killer?

Take your time ... it's an open book quiz.

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@No Snakes With regard to hating the cops, been there, done that. The thing is, the war on drugs, and pot, to a large degree, is what makes drives such lack of respect for law enforcement, who we used to call peace officers. If they were allowed to continue to behave like peace officers, they'd be treated with a lot more warmth and respect.