Cook County’s Sheriff Tom Dart is a little man.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart would be a petty, tyrannical dictator if given the opportunity and ability.

Fortunately for the good people of Illinois, our government doesn’t allow this – and Tom Dart isn’t a happy lil’ would-be tin-pot.

What is all this hubbub about?

Tom Dart wants to use the LEADS system, basically “Google” for law enforcement, to search every applicant for an Illinois concealed carry license for *anything* in their background – and we mean *anything* – and use that information to file an objection to them having a carry license.

And it’s not just anyone currently residing in Cook County, but anyone who has lived there at any time in the past ten years.

  • Got a traffic ticket or three?  He’ll protest.
  • An arrest where charges were later dismissed?  He’ll protest.
  • A DUI from twenty or thirty years ago?  He’ll protest.
  • You spouse file for an order of protection against you when you got divorced at her lawyer’s request?  Even if it was denied, Dart will protest your application.
  • Underage drinking ticket when you were away at college at SIU Carbondale in the 1970s?  He’ll protest.

The Illinois State Police put a kibosh on Dart’s plans by announcing that police agencies (like Dart’s) cannot use LEADS to file objections.  They must use their own, internal department records and databases to ascertain if there is an issue that might serve as a basis to file an objection to an applicant holding a carry license.  This was the intent of the sponsor of the legislation (written by Michael Madigan, if you didn’t already know that).

Dart is livid about this restriction.  His whining temper-tantrum has hit the Chicago media in recent days.  Headlines like:

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart Slams Illinois Concealed Carry Law As A ‘Monstrosity’ – Huffington Post

Sheriff: Concealed carry process ‘fraught with problems and holes’ – Chicago Tribune

Sheriff Dart slams restrictions on concealed-carry background checks – Chicago Sun-Times

Sheriff Tom Dart rails against ‘horrifically unworkable’ concealed-carry law – Chicago Sun-Times

Concealed Carry Background Check System “Horrifically Unworkable,” Sheriff Says – Evanston Patch

In a nutshell, Dart – on his own – is trying to turn Illinois’ “shall issue” carry law into a “may issue” law, by burying the new Illinois concealed carry appeals board with an tsunami of objections that the panel will never be able to wade through, effectively denying those applicants their permits.

He’s also threatening to go to the courts to seek an injunction against implementation of Illinois’ new carry law until and unless it allows would-be dictators like himself a chance to turn the new law into a “may issue” law where only Dart’s buddies can get a permit.

 

What sort of guy is Tom Dart?

What kid of man thinks so little of his office and his constituents that he wears a pullover fleece over a casual shirt at a press conference, representing the people of Cook County as their highest law enforcement official?  And didn’t his momma teach him how to comb his hair?

Sheriff Tom Dart at his temper-tantrum news conference.

Here’s a sheriff who presides over one of the most violent counties in America.  A county with some of the nations’ strictest gun laws.

Chicago, Cook County’s largest city, had over 530 homicides last year.  Yeah, the city with gun registration, gun bans, and precious few (legal) gun owners.

Meanwhile, an hour west of Chicago lies Aurora, IL, Illinois’ second largest city.  A city without strict handgun laws, gun registration and all that good stuff.  Wanna take a guess how many homicides that city had last year?

Zero.

In Florida, that state has over one million active carry permits – which are relatively unrestricted compared to Illinois’ law – and they have the lowest firearm-related violent crime rate in that state’s history.

This stuff isn’t rocket science.  Regulating guns out of the hands of law-abiding people doesn’t lead to safer streets for innocent, everyday residents.  It only emboldens bad guys to ply their trade as they know their victims will almost assuredly be unarmed and helpless.

It seems as though Tom Dart puts more effort into keeping the overwhelming law-abiding segment of his citizenry unarmed and helpless, while ignoring the rampant violent criminals prowling the streets in his jurisdiction.

Only a truly low-information voter could appreciate and support that faulty sense of priorities.

Perhaps Cook County has become such a place where there are enough criminals that they can help elect a politician sympathetic to their lifestyle.  Sorry, all of you Cook County high information voters:  you’re outnumbered by people who vote for a living.

Also, we’re thinking someone should send Tom Dart a comb for Christmas.

7 thoughts on “Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart: A little would-be tyrant”
  1. Isn’t this the little tyrant that believes that carrying a firearm is the “gateway drug” to being a “murderer”? Says a lot for his police department if they are carrying firearms, …they must all be on the verge of being murderers. Surely his disarmament mentality would be implemented on the very officers he has complete control over, doesn’t it? (sarcasm)

  2. Dart is a on a mission to keep criminals safe. what else could it be ? he knows the stats from other states, he knows crime is rampant in his jurisdiction yet he wants an unarmed public. why ? . I think he is a sick twisted sadist who likes knowing people live in fear and are being brutalized. if this POS wanted less shooting and killing he would be focusing alot more attention on the gangs and criminals rather than the law abiding.

  3. What a jerk he is. Last Monday on the Pontiac radio station I heard the Livingston county Sheriff say. When his fingerprint services are approved by the state police he would do the fingerprints for Livingston co residents seeking their concealed carry permits FREE. How cool is that. And I do thank you sir !!!! –“”–

  4. Sheriff Blowhard Dart was on WLS Radio recently. He was spreading his half-truths and bold faced misrepresentations about the CCW law. He’s a piece of porcine excrement. According to the “Dartmeister”, Cook County deputies and Illinois citizens are too stupid to deal with a law that 49 states have successfully implemented. His comments insulted everyone. Unfortunately, WLS (generally a relatively conservative station) was allowing him the airtime to spread his filth to the less educated. Shame on him. Shame on WLS Radio.

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