SALT LAKE CITY?Applications to carry concealed weapons are on the rise in Utah and around the country.

“We are seeing quite a big increase,” said Nannette Rolfe, director of the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification.

Applications to carry concealed weapons in October 2001 jumped 61 percent compared to the previous October, Rolfe said. A total of 664 permits were issued last month.

Before a person can submit an application for a concealed weapons permit, they must take a gun safety course, obtain two letters of reference and be fingerprinted, Rolfe said.

The process normally takes two weeks.