ELMA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County is expanding services for pistol permit holders, following a rise in demand, by opening its Elma satellite office for a second day every week.
The office will be open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.
David Privek is a pistol permit holder from East Amherst. When he needs to make changes to his permit, he comes to the Elma satellite office on Wednesday.
Prior to this week, Wednesday was the one day a week that it's open.
He feels the only other office, which is located in downtown Buffalo, can be a struggle to get to.
“In downtown Buffalo, the parking is really limited. I have difficulty walking from a parking spot to the office, so this is fantastic,” Privek said.
Even though the Buffalo office at 92 Franklin Street is open Monday thru Friday.
Many people have that same idea as Privek, to visit the only Erie County pistol permit office outside of downtown.
“It’s been very popular, we average about 150 transactions a day, that's great,” said Erie County Clerk Michael Kearns.
Kearns says that the second office located at the Elma Town Hall can do everything except file a new permit application.
He feels that opening the satellite location has been a successful trial.
“Being out in the community, having these satellites closer to the people, it’s just worked out great,” Kearns said.
In order to help more customers, Kearns made the change to open Elma’s office two days a week: Wednesday and Friday.
Dean Adamski owns DD’s Ranch, a gun store 20 minutes away in Alden.
He says nearly all his customers wait to register their purchases until Elma’s office opens.
“They buy a gun from us, whether it be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…. They wait until Wednesday when they’re open,” Adamski said. “Instead of going downtown, paying for parking… all that stuff… they can go to the Elma Town Hall.”
He hasn’t seen an increase in gun sales because of the office’s popularity, but he welcomes the additional service for his customers.
“It’s good they’re thinking about the customers and thinking about the inconvenience of going downtown to Buffalo,” Adamski.
Kerns is looking for more ways to help customers. His next goal is to add a second office in the Cheektowaga area in the future.
