Kearney sometimes expedited gun permits for Steelers players, said Gail Carter, a retired deputy who oversaw the permitting process for the sheriff's office for several years before her retirement in 2009. By calling ahead and ushering the players through, Kearney would reduce their wait times from as much as two weeks to about 15 minutes, Carter said, adding that she still conducted background checks on the players, who paid for the permits. The presence of Steelers players stirred up excitement around the office, but Carter said she and her colleagues were also sometimes resentful because the players usually arrived at the end of their shift, forcing them to stay longer.
