CT police, oversight board at odds on firearm permits

[SecularMotion]

Police pushing to get rid of the state Board of Firearms Permit Examiners say it too often overturns their careful decisions on whether someone should be allowed to have a pistol permit and carry a gun.
When considering appeals, the board has overturned permit denials and revocations in slightly more than half the cases in the past two years.

In 2012, the board overturned the police or first selectman's decisions 76 times, but upheld them in 70 cases, meeting minutes show. In 2011, the pattern was similar, with the board overturning 86 issuing authority decisions, and upholding 80.

Milford police Chief Keith Mello called these numbers "disturbing."

"Law enforcement agencies are putting in effort to determine someone's suitability," Mello said. "When we deny someone, it is because we have determined them to be unsuitable, so it is disturbing when the board overturns those."

http://www.gopusa.com/news/2013/02/06/ct-police-oversight-board-at-odds-on-firearm-permits/

[gejohnston]

1. I'm curious to see the reasons why

but I'm guessing there is something wrong with the PD's decision making.

[av8r1998]

4. It's mostly

That there are laws that are ignored with impunity.
The BFPE is the only way to enforce compliance.
You should see the list of "violations".
Permits are by statute supposed to take AT MOST 8 weeks.
One of my students waited 9 months last year. It's deplorable.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. The police hate oversight that is not their trained lapdog

[av8r1998]

3. The problem with BFPE for chiefs:

Is that they do not allow chiefs to violate the law.
The board rules for the appellant in > 50% of cases...
BUT
The majority of appeals cases were brought because the police are breaking the law.

In my own town, the police chief was making applicants wait 3 months to get fingerprinted, and another 4 months to either approve or deny.

CT Law is clear - Fingerprints can be taken anywhere (Such as DPS in middletown CT) and the application can be mailed in.
The police have 1 week from receipt date to submit the prints for background check.
They then have 1 week from the date that the print results are returned to notify the applicant.

All told the process should take about 4 weeks.

In any case, the law provides for a decision within 8 weeks.

Chief Mello was one of the worst offenders of this until he was pushed to change his procedures.

Local PD tries to get away with things like demanding medical records, credit bureau reports, but yet I know for a fact that they don't even bother to verify the credentials of the instructor issuing the basic pistol cert. Some attempt to intimidate the applicant by interviewing their employer. (In other words, if you want a pistol permit I'm going to mess with your career. For all they know the applicant's boss could be a rabid anti-gunner)

The look for "reasons" to deny, and attempt to discourage applicants.
One person I know of was denied for failing to list a 20 year old arrest...
For drinking outside of Yankee Stadium.
Believe me .... their investigations are anything but careful.

THAT is why the chiefs don't like BFPE.

If you would like to see CT's laws on permits, go to http://www.learntoshootct.com/?page_id=100 and http://www.learntoshootct.com/?page_id=86

[ileus]

5. probably stuff like barking dogs or unkept lawns complaints

Or some other BS disqualifier.

[Straw Man]

6. Because we should trust police ...

... more than we trust civilian review boards. It's .... progressive?

[jmg257]

7. Holy shit! 50% of the time?!? Something wrong somewhere. nt

[bossy22]

8. I don't see why anyone, especially us dems would have a problem with this?

isn't this the epitome of "reasonable"? We have a board made up of citizens, specialists, Law enforcement, etc....that reviews revocation. Why would anyone who believes in an open democratic society be against this? This is no different than any other review board.

[Eleanors38]

9. Having a board like this is preferable, but only because CT has "may issue" in the first place.

The same kind of shenanigans went on for years in a region of the country several hundred miles to the south. I believe the laws there were named after some kind of bird.

[bossy22]

10. I agree

I'm just surprised that someone on DU is actually insinuating that we should get rid of a civilian review board that oversees an aspect of a police department.

[Eleanors38]

11. Oh, I got that. Kinda ironic given the attitude most liberals have

toward civilian review boards: Never saw one they didn't like. Til now.

[friendly_iconoclast]

12. Gun prohibitionists like to let their inner Richard Nixon out when it comes to their bete noire...

[Eleanors38]

13. Wasn't Nixon's expression "pre-emptive detention?"