Police block the road to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 25, 2012. (Craig Ruttle/AP)

Newtown . . . has issued about 130 gun permits annually,” foxnews.com reports. “Police say the town received 79 permit applications in the three months since the Dec. 14 massacre, well over double the normal pace.” Just to be clear, that’s just under eighty permits in a town of 27,560 residents. It would be interesting to know how many of those applications were approved. I wonder how many new Newtown permit holders support an assault weapons ban and carry a gun. And if they do so when they pick-up their kids or grandchildren from school. “Robert Berkins, records manager for Newtown police, says many applicants are expressing concerns that their gun rights will be taken away.” Right answer.

17 COMMENTS

  1. CT does prohibit carrying on school grounds: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/rpt/2007-R-0369.htm
    “The law, with exceptions, prohibits carrying (1) firearms on school property, (2) firearms on Connecticut General Assembly property, (3) loaded handguns in a vehicle, and (4) handguns where barred by law or a property owner.”

  2. I am still sickened by the northeast’s permit scheme. A police chief can arbitrarily deny you your right to bear arms without any reason. That does not sound like a right to me.

    If we need a permit for 2A rights, then we need them for 1A, 4A, and 5A. The police could then determine who has a “need” for 4A rights.

    You have nothing to hide, right? Got your 4A permit? No? We are coming in your house then. Your 5A permit is expired also so start talking to us, we are only trying to help you out!

    • They don’t have to deny you, they’ll just refuse to process your application. In Connecticut, you need to submit your pistol permit application with fingerprints. Fingerprints can only be taken by As of March 5th, Newtown Police were scheduling fingerprint appointments out to late May. I doubt their backlog is this large, since it only takes about 10 minutes to do fingerprints on a digital scan machine. The other kicker is neighboring towns won’t take fingerprints for Newtown residents because…well…they’re from Newtown and wear the “scarlet letter”. This is their version of civilian disarmament.

      Fortunately, Connecticut residents have the ability to appeal to an independent civilian board (the Board of Firearms Permit Examiners) if they feel they’re being denied their right to a permit. Unfortunately, Democrats in the CT General Assembly have proposed legislation which does away with this independent review board, leaving those who want a pistol permit with no recourse. The Democrats are concerned by the percentage of stalls/denials that are overturned (which, of course, are fully justifiable).

      • The Newtown fingerprint delay is not new. You can go to DPS or you can go to the state PD as well. I do not believe the review board is going away.

        • I agree with you about the BFPE not going away entirely. At a minimum, however, it will be rendered less effective by additional members handpicked by Malloy.

  3. You are incorrect. There is nothing in the law for colleges and universities but it is not legal to carry on elementary or secondary schools

    http://search.cga.state.ct.us/dlsurs/sur/htm/Chap952.htm

    Sec. 53a-217b. Possession of a weapon on school grounds: Class D felony. (a) A person is guilty of possession of a weapon on school grounds when, knowing that such person is not licensed or privileged to do so, such person possesses a firearm or deadly weapon, as defined in section 53a-3, (1) in or on the real property comprising a public or private elementary or secondary school, or (2) at a school-sponsored activity as defined in subsection (h) of section 10-233a.

    (b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to the otherwise lawful possession of a firearm (1) by a person for use in a program approved by school officials in or on such school property or at such school-sponsored activity, (2) by a person in accordance with an agreement entered into between school officials and such person or such person’s employer, (3) by a peace officer, as defined in subdivision (9) of section 53a-3, while engaged in the performance of such peace officer’s official duties, or (4) by a person while traversing such school property for the purpose of gaining access to public or private lands open to hunting or for other lawful purposes, provided such firearm is not loaded and the entry on such school property is permitted by the local or regional board of education.

    (c) Possession of a weapon on school grounds is a class D felony.

    While CT has some fairly onerous requirements, unless you have had a lot of run in with the police, depending on your town (some suck!), you are not likely to be denied.

    Permits are up all across the state because a) people are scared that they will loose their right or the applicatoin process will be harsher than what it is b) People are finally waking up to the fact that the police cannot be everywhere and c) people are scared and want to defend themselves.

    The civilian disarmament discussion have made the few ranges we have busy and I have been teach the mandatory safety class on a daily basis with new student purely by word of mouth.

    If the point of all this gun control was to reduce guns, the state has done a find job of doing the opposite simply from causing fear in people.

    • a) people are scared that they will loose their right

      If you have to APPLY then you have no right. You are a subject of the local royalty.

    • FYI: Nebraska
      Last I checked, I believe a handgun in gun case can be stored in the trunk of a vehicle on school property if the owner is there for a school event.

  4. It is illegal, with some exceptions, to possess firearms on any elementary or secondary school property or at any school-sponsored event, if the person knows that he or she is not licensed or privileged to possess such firearms. A violation is a class D felony. The law does not apply to the otherwise lawful possession by:

    1. anyone using a firearm as part of an approved school program;

    2. anyone who has an agreement with the school allowing the firearm;

    3. peace officers functioning in their official capacity; and

    4. anyone with an unloaded firearm crossing school property to hunt, provided entry is allowed (CGS § 53a-217b).

  5. That pic just serves to remind me what beautiful country CT has. Maybe someday when all this mess gets sorted out, I can visit.

  6. Robert,

    Oh, but wait, there’s more!
    Not only is there a huge influx of Newtown apps coming in, but, wait for it, Governor Malloy was just busted for trying to court Freedom Group, the owners of Bushmaster, to come to CT and set up shop, 8 days before Sandy Hook happened. So, on te one hand we have a Governor wanting fresh commerce and business opportunity to come to CT, but then he turns around later, (due to politics, of course), and rescinds his offer.

    My State is doomed to fail. Seriously. The upside is the hypocrisy is not being lost on anyone. Even the anti-gunners are pissed, but for different reasons.

    http://wr2a.wordpress.com/2013/03/20/connecticut-governor-offered-bushmaster-sweet-deal-then-backed-out/

  7. Don’t be put off. Sure, the Chief can delay your application, drag his feet on the fingerprints, schedule your interview for a month from Sunday, etc. But, sooner or later, he is going to have to approve your permit or give a reason why not. It might take six months, but if you start sooner, you’ll finish sooner.

  8. Man, what must it have been like to be the first Newtown resident after Sandy Hook to walk into the cop shop and ask for a gun permit? Talk about a Rosa Parks moment.

  9. I wonder if any of the applicants were family of one of the kids. Oh the twisted irony that would crumble the antis agenda.

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