So today is deadline for pistol permit holders in NY State to rectify on the State Police Web Site.
Seems it isn't going so well. State Police report less than 300 thousand permit holders have recertified, out of an estimated 1.2 to 1.5 Million permit holders in the state. Estimates by the counties of compliance range from 15% to 30%.
Legislators are already asking for an extension of the deadline.
The NY State Police have stated they will allow people to continue to recertify.
Statement from NY State Police Spokesperson
Beau Duffy, Director of Public Information for New York State Police said the main purpose of the recertification, is to create an up-to-date database on active pistol permits at the state and local levels.
“In the past, there’s never been any kind of recertification or renewal process," Duffy said. "If there was any substantial change in somebody’s permit, maybe they moved out of state, maybe they no longer own the weapons, and maybe some people have died, all those records continue on in the database but there’s really been no mechanism to keep those updated.”
Duffy said state police will not pursue criminal enforcement if pistol permit holders do not recertify by the deadline.
But Duffy also said "the law states that failure to recertify will result in revocation of the permit. County licensing officers and judges have the ability to grant or revoke permits."
So my take on this is the State Police are saying we aren't going to do anything if you don't recertify, at the same time saying it is the county judge that issued the permit that has to revoke it in compliance with the law.
Meanwhile, the organization of county officials have already written to the state police, asking (once the counties have revoked the permits) how are the state police going to "secure" the weapons on the revoked permits and do it with "due process"? The Safe Act law doesn't spell out which law enforcement agency has responsibility or how the weapons are going to be "secured". Local Law Enforcement already saying they aren't going to do it, and I suspect State Police will say the same.
To put some scope on size of the problem. Monroe County (Rochester NY and surrounding towns in Western NY) has some 80,000 plus permits issued since the 1960s. They estimate after removing those of deceased individuals and those who moved out of state, there are about 55,000 left. They estimate they have 25,000 who have recertified, so that leaves 30,000 permits to be revoked and the weapons to be "secured" by police.
So extend this to the state level. Say there are 1.2 million permits (the low end of estimate). Say 25% are deceased or moved out of state. That leaves 900,000 permits. Subtract the 300,00 that have recertified, that leaves 600,000 permits. Lets take off another 100,00 that have been issued in last five years (don't have to recertify), that still leaves 500,000 revoked permits of individuals who are then illegally possessing a hand gun (a felony), which would then make their long guns illegal to possess also.
So Im going to fix a bowl of popcorn, get out the butter and salt, and see where this goes.
Seems it isn't going so well. State Police report less than 300 thousand permit holders have recertified, out of an estimated 1.2 to 1.5 Million permit holders in the state. Estimates by the counties of compliance range from 15% to 30%.
Legislators are already asking for an extension of the deadline.
The NY State Police have stated they will allow people to continue to recertify.
Statement from NY State Police Spokesperson
Beau Duffy, Director of Public Information for New York State Police said the main purpose of the recertification, is to create an up-to-date database on active pistol permits at the state and local levels.
“In the past, there’s never been any kind of recertification or renewal process," Duffy said. "If there was any substantial change in somebody’s permit, maybe they moved out of state, maybe they no longer own the weapons, and maybe some people have died, all those records continue on in the database but there’s really been no mechanism to keep those updated.”
Duffy said state police will not pursue criminal enforcement if pistol permit holders do not recertify by the deadline.
But Duffy also said "the law states that failure to recertify will result in revocation of the permit. County licensing officers and judges have the ability to grant or revoke permits."
So my take on this is the State Police are saying we aren't going to do anything if you don't recertify, at the same time saying it is the county judge that issued the permit that has to revoke it in compliance with the law.
Meanwhile, the organization of county officials have already written to the state police, asking (once the counties have revoked the permits) how are the state police going to "secure" the weapons on the revoked permits and do it with "due process"? The Safe Act law doesn't spell out which law enforcement agency has responsibility or how the weapons are going to be "secured". Local Law Enforcement already saying they aren't going to do it, and I suspect State Police will say the same.
To put some scope on size of the problem. Monroe County (Rochester NY and surrounding towns in Western NY) has some 80,000 plus permits issued since the 1960s. They estimate after removing those of deceased individuals and those who moved out of state, there are about 55,000 left. They estimate they have 25,000 who have recertified, so that leaves 30,000 permits to be revoked and the weapons to be "secured" by police.
So extend this to the state level. Say there are 1.2 million permits (the low end of estimate). Say 25% are deceased or moved out of state. That leaves 900,000 permits. Subtract the 300,00 that have recertified, that leaves 600,000 permits. Lets take off another 100,00 that have been issued in last five years (don't have to recertify), that still leaves 500,000 revoked permits of individuals who are then illegally possessing a hand gun (a felony), which would then make their long guns illegal to possess also.
So Im going to fix a bowl of popcorn, get out the butter and salt, and see where this goes.
