Anything up with Arlington? Can't get an interview scheduled

[lagrangian]

Arlington (which AFAIK has been a pretty green town under Chief Fred Ryan) has a two-step application process. You fill out the application (the state standard one), submit it, then wait a week and call the PD to schedule an in-person interview.

A friend of mine who is renewing his Arlington-issued ALP LTC-A has waited, called, waited another week or more, called, waited again and called, and has never been called back to schedule the interview.

When I renewed mine two years ago I got called back pretty quickly to set up my interview.

Ryan is still there, though I don't know if there's been turnover in whoever it is he designates to handle licensing.

Anyone know anything? Is the person handling this stuff sick or on vacation or anything? Or have they started playing some passive-aggressive try-to-get-people-to-give-up game?

 

[Fizz226]

I played phone tag with them a lot too back in 2010. They never returned a message, finally tried calling various times of day trying to get someone. Early afternoon worked (right after lunch). Once I got a live person they were great. The "interview" was just processing paperwork, picture and prints. No fuss and no restrictions in the licenses they issue, but they definitely are in no hurry about things. A friend recently got his LTC in Arlington too, also very slow at every step (he was tracking it with the state status hotline).

 

[lagrangian]

A follow-up -- after a couple more weeks, my friend finally got a call from them and the interview has been scheduled.

 

[dcmdon]

The licensing officer has changed. The new officer is Sgt. Kiernan. He had me worried at first, but I got a chance to talk to him this week and he seems to be a straight shooter. He said they are swamped. I guess all the secret liberals want guns, because they are different. . . . smarter than the rest of us.

For what its worth, I know someone who recently applied. The sent in their check then STOPPED BY the PD to schedule their appointment. The scheduled appointment was less than 2 weeks out.

The Arlington Patch published the number of LTC holders in town last year and I was surprised by how high it was. Only 4 or 5 MG license holders though.

One of the thing I like about Arlington is the solid base of normal people. But the place is being swamped by wackjobs.

I came up with a slogan recently: Arlington: Where Cambridge goes to breed.

 

[lagrangian]

Does an actual officer do the interviews in Arlington these days? I ask because I've had two different experiences.

When I first got my LTC nine years ago the interview was done by an actual police officer. He took my prints, essentially entered the info on my paper application into MICRS, talking with me all the while.

When I renewed three years ago there was no officer involved. Some 20-something office worker took my prints and typed the paper application info into MICRS without barely a word. It still needed to be reviewed/approved by an actual officer (after the fact, not while I was there), but none ever spoke to me.

Has Arlington gone back to "real" interviews or is it "it depends"?

 

[Greek]

When I went for mine last year it wasn't a interview more of a let me type your info in and take your picture and money . I did hear the licensing office is only open 2 days now out of the week now . I applied in December and got it in May

 

[dcmdon]

Thats crazy. I got mine in 29 days in 2012.

I was told the officer did the prints and a female office worker did the data entry. I suspect there isn't any specific protocol.

 

[ranvette]

Same type of thing is going on in Hudson mass.I left the application with them and it took 9 weeks to get called in for the interview.The reason they told me is they only do them 2 days a week.And there also is a lot of new people trying to get permits.After the interview it goes to the state police and takes about another 3 weeks.I also think there making the process a lot more work than it needs to be.Renewals should be able to be done much faster.I don't know what the answer is for stream lining the process but i am sure there is one.

 

[JoeyD]

I just did my renewal a few weeks ago, dropped off the app, got a call the next week, went in did the picture, paid and she said we will call you when it comes in.
Was I suppose to get finger printed again?

 

[binary]

Does an actual officer do the interviews in Arlington these days? I ask because I've had two different experiences.

When I first got my LTC nine years ago the interview was done by an actual police officer. He took my prints, essentially entered the info on my paper application into MICRS, talking with me all the while.

When I renewed three years ago there was no officer involved. Some 20-something office worker took my prints and typed the paper application info into MICRS without barely a word. It still needed to be reviewed/approved by an actual officer (after the fact, not while I was there), but none ever spoke to me.

Has Arlington gone back to "real" interviews or is it "it depends"?

When I applied early in 2013, an administrative assistant type did the computer work in MICRS, took photo, etc. and then an officer took my prints. Both seemed friendly enough. Wouldn't call it an interview as such though.

 

[dcmdon]

They really just go over the app and make sure the questions are answered correctly.

Remember, there is no legal requirement for an interview. Its just something that has become tradition as a way to make things more cumbersome.

This is why I advise all CT applicants to refuse the interview that some towns are starting to conduct. Unlike MA, a CT licensing authority must issue a permit unless the person is a PP, and extra requirements were explicitly forbidden by the BFPE.

At this point, I know of Waterford and Enfield conducting interviews. I'm sure there are more.

Don

 

[Billsail]

I just did my renewal a few weeks ago, dropped off the app, got a call the next week, went in did the picture, paid and she said we will call you when it comes in.
Was I suppose to get finger printed again?

If you have a good set of prints in the system, no. At least in my case.

 

[ranvette]

They dont take prints any more after you have been printed. In my case last time was 15 years ago

 

[lagrangian]

To follow up on this...

As I noted earlier, the interview was finally scheduled. And just about 30 days after the interview the ALP LTC-A showed up.

 

[drgrant]

The licensing officer has changed. The new officer is Sgt. Kiernan. He had me worried at first, but I got a chance to talk to him this week and he seems to be a straight shooter. He said they are swamped. I guess all the secret liberals want guns, because they are different. . . . smarter than the rest of us.

Well, it might have something to do with the fact that it's the only non-retardo town for LTCs that is within a stone's throw of Boston, so, thusly, every gun owner with a brain that needs to "live near boston" for whatever reason, ends up moving there. It's pretty obvious as to why the LTC rate is that high. If I had the money I'd probably have an apartment there and a house in NH to retreat to on the weekends.

-Mike

 

[dcmdon]

That is part of why I live there.

But remember, all that has to happen for that to change is for Chief Ryan to quit, retire, or move on. Thats the problem with MA. It should not be about people, it should be about laws.

This is why I wish Chief Ryan nothing but good health, and hope his children get into very very expensive colleges, then PhD programs in small elite schools that don't have much financial aid.

 

[lagrangian]

remember, all that has to happen for that to change is for Chief Ryan to quit, retire, or move on. Thats the problem with MA. It should not be about people, it should be about laws.

Got that right. And he was a finalist for (IIRC) the Cambridge job some years ago. He lost out on that one, thankfully (for us). I can't imagine the current (or any electable future) Board of Selectmen will ever hire a CLEO that'll be that green going forward -- the town is full of moonbats who elect moonbats.

The scary/amusing thing is that I bet most of the moonbat voters think Arlington is a red or black town (not that they know the terms as such) and would be flabbergasted to find out the truth and to find out how many people have LTCs. I bet they think almost nobody does because "those people" aren't good enough to live in Arlington.