GOAL gets a reply from the Gov.

[Chris]

Recently, GOAL has been sending license complaints directly to the Governor's office and asked for an explanation.

Here is GOAL's summary of the reply:

Patrick Administration Responds to GOAL Concerning License Delays

In a nutshell, the state is claiming that they process licenses in 5 days or less and that it is the local authorities that are causing the delays.

My BS alert is going nuts....

 

[dixidawg]

Together we can........

Screw the law abiding citizens

 

[drgrant]

I think in some cases the problems are local- there is often a lot of
feet dragging and subterfuge on the part of anti towns to delay
licenses.

That being said, I've heard of a lot of reports this past year or so
from people in "green" A/ALP towns that also had delays.... hard to
explain that as being anything other than caused by the state.

-Mike

 

[Chris]

Lets see...

There are 351 Cities and Towns. Surely we can assume that 1%, or 3-4 towns at a MINIMUM will be quite proactive and process things quickly. If the state is taking 5 days, add in a week for mail and we should have licenses in roughly 10 business days right?

So, where are these even 1% of towns issuing in roughly 2 weeks?

How about a month? Surely if the state is taking only 5 days there must be plenty of month long waits....

Hmmmm. Statistically this doesn't add up.

 

[matt1956]

Mr. Gregory stated that license application numbers in 2007 have increased over 80% since last year.

that right there should tell the state the the law abiding citizens are freaking fed up!

not sure how true that is or not, but it would be nice if the number of licensed gun owners in MA nearly double and start fighting back at these backwards laws that we have to deal with.

 

[9000S]

Agreed....

In that its the little towns that are dragging their feet! Mine held my license for almost 30 DAYS before I got the call. Guess they want to do batch notifications or some crap like that.... When I called CHSB for what the hold up was like... 45+ days after I think I applied they said oh, wait, you dont have it yet?? Uhm call your PD because they definately have it. And when I check the date of issue... 5/15/07 I picked it up in the second week of June because thats when I got the call! I think the time from application to when they stamped it at 5/15 was like maybe 3 weeks.... yeah they sat on it for almost another 3....

 

[Len-2A Training]

I don't think that Patrick is far off the mark here.

I honestly do think that most of the delays and foot-dragging is done at the local level.

Another piece that Patrick doesn't address is DMH who isn't real motivated to get back to the PDs. They don't report to CHSB, so they aren't part of the 5 days that Patrick mentions. I know for a fact that there have been time-periods where they weren't getting back to PDs at all or taking >30 days to do so. Can't speak for current status however, but they now ask the PDs to send them the queries via Email vs. SnailMail.

 

[Admin]

DMH = ?

 

[Chris]

Department of Mental Health.

Frankly, if they are the cause of the delay, it IS the Patrick Administration's issue because last I knew that was part of the State as well as the CHSB.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Dept of Mental Health.

They check the loonie-bin scratch-card records and see if you ever signed the guest register.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Chris, you are right, but I'm willing to bet his office never checked with DMH, that they only looked at CHSB.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Wait? I thought licenses and gun ownership were supposed to be down, but the response letter talke about a significant increase. Has the denial rate really gone up that much, or is there a disconnect between the datapoints?

 

[Chris]

I'm willing to bet his office never checked with DMH, that they only looked at CHSB.

No...

A Governor that does a half-fast job? Surely you're joking.

Wait? I thought licenses and gun ownership were supposed to be down, but the response letter talke about a significant increase. Has the denial rate really gone up that much, or is there a disconnect between the datapoints?

Rob, You forgot to install that patented "Liberal Filter" again didn't you?

 

[TY43215]

Lets see...

There are 351 Cities and Towns. Surely we can assume that 1%, or 3-4 towns at a MINIMUM will be quite proactive and process things quickly. If the state is taking 5 days, add in a week for mail and we should have licenses in roughly 10 business days right?

So, where are these even 1% of towns issuing in roughly 2 weeks?

How about a month? Surely if the state is taking only 5 days there must be plenty of month long waits....

Hmmmm. Statistically this doesn't add up.

My last renewal took 90 days. The OIC that does the processing is a friend and put his part right in. The hold up was at the State level and there is no doubt in my mind about that.

Together We Can

Lie and cheat our way into the White House

 

[dwarven1]

No...

A Governor that does a half-fast job? Surely you're joking.

I'd suggest that our governor is doing a half-assed job.

 

[PaulD]

To back up the local delay claims, here's my experience.

It took one month from the time I submitted my application until the time I got my appointment for the interview, printing, etc. After that, it took a little more than 6 weeks to get the license in my hand. I also know that the license sat at the PD for a week before I got a call.

Part of the reason for all this, as I understand it, is the inspector responsible for firearm licensing has had some medical issues and has had some time off during this period. She was very helpful and nice to deal with so this is in no way a complaint with her. However, it would have been nice if the police department saw enough of a priority to put someone else on this in that absense.

So in this case I don't see it as intentional delays but at the same time, these aren't exactly a high priority.

 

[KMaurer]

If CHSB is getting their part done in roughly 5 days, then any delays beyond the 40 day period specified in the law are the fault of the local PD. The law says that DMH "may" be asked about the applicant, but unlike with the CHSB check, the PD does not have to wait for a reply. If they want to they're perfectly free to take the old "unless directed otherwise" approach, interpreting no response by DMH as an indication of no problem. Since DMH is most likely dragging its feet uniformly, it would seem that the towns that are turning around applications in 6 weeks or less are doing exactly that.

Ken

 

[O/U]

I think the most interesting part of this is that MA license applications are up 80% from last year.

It bodes well for shooting sports and gives me hope. My fingers are crossed that we can turn the tide if we keep seeing increases like this.

 

[vellnueve]

I actually can buy that explanation. My license was generated and dated three weeks before I got it. Not quite 5 days after my range test (Boston) but only a week or two.

 

[boomerang]

My past two renewals have been about two to three weeks.

 

[jcr]

The 1998 law intentionally removed the "grace period" -- that is, even when someone applied for renewal well before expiration date, if the government authorities had not re-issued the licence by the expiration date, the expired licensee was at risk for arrest and confiscation of his/her guns.

To avoid this risk, some MA gun owners removed their guns from the state and stored them out of state until the license was issued.

Question: Did the "correction bill" that was passed (which included MA's own "AW" ban) restored the "grace period"?

If so, and IIRC it did, how long is the "grace period"?

 

[Rob Boudrie]

The grace period was restored - not sure if it was restored to 90 or 180 days.

 

[Chris]

90 days, and it was in the same bill that changed the license size, set up the review panel, and extended the license to 6 years from 4.

 

[Pilgrim]

Question: Did the "correction bill" that was passed (which included MA's own "AW" ban) restored the "grace period"?

If so, and IIRC it did, how long is the "grace period"?

yes 90 days IF you've reapplied.

Damn, I'm always too slow ...

 

[clearshot7]

I think the most interesting part of this is that MA license applications are up 80% from last year.

It bodes well for shooting sports and gives me hope. My fingers are crossed that we can turn the tide if we keep seeing increases like this.

Interesting that the Patrick administration says that applications are up, when a recent Globe article (I wish I had saved it) stated the opposite -- Ok, who do you believe?

 

[Transporter]

Interesting that the Patrick administration says that applications are up, when a recent Globe article (I wish I had saved it) stated the opposite -- Ok, who do you believe?

Here's the NES thread about that article:

http://northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=24270&highlight=ma+cities+towns

 

[sieveboy]

I think it is the local PDs holding things up. My issuing officer sat me down and logged on to the website and submitted while a I sat there. Don't know if this is the norm. I had my new FID LTC sent to me in about three weeks. I take it as great news that there processing greater numbers of these...

 

[Martlet]

Recently, GOAL has been sending license complaints directly to the Governor's office and asked for an explanation.

Here is GOAL's summary of the reply:

Patrick Administration Responds to GOAL Concerning License Delays

In a nutshell, the state is claiming that they process licenses in 5 days or less and that it is the local authorities that are causing the delays.

My BS alert is going nuts....

In my wife's case, the problem was 100% local.

 

[dwarven1]

I think it is the local PDs holding things up. My issuing officer sat me down and logged on to the website and submitted while a I sat there. Don't know if this is the norm. I had my new FID LTC sent to me in about three weeks.

When I renewed, it took me a week or two to get an appt with the licensing officer, but once I did, he filled the "paperwork" out online and I got it like 4 weeks later on the button.

 

[MassMark]

In that its the little towns that are dragging their feet!

I think that may be the case in some instances, but not all. My "little town" is as little as it gets, (population 350). I dropped off my check and paperwork, was photo'd and fingerprinted and my application went out the same day, (as I watched the clerk walk it over to the PO next door). I received it 3 weeks later. I also am blessed with a Police Chief who believes in the fundamental right of the people to keep and bear arms....