Speaking Before the Attleboro City Council Meeting on 2/19, Please Join Me

[kieron]

The Attleboro City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at 7 PM and provides an opportunity for citizens to speak before the council during the Committee on the Whole. While Attleboro is considered a green town and doesn't face the same difficulties as red towns such as Lowell, having to wait in excess of 100 days for LTC issuance shouldn't be the norm.

I'd like to gather Attleboro residents to speak before the council on this situation. While it is likely the council is aware of Attleboro's licensing situation, I hope that a strong, well-spoken showing can bring about some positive action. Speaking in front of the council is not a requirement, but the larger a group we have, the stronger our showing will be.

If you are interested in being a part of that showing, please join me and other residents this Saturday at 7 PM at Morin's Bar & Grill on 16 S. Main in Attleboro. This will be an opportunity to discuss presentation, meet other local NESers and even throw back a couple beers.

Thanks in advance for your support, I look forward to meeting other NESers this weekend.

 

[Electric Eric]

my tattoo studio is right around the corner from Morins, 5 Park St. Stop in and say hello.

 

[BenFate]

I live in Attleboro, and while I already have my ltc, I wouldn't mind helping out my neighbors. If work permits i will try to make it Saturday and Tuesday

 

[RockIt]

I did a letter of recommendation for a friend here in Attleboro about 3 months ago. He got his license in just under two months.

I do not not doubt that yours is taking longer. But since Obummer got elected, then the Sandy Hook thing, license applications have gone off the charts, just like people buying guns and ammo.

My guess is that the whole damn system is overloaded. Yea, I know, there shouldn't be any system at all. But beating on a tired horse does not make the horse pull any faster.

 

[kieron]

Eric, we'll give it a try and bring you up to speed. If you, as a small business owner and resident, could make it to the council meeting on Tuesday, that would be great.

Ben, thanks for being willing to stand and assist others trying to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Any assistance will help out. I hope you can make it both nights.

RockIt, I submitted my application in mid-October and the first available interview was the day before Thanksgiving. The "background check" took two months; the FRB received the application the day after Rep. Heroux spoke to the Chief on my behalf. Since then, the Attleboro PD has had my license in their possession for at least five days now and their staff have been rude to anyone checking on status. I hope I have license in hand before I speak to the council but I'm not counting on it. Even if I do, I'm willing to take a stand for others who are facing the same situation.

Yes, I am well aware of the political situation, that application submissions have increased dramatically and the system is overloaded. However, I feel that not taking a stand because it's "beating on a dead horse" is the wrong attitude to take. Perhaps the City Council can free up funds or resources to pay for extra staff or faster processing if presented with a strong showing of residents. Better to try and fail than not try at all.

Protecting our Second Amendment rights is a battle that needs to be fought at all levels, not just Federal and State, but local as well. We, as citizens of Attleboro, may not have much impact on the national stage, but we can very well have an impact here.

Hopefully, you and your friend would be willing to drop by on Saturday, meet some NESers and throw back a beer or two. Support on Tuesday would be helpful, even if it's to stand with other residents.

 

[07BlackHawk]

I'm in. And I'm not sure what side RockIt is on, but he's been trolling the Attleboro posts. Obviously he's not caught up in the trouble that all of us are. I'm free Saturday night and would like to meet at Morins. It's only 5 mins down the road from my house.

 

[RockIt]

I am not "trolling" jack. Not taking any "sides" either. So get that straight.

As far as I am concerned, there should be no licensing "scheme" period.

All I am pointing out is that a lot of people suddenly got their panties in a knot about getting a license when this crap started happening because they discovered they might not be able to buy a gun. This is like Black Friday.

The female at the PD has always been rude. You got a problem with that you should register a complaint specific to her.

If you think this is "making a stand" for your 2A rights you are mistaken. It is nothing more than peeing in the wind about how fast something is getting done during a backlog.

Kieron: You stated that your interview was just before Thanksgiving. The whole process has 40 BUSINESS days by law, not calendar days. You are only slightly overdue now. But you are raising a ruckus. I think it is amazing that your license is at the PD given the amount of applications that have been submitted.

 

[Hawksnest]

I to am an Attleboro LTC holder and am currently at 15+ weeks since application and 12+ weeks since my renewal interview, which BTW was positive and cordial all around. The state says that it has been printed and mailed so I'm not worried and am patiently waiting, but, still not at all happy.

I would suggest that our frustration might be misplaced at the APD. Our Mayor is an active member of MAIG, the NY mayor Blomberg's, extreem left wing anti-gun organization and I'm sure he's not assigning lots of extra resources to the APD to handle the extra work load. I think that we should redirect our efforts to the source of the problem. Check out:

Mayors Against Illegal Guns - Coalition Members

I have no first hand evidence, just posted for your consideration.

 

[07BlackHawk]

@ RockIt, again, back on the 'overwhelming abundance of applicants' argument. Both Kieron and I applied the week of October 18th. (thats when i handed in my application, and given our 'interviews' in the same week) we were BOTH told our interviews were OVER a month away. from the time you submit your application is when the clock starts. its not my problem, or anyone elses for that matter, that the PD may be understaffed or do not want to abide by the rules of processing applications in time. had they been doing things how theyre supposed to, we should have had our licenses before the increased craze in applications.

also, theres no excuse for the lack of work that is being done for these applications. i have had multiple friends apply in surrounding towns WEEKS AFTER i had applied, and have already received their licenses and have made their first purchases. therefore, their towns have promptly followed the process and had their licenses by the 40ish day mark.

and you shouldnt be amazed that our licenses are sitting on someones desk in the station already. the fact that were taking action against the delay and trying to help correct the problem helped our cause. had we sat in silence, our applications might have not even made it to the state yet. as for the rude clerk at the PD, im filing a complaint today.

 

[RockIt]

Handing in your app is NOT when the clock starts ticking. If you paid attention, when you went for the "interview", they had retyped your paperwork. So the clock started at that point, remember signing the new paperwork? Figure your start time was the day before Thanksgiving. Then subtract all the holidays.

Look, I think the whole damn thing is a buncha crap. A person should be able to walk into a gun shop with nothing more than a drivers license to prove their age and walk out the door with a gun after a NICS check.

You are seeing problems in Attleboro that have not existed and now you are wanting to make a stink.

YOUR START DATE WAS THANKSGIVING.

 

[SClaflin]

Handing in your app is NOT when the clock starts ticking.

The clock starts on the "date of application." G.L. ch. 140 s. 131(e). It does not start when the PD begins to process your application and enter it into MIRCS. I would think that, when someone drops off an application, that would be the date of application.

 

[Electric Eric]

102 days and the clock is still ticking..

 

[RockIt]

What happened with mine was this:

I wrote up all the justification stuff, filled in the paperwork. Took it down to the department. Then I got called for the appointment. When I got there, it had been retyped, all nice and neat like. I asked how come? Was told VERY NICELY that they did it so it would not be bounced by the State Police. Did the fingerprinting, so called "interview" and off it went. After that, it was a little over 40 days.

If you are out at like 100 plus days, are you telling us everything that is going on? any snags in your background? or could it be you just got caught in the rush of folks trying to get guns before the expected ban?

Think about what is going on in Attleboro. We have a Mayor belongs to the Mayors Against Illegal Guns. We have a Police Chief who does not bust balls when it comes to licensing. They have been typically issuing them ALP. I am sure the Mayor would like to see that some other way, the Chief hasn't been doing that. Sure you want to go down to the Council Meeting and start spouting off about how all unhappy you are?

 

[07BlackHawk]

how else do you expect to be heard? its our duty as citizens of this country to voice our concerns to elected officials. THEY WORK FOR US.....im not sure what world your living in, but this has been an issue with LOTS of Attleboro residents and for a while now. now, im not sure if maybe it has something to do with how the previous LO was caught issuing to ineligible applicants or if they just dont want to do it. this is a shall issue state and its only part of all the BS gun laws we have here.

if you do some searching youll see that for the passed couple years there has been a licensing issue in Attleboro. i read about someone waiting 11 MONTHS. thats ridiculous.

all im saying is, if there are participants at the meeting, who are frustrated with how long it has been taking, then it shall be heard. if the PD is having a tough time because theyre so overwhelmed, get someone else to do them. christ, wed be paying for them to do it anyway.

 

[RockIt]

how else do you expect to be heard? its our duty as citizens of this country to voice our concerns to elected officials. THEY WORK FOR US.....im not sure what world your living in, but this has been an issue with LOTS of Attleboro residents and for a while now. now, im not sure if maybe it has something to do with how the previous LO was caught issuing to ineligible applicants or if they just dont want to do it. this is a shall issue state and its only part of all the BS gun laws we have here.

if you do some searching youll see that for the passed couple years there has been a licensing issue in Attleboro. i read about someone waiting 11 MONTHS. thats ridiculous.

all im saying is, if there are participants at the meeting, who are frustrated with how long it has been taking, then it shall be heard. if the PD is having a tough time because theyre so overwhelmed, get someone else to do them. christ, wed be paying for them to do it anyway.

Now you are talking out your ass, this is NOT a "shall issue" state. It is a "MAY issue" state when it comes to an LTC, get your facts straight.

I got my LTC just over a year ago. My wife just after that, none of the problems you describe. Two friends have got theirs within the last six months, no problems.

What world are you living in? I have not seen LOTS of Attleboro residents complaining, just a few recently here.

Like a lot of things, you can read about someone taking 11 months, and you may only be READING one side of it. Just like reading MSM. The poster may not be telling you about his "colorful" past. Just saying. When I start to read things like what goes on in Danvers, Everett, THEN I start to believe there is a problem.

 

[Electric Eric]

Ok, to clear it all up with mine... I had a non-conviction in R.I. in 1983 that was expunged. I made the "mistake" of claiming it on my application and it has slowed down my process because Attleboro was waiting for the record from R.I. (which by being Expunged, doesn't exist anywhere anymore). I can't even have it "un-expunged"... I can see why mine is taking so long. Lt. Keane is an excellent man to work with, we got it all straightened out, and it's in the normal process now. My wife had her interview the next day, Nov. 5, 2012, and she got hers in hand 13 weeks later. Her only "colorful past" in her entire life was a speeding ticket in R.I. in 1990 for 10 mph over.. not even a parking ticket ever...it takes 13 weeks, we have to live with it. I wish I had seen the next to the last paragraph here before I applied: Rhode Island Public Defender Client Handbook Victims of Crimes

- - - Updated - - -

What are the practical effects of having my criminal record “expunged”?

With certain very limited exceptions, any person having his or her record expunged shall be released from all penalties and disabilities resulting from the crime of which he or she had been convicted
Again, with certain very limited exceptions, in any application for employment, license, or other civil right or privilege, or any appearance as a witness, a person whose conviction of a crime has been expunged pursuant to this chapter may state that he or she has never been convicted of the crime.

 

[RockIt]

Thanks for posting that Eric. My experience with them was actually good (exception was the woman who answers the phone, where they got her from I do not know, but I wish she would go back there). I still do not like the whole idea of having to get a license, that just grinds my butt, but it is the way this state operates.

Anytime I have to deal with a government agency, I figure it will take at least twice as long as whatever is listed as the time it is supposed to take, then I add some windage, then tack on some more just for good measure. Or......hurry up and wait.

 

[Electric Eric]

Thanks for posting that Eric. My experience with them was actually good (exception was the woman who answers the phone, where they got her from I do not know, but I wish she would go back there). I still do not like the whole idea of having to get a license, that just grinds my butt, but it is the way this state operates.

Anytime I have to deal with a government agency, I figure it will take at least twice as long as whatever is listed as the time it is supposed to take, then I add some windage, then tack on some more just for good measure. Or......hurry up and wait.

I just got off the phone with DCJIS, and they tell me I'm approved, and my LTC should be in my hand in about 2 weeks!!!!

 

[C-pher]

Good luck boys either way. I'd be there if I could, even though I live in North. But I think that the more people the better. I'm good friends with the Attleboro Chief's Sister...so I don't know if I would be any help or not. But, if I wasn't traveling for work tomorrow night...I'd be there...if not just for the beers.

 

[kieron]

I am not "trolling" jack. Not taking any "sides" either. So get that straight.

As far as I am concerned, there should be no licensing "scheme" period.

All I am pointing out is that a lot of people suddenly got their panties in a knot about getting a license when this crap started happening because they discovered they might not be able to buy a gun. This is like Black Friday.

The female at the PD has always been rude. You got a problem with that you should register a complaint specific to her.

If you think this is "making a stand" for your 2A rights you are mistaken. It is nothing more than peeing in the wind about how fast something is getting done during a backlog.

Kieron: You stated that your interview was just before Thanksgiving. The whole process has 40 BUSINESS days by law, not calendar days. You are only slightly overdue now. But you are raising a ruckus. I think it is amazing that your license is at the PD given the amount of applications that have been submitted.

My application process actually started before dropping the paperwork off at APD, and has nothing to do with "discovering I may not be able to buy a gun." I have firearms stored out of state that I would like to take possession of and can't until the LTC arrives.

If I chose to "pee in the wind" because I want to stand for my rights, then that is my choice. You want to help out? Fine, it is appreciated. You don't want to help others get their license? Then don't, but I think those that need the help or are willing to take a stand would appreciate it if you didn't bash their efforts.

 

[Electric Eric]

Good luck boys either way. I'd be there if I could, even though I live in North. But I think that the more people the better. I'm good friends with the Attleboro Chief's Sister...so I don't know if I would be any help or not. But, if I wasn't traveling for work tomorrow night...I'd be there...if not just for the beers.

I'm good friends with Shannon, too.. Great kid there!!

 

[Electric Eric]

I wish some of you would have stopped by the studio..

 

[kieron]

I dropped by Morin's Saturday night, had a beer and went home after not seeing anyone else. Granted, the snow was falling steadily at 7:30 when I left.

I was also the sole speaker during the Committee of the Whole portion of the meeting. I was told by members of the Council that they were "unaware of the situation", the state is the one dragging its feet (in spite of the APD having my application for 15 of 18 weeks or 12 of 15 weeks, depending on whether the process started when I dropped the application off or had the interview with Lt. Keane) and chastised for "bringing this to the attention of the Council without speaking to the Chief". I responded that I wasn't trying to get anyone in trouble, rather that perhaps the Council could allocate additional funding for headcount or approved OT to process applications within the 40 days as set forth in MGL 40.129B.

During recess, Councilmen Cooper and Cook spoke with me. I mentioned others in the same situation as I am, and that while Lt. Keane was fine, others working with licensing have been less than forthcoming with information. They took my contact information and promised an update by week's end.

Eric, my apologies for not dropping by the studio either night. I have 11 mo. old twin daughters and needed to get home to help my wife put them to bed. I hope our paths cross some time in the near future.

 

[07BlackHawk]

thats some positive news. i wasnt able to make it out saturday as i was on call to plow for the storm. not only that, one of the CV axles in my car went on monday and i was and still am car-less until tonight when i pick it up. i really would have liked to have been there last night. Also, you were chastised for bringing it up before trying to contact the chief? I have spoken to the chief and hes anything but useful on the matter. while hes polite, he directly failed to address the issue of our extended wait. the matter was pushed aside.

not to mention, im almost positive he isnt even aware of their 'adultism policy' for new applicants.

 

[Maclen]

The female at the PD has always been rude.

Yes she has.

They have been typically issuing them ALP

No they havent. They has not issued ALP since before Chief Pierce.

Kieron, wish I noticed this before today. I was working on Saturday night, so could not have made it then. I would have loved to have been there last night, but had no idea this post even existed. Sounds as though it went well and the city council is now informed. Talking to them is better than the chief. I find the chief to be pretty rude as well. He is breaking the the law after all. I will be looking for the video on the local broadcasting network. Be sure to post a link, if anyone finds it.