Spoke with CLEO today regarding suppressor signoff

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rkh

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After weeks of trying to get my local Chief of Police on the phone to discuss an NFA signoff, I finally got a return call this morning.

I wasn't expecting the conversation to go well, and in fact, I already had the trust documents prepared and ready to go--but I wasn't ready for what this guy had to say. I guess I spend too much time hanging around like minded folks here on THR, so the terseness of his rejection came as a bit of a shock.

No questions about my background, my experience, my profession... just "I don't support that." I couldn't tell what exactly he didn't support, but it was clear that he wasn't going to sign my form. When he got around to telling me how he knew I was disappointed, I flatly told him that I could and would bypass his signoff; but that in the interest of good faith and fair dealing I wanted to give the local PD the right of first refusal. I guess I got the last word in, but the conversation left me feeling like I had taken a punch to the gut. :(

I've always held peace officers in high regard, but this man's unwillingness to even hear me out left me with a distinctly bitter aftertaste. Are CLEOs this arbitrary throughout New England, or is it just my town?
 
Are CLEOs this arbitrary throughout New England, or is it just my town?
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I don't think the problem is limited to CLEOs or New England. Ignorance and stubbornness can become a big problem when such people are in a position of power. Go the trust route and be happy. A letter to the local paper might be in order, but I'd make it a bit vague. "Chief XYZ makes arbitrary, uniformed decisions." Not, "He won't let me buy a MACHINE GUN!!!"
 
Not all cops are gun guys, I put dollars to dough nuts (no pun intended) the Chief is not versed in NFA procedure at all.
 
Hartford and burbs? Are you kidding me?

I'm lucky to have a pro-RKBA chief in my small Gold Coast town. He signs off on everything.
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Nonono. I had enough trouble getting the pistol permit in Hartford to even try for the signoff there. I'm now living in a two-cow town in New Haven county. I figured CLEOs in more rural communities might be a bit more flexible. That'll teach me. :uhoh:

Anyhow, I think I might just follow your suggestion and send him a copy of my approved form and a polite invitation to join me for an afternoon of quiet shooting at the local range. That seems like a proper THR response.
 
The sheriff (among others) can sign as well. If all else fails you can go the trust route.
 
See if perhaps your Police Chief comes from a big-city background. A lot of such officers eventually retire and become small town chief's. Of course they bring an attitude with them. As for location - you're far more likely to find what you did in CT. rather then AZ. Location do matter... :banghead:
 
I'll second the above suggestion. Try the sheriff too before the trust. Worth a try to avoid the extra hassle of forming the trust...
 
rkh, doesn't the county Sheriff outrank the Chief of Police?


EDIT
Wait, you guys don't have a Sheriff you have a State Marshal or something like that right?

Anyway, shouldn't he outrank the Chief of Police?
 
Would if we hadn't abolished the county sherriff system a while back. The layer of law enforcement that replaced it is mainly to do with serving process.
 
I looked into the trust route for some of my plans.

But then I ran into our Sheriff recently. After a short conversation, he basically told me:

"If you are able to pass the government background checks, it isn't me place to dispute that."

And he told me just swing by when I was ready.


It's good to have common-sense LEOs.


-- John
 
Yes in CT if you get a communist type runaround on the sign off, just ditch the effort and create a trust.

Im in the burbs and our local LEO is more than happy to sign off on Class III stuff...and he's not even a gun guy whatsoever. Usually asks "whats THAT?!"

He figures since you passed all the background stuff you are simply a good guy with an expensive hobby. No harm no foul.

I created the trust for other things and also to use for Class III for when our troopers rotate. Never know what you get.

Trust was done for free from a friend but can be done for a small fee from just about any lawyer.


:)
 
Our jefe (God bless him) put a system into place for NFA transfers, so, while slightly inconvenient, occurs smoothly once all ducks are in a row. Make an appointment with the detective for fingerprints, pd does background check, and you get to sit down and shake hands with the friendly Chief. I think my Chief is an ex-Noo Yawker (going by his accent).

One of the detectives processing my paperwork a while back told me that I was the first "Class III" applicant he ever processed. "Never done this before ..." and he seemed to be fascinated by it all.

Sorry, didn't mean to rub it in.

I once met a guy at the now-defunct North Country shoot who hailed from the Hartford area. He was the only one in his town who got a sign-off from his LEO on a full-auto, only because he was personally known to the Chief and the department.
 
Well, if your in for a scrap over principle, you could push it up the chain a bit .. maybe one of the higher ups would sign off ..
maybe the compliant CLEO would send some poo back down on the non-compliant CLEO(s) .. awful lot of maybes and possibly very time consuming, I know. New CLEO in my area seems to be non-compliant, I'll probably setup a trust. Then again, maybe I'll scrap :cool:

P.S. If you decide to try the next CLEO, try and get something in writing from the CLEO(s) that won't sign off. Ask them to state their reasoning.
If you exhaust all CLEOs over your geography, I believe you can apply with above mentioned documentation and BATFE will approve it.


Here's a link for those asking about trusts:
http://ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=6&f=17&t=199942&page=1



G'luck
 
Don't forget to send him a copy of your approved application with a polite letter and a smiley face.
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I dunno if I'd do that. Even though he doesn't have the final word, and probably knows it...some people don't like havin' their noses rubbed in it. Like my ol' pappy used ta say..."If you best a man fairly, he won't like it...but he'll get over it. If you humiliate him after the fact, you've made an enemy for the rest of your life."

A CLEO or High Sheriff can make your life miserable in ways that you can't even begin to imagine...and he can do it from a distance. Get your papers approved, and forget about it.
 
1911Tuner wrote:

If you humiliate him after the fact, you've made an enemy for the rest of your life."

A CLEO or High Sheriff can make your life miserable in ways that you can't even begin to imagine...and he can do it from a distance. Get your papers approved, and forget about it.
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I would heed this sage advice personally.


Besides, you don't want to draw attention to things like this or you'll be seeing legislation to "close the loophole."


-- John
 
No questions about my background, my experience, my profession... just "I don't support that." I couldn't tell what exactly he didn't support, but it was clear that he wasn't going to sign my form. When he got around to telling me how he knew I was disappointed, I flatly told him that I could and would bypass his signoff; but that in the interest of good faith and fair dealing I wanted to give the local PD the right of first refusal. I guess I got the last word in, but the conversation left me feeling like I had taken a punch to the gut.
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I have had the same problem in my city, the CLEO would not sign and even said he wouldn't sign for the officers in his department. Personally, I wouldn't have mentioned about by-passing him and just go about getting the trust quietly. If he was that adement about rejecting you, IMO, he's probably so much against it to put you on his radar (when you do by-pass him) in the future.
 
Worth a try to avoid the extra hassle of forming the trust...
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Yeah, that whole ten minutes that it took for me to form my legally binding trust was excruciating...

The hassle is getting the CLEO sign-off and getting printed; the Trust route is a piece of cake.
 
Just what is this "trust" that keeps coming up?
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If you form a Revocable Living Trust, which can be done in less than 15 minutes, you can bypass the CLEO sign-off and fingerprint cards when sending in your Form 4.

The NFA item is transfered to the Trust and the Trustees have access to the item. Therefor, my wife and I can legally posses my NFA items since we are both Trustees of my NFA Trust.
 
because its paperwork and maintenance in a trust.

its really easier just to stop by your LEO and get his signature, as it SHOULD happen....and does in many of our cases.

The trust way works too, but one should not have to go this route.
 
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