IMHO: The Chief is doing exactly the right thing (within the paradigm of the law as written in CT).
Follow for comprehension:
1: CT residents have the option to apply locally for a 60 day temporary CCW issued by the town, and issued more rapidly than the state, to be used while their permanent CCW is in process. Nice, huh? I wish Florida and Wisconsin did that. It's a way to avoid the 4-6 week wait wait while the permanent CCW is issued (which is a "shall issue" permit, by the way). This permit process is a convenience. This is a *good* thing for CT residents.
2: CT law requires that all applicants be run thru the database checks to see if they have been ajudicated a mental defective. That's the law, like it or not. And it's the law no matter if the Chief likes it or not.
3: For privacy reasons, the mental health database is not accessable to local authorities. From a protection of personal information standpoint this is likely a good thing too. You really want the clerk at the town hall casually looking thru your mental health records?
4: So, here's the unintended consequence: Although the Chief has the legal authority to issue these "convenience" temporary permits, there's no way he can himself comply locally with the requirement to do the mental health check....
ergo:
He cannot issue them under the law as written without access to the mental health database. Which is not a bad thing when you *really* think about the privacy issues residing in that database. Do you *really* want the mental health database to be accessable to your local cops?
Ask yourself: If *you* were the Chief of Police in a town just a few towns over from where the Sandy Hook shooting took place, would *you* issue CCW's to people who walk in and want them *now* when doing so would result in people carrying handguns based on your signature without having run them thru the mental health database check required by law?
I sure wouldn't.
"He has since reversed his ruling as the chief can call the state police and run a candidate through the states mental health database."
In the end it looks like he's figured out a workaround, by getting the state police to assist that check for him, and so... that is that. Seems like not a lack of desire, but rather a lack of available process.
"Sounds like the NRA has an opportunity to start some legal or lobbying procedures."
What should they do? Sue the town for following the law? Uhh..... <sigh>...
Willie
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