NYC's stupid ass gun laws (((nyc permit holders only)))
- Thread starter MASTERBAKER
- Start date
Metro
Bill could help New Yorkers bypass city’s strict gun laws
By Bob Fredericks
February 23, 2017 | 9:33pm | Updated
Modal Trigger
Shutterstock
More On:
gun control
French president fires back at Trump over Paris comments
DA blasts bill allowing conceal carry in all 50 states
The NRA isn't just for white people, according to 'Black Guns Matter'
This gun looks just like an iPhone
New York City has the toughest gun laws in the country — but if the proposed conceal carry legislation passes through Congress and is signed by the president, Big Apple residents can get a permit from a handful of states without even leaving home.
States that allow permits by mail include Arizona, Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, Utah and Virginia, according to Handgunlaw.us, a pro-gun Web site that tracks laws in all 50 states.
In all six, anyone living anywhere in the US can apply for a permit by mail, with some even offering them to legal residents from other countries.
New Yorkers can also get permits from 20 other states that don’t require residency, although they mandate the applicants appear in person to pick them up.
The costs vary, but on average appear to run about $100.
ADVERTISING
Each of the states that allow permits by mail has differing standards — some of them tougher than others.
In Arizona, for example, even “permanent resident aliens” can qualify if they prove their residency status is legit.
Convicted felons or those convicted of any domestic violence crime are not eligible.
Neither are those who have been committed to a mental institution.
In Florida and some of the other states, the applicant has to prove that he or she has received firearms training.
Most states also require fingerprinting and valid identification.
Many of the states already have reciprocity agreements with other places. Arizona permit holders, for example, can pack heat legally in 31 other states.
Bill could help New Yorkers bypass city’s strict gun laws
By Bob Fredericks
February 23, 2017 | 9:33pm | Updated
Modal Trigger
Shutterstock
More On:
gun control
French president fires back at Trump over Paris comments
DA blasts bill allowing conceal carry in all 50 states
The NRA isn't just for white people, according to 'Black Guns Matter'
This gun looks just like an iPhone
New York City has the toughest gun laws in the country — but if the proposed conceal carry legislation passes through Congress and is signed by the president, Big Apple residents can get a permit from a handful of states without even leaving home.
States that allow permits by mail include Arizona, Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, Utah and Virginia, according to Handgunlaw.us, a pro-gun Web site that tracks laws in all 50 states.
In all six, anyone living anywhere in the US can apply for a permit by mail, with some even offering them to legal residents from other countries.
New Yorkers can also get permits from 20 other states that don’t require residency, although they mandate the applicants appear in person to pick them up.
The costs vary, but on average appear to run about $100.
ADVERTISING
Each of the states that allow permits by mail has differing standards — some of them tougher than others.
In Arizona, for example, even “permanent resident aliens” can qualify if they prove their residency status is legit.
Convicted felons or those convicted of any domestic violence crime are not eligible.
Neither are those who have been committed to a mental institution.
In Florida and some of the other states, the applicant has to prove that he or she has received firearms training.
Most states also require fingerprinting and valid identification.
Many of the states already have reciprocity agreements with other places. Arizona permit holders, for example, can pack heat legally in 31 other states.
Supreme Court to hear case on New York’s gun permit law
By JESSICA GRESKOOctober 31, 2021
1 of 6
New York State Rifle & Pistol Association president Tom King poses for a photo Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in East Greenbush, N.Y. The Supreme Court is about to hear a gun rights case that could lead to more guns on the streets of New York and Los Angeles and threaten bans on guns in subways, airports, bars, churches, schools and other places where people gather. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is preparing to hear a gun rights case that could lead to more guns on the streets of New York and Los Angeles and threaten restrictions on guns in subways, airports, bars, churches, schools and other places where people gather.
The case the justices will hear Wednesday comes as gun violence has surged, and it could dramatically increase the number of people eligible to carry firearms as they go about their daily lives. The case centers on New York’s restrictive gun permit law and whether challengers to the law have a right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense.
Gun control groups say if a high court ruling requires states to drop restrictions, the result will be more violence. Gun rights groups, meanwhile, say the risk of a confrontation is precisely why they have a right to be armed for self-defense.
ADVERTISEMENT
Gun rights advocates hope that the court with a 6-3 conservative majority is poised to side with them. They want the court to say the New York law is too restrictive, as are similar laws in other states. Gun control advocates acknowledge the court’s composition has them concerned about the outcome.
“The stakes really could not be higher,” said Jonathan Lowy, chief counsel at the gun control group Brady.
SUPREME COURT
Supreme Court questions controversial Texas abortion law
US Supreme Court won't hear appeal in student killing
High court: NY abortion case ruling should be revisited
High court won't take case involving Hunter Biden ex-partner
The court last issued major gun rights decisions in 2008 and 2010. Those decisions established a nationwide right to keep a gun at home for self-defense. The question for the court now is whether there’s a similar Second Amendment right to carry a firearm in public.
The question isn’t an issue in most of the country, where gun owners have little difficulty legally carrying their weapons when they go out. But about half a dozen states, including populous California and several Eastern states, restrict the carrying of guns to those who can demonstrate a particular need for doing so. The justices could decide whether those laws, “may issue” laws, can stand.
The fact that the high court is hearing a gun rights case at all is a change after years in which it routinely turned them away. One gun case the justices did agree to hear ended anticlimactically in 2020 when the justices threw out the case.
ADVERTISEMENT
But following the death of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last year and her replacement by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the court agreed to wade into the gun debate again.
Eric Tirschwell, the legal director at Everytown for Gun Safety, said there’s “reason to be concerned” for groups like his that “a type of law that the court was not interested in or willing to review in the past, they now are.”
The New York law the court is reviewing has been in place since 1913 and says that to carry a concealed handgun in public for self-defense, a person applying for a license has to demonstrate “proper cause,” an actual need to carry the weapon. When local officials issue a gun license, it’s either unrestricted — allowing the person to carry a gun anywhere not otherwise prohibited by law — or restricted, allowing the person to carry a gun in certain circumstances. That could include carrying a gun for hunting or target shooting, when traveling for work or when in backcountry areas.
The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association and two private citizens challenging the law have told the Supreme Court that it “makes it effectively impossible for an ordinary, law-abiding citizen to obtain a license to carry a handgun for self-defense.”
Lawyers for the group say the text of the Second Amendment, along with history and tradition, supports their argument that there’s a right to carry a gun outside the home. The group also says that New York’s law has discriminatory origins, that it was originally intended to give officials wide latitude to keep guns out of the hands of newly arrived immigrants from Europe, particularly Italians.
New York, for its part, denies that and says that the Second Amendment allows states to restrict the carrying of guns in public. It, too, points to history, tradition and the text of the Second Amendment. The state says its restrictions promote public safety, pointing to research that says that places that restrict the public carry of guns have lower rates of gun-related homicides and other violent crimes. New York says its law isn’t a flat ban on carrying guns but a more moderate restriction.
Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, said in an interview that part of the problem with New York’s law is that the chances a person will get an unrestricted permit depend on whether he or she is in a rural or more urban area of the state.
Both gun rights and gun control advocates say that it’s unclear how broadly the court might be willing to rule and that they will be closely watching arguments for clues, particularly from the court’s three newest members.
The three appointees of former President Donald Trump — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Barrett — are conservatives but were not on the court when the justices last issued major gun rights rulings. Their actions so far have given gun rights advocates reasons to be hopeful, however.
In 2011, as an appeals court judge, Kavanaugh argued in a dissent that the District of Columbia’s ban on semi-automatic rifles and its gun registration requirement were unconstitutional. Last year, he urged the court to take up another guns case soon, saying he was concerned that lower courts were not following Supreme Court precedent.
Gorsuch, for his part, would have decided the 2020 gun case his colleagues threw out. And Barrett, as an appeals court judge, wrote in a dissent that a conviction for a nonviolent felony shouldn’t automatically disqualify someone from owning a gun; she said her colleagues were treating the Second Amendment as a “second-class right.”
Gun control groups hope, however, that conservatives might still vote to uphold New York’s law. A group of prominent conservatives, including former federal appeals court judge J. Michael Luttig, has urged the court to do so in a brief to the court. And earlier this year, in a 7-4 decision, judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a challenge to Hawaii’s permit regulations. Conservative judge Jay Bybee wrote that a “review of more than 700 years of English and American legal history reveals a strong theme: government has the power to regulate arms in the public square.”
The court’s three liberal justices are widely expected to side with New York.
Depending on what the justices ultimately say, other states’ laws could also be affected. The Biden administration, which is urging the justices to uphold New York’s law, says California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island all have similar laws. Connecticut and Delaware also have “may issue” laws, though they are somewhat different.
By JESSICA GRESKOOctober 31, 2021
1 of 6
New York State Rifle & Pistol Association president Tom King poses for a photo Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in East Greenbush, N.Y. The Supreme Court is about to hear a gun rights case that could lead to more guns on the streets of New York and Los Angeles and threaten bans on guns in subways, airports, bars, churches, schools and other places where people gather. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is preparing to hear a gun rights case that could lead to more guns on the streets of New York and Los Angeles and threaten restrictions on guns in subways, airports, bars, churches, schools and other places where people gather.
The case the justices will hear Wednesday comes as gun violence has surged, and it could dramatically increase the number of people eligible to carry firearms as they go about their daily lives. The case centers on New York’s restrictive gun permit law and whether challengers to the law have a right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense.
Gun control groups say if a high court ruling requires states to drop restrictions, the result will be more violence. Gun rights groups, meanwhile, say the risk of a confrontation is precisely why they have a right to be armed for self-defense.
ADVERTISEMENT
Gun rights advocates hope that the court with a 6-3 conservative majority is poised to side with them. They want the court to say the New York law is too restrictive, as are similar laws in other states. Gun control advocates acknowledge the court’s composition has them concerned about the outcome.
“The stakes really could not be higher,” said Jonathan Lowy, chief counsel at the gun control group Brady.
SUPREME COURT
Supreme Court questions controversial Texas abortion law
US Supreme Court won't hear appeal in student killing
High court: NY abortion case ruling should be revisited
High court won't take case involving Hunter Biden ex-partner
The court last issued major gun rights decisions in 2008 and 2010. Those decisions established a nationwide right to keep a gun at home for self-defense. The question for the court now is whether there’s a similar Second Amendment right to carry a firearm in public.
The question isn’t an issue in most of the country, where gun owners have little difficulty legally carrying their weapons when they go out. But about half a dozen states, including populous California and several Eastern states, restrict the carrying of guns to those who can demonstrate a particular need for doing so. The justices could decide whether those laws, “may issue” laws, can stand.
The fact that the high court is hearing a gun rights case at all is a change after years in which it routinely turned them away. One gun case the justices did agree to hear ended anticlimactically in 2020 when the justices threw out the case.
ADVERTISEMENT
But following the death of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last year and her replacement by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the court agreed to wade into the gun debate again.
Eric Tirschwell, the legal director at Everytown for Gun Safety, said there’s “reason to be concerned” for groups like his that “a type of law that the court was not interested in or willing to review in the past, they now are.”
The New York law the court is reviewing has been in place since 1913 and says that to carry a concealed handgun in public for self-defense, a person applying for a license has to demonstrate “proper cause,” an actual need to carry the weapon. When local officials issue a gun license, it’s either unrestricted — allowing the person to carry a gun anywhere not otherwise prohibited by law — or restricted, allowing the person to carry a gun in certain circumstances. That could include carrying a gun for hunting or target shooting, when traveling for work or when in backcountry areas.
The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association and two private citizens challenging the law have told the Supreme Court that it “makes it effectively impossible for an ordinary, law-abiding citizen to obtain a license to carry a handgun for self-defense.”
Lawyers for the group say the text of the Second Amendment, along with history and tradition, supports their argument that there’s a right to carry a gun outside the home. The group also says that New York’s law has discriminatory origins, that it was originally intended to give officials wide latitude to keep guns out of the hands of newly arrived immigrants from Europe, particularly Italians.
New York, for its part, denies that and says that the Second Amendment allows states to restrict the carrying of guns in public. It, too, points to history, tradition and the text of the Second Amendment. The state says its restrictions promote public safety, pointing to research that says that places that restrict the public carry of guns have lower rates of gun-related homicides and other violent crimes. New York says its law isn’t a flat ban on carrying guns but a more moderate restriction.
Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, said in an interview that part of the problem with New York’s law is that the chances a person will get an unrestricted permit depend on whether he or she is in a rural or more urban area of the state.
Both gun rights and gun control advocates say that it’s unclear how broadly the court might be willing to rule and that they will be closely watching arguments for clues, particularly from the court’s three newest members.
The three appointees of former President Donald Trump — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Barrett — are conservatives but were not on the court when the justices last issued major gun rights rulings. Their actions so far have given gun rights advocates reasons to be hopeful, however.
In 2011, as an appeals court judge, Kavanaugh argued in a dissent that the District of Columbia’s ban on semi-automatic rifles and its gun registration requirement were unconstitutional. Last year, he urged the court to take up another guns case soon, saying he was concerned that lower courts were not following Supreme Court precedent.
Gorsuch, for his part, would have decided the 2020 gun case his colleagues threw out. And Barrett, as an appeals court judge, wrote in a dissent that a conviction for a nonviolent felony shouldn’t automatically disqualify someone from owning a gun; she said her colleagues were treating the Second Amendment as a “second-class right.”
Gun control groups hope, however, that conservatives might still vote to uphold New York’s law. A group of prominent conservatives, including former federal appeals court judge J. Michael Luttig, has urged the court to do so in a brief to the court. And earlier this year, in a 7-4 decision, judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a challenge to Hawaii’s permit regulations. Conservative judge Jay Bybee wrote that a “review of more than 700 years of English and American legal history reveals a strong theme: government has the power to regulate arms in the public square.”
The court’s three liberal justices are widely expected to side with New York.
Depending on what the justices ultimately say, other states’ laws could also be affected. The Biden administration, which is urging the justices to uphold New York’s law, says California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island all have similar laws. Connecticut and Delaware also have “may issue” laws, though they are somewhat different.
High court takes up gun permit case
A case before the Supreme Court could decide whether states may restrict who can carry a gun in public to those demonstrating a specific need. These "may issue" states give officials broad latitude to deny a permit. Most states have laws requiring a permit be issued to anyone meeting state qualifications, and many allow people to carry guns without a permit.
States where officials may issue a permit to carry a gun:
Source: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence; World Population Review
A case before the Supreme Court could decide whether states may restrict who can carry a gun in public to those demonstrating a specific need. These "may issue" states give officials broad latitude to deny a permit. Most states have laws requiring a permit be issued to anyone meeting state qualifications, and many allow people to carry guns without a permit.
States where officials may issue a permit to carry a gun:
Source: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence; World Population Review
The U.S. Supreme Court heard an hour of oral arguments for and against New York's strict "may issue" concealed carry scheme.
The case, NYSRPA v. Bruen, came before the highest court in the land to answer one question framed by the court itself:
"Whether the Second Amendment allows the government to prohibit ordinary law-abiding citizens from carrying handguns outside the home for self-defense."
The arguments, covered in the audio clip at the top, were delivered by Paul Clement on behalf of the gun rights proponents, NY Solicitor General Barbara Underwood responding for the State of New York, and Brian Fletcher who, as Principal Deputy Solicitor General, represented the Biden Administration's stand on the matter.
Clement summed up the crux of the issue in his opening remarks:
The justices were aggressive in their questions, with even the normally short Chief Justice Roberts, a nominal conservative that has been seen as a "swing vote" in recent years, asking a 32-line question of Fletcher. He also stressed to Fletcher the peculiarity of having to obtain a permit of some sort to exercise the right to keep and bear arms.
"I mean, you would --regardless of what the right is, it would be surprising to have it depend upon a permit system," said Roberts. "You can say that the right is limited in a particular way, just as First Amendment rights are limited, but the idea that you need a license to exercise the right, I think, is unusual in the context of the Bill of Rights."
Roberts also counted the best line of the day, asking Underwood, who scrambled to make a point that carrying a gun in a densely packed area such as New York City was different than in a more rural area.
"Well, how many muggings take place in the forest?" asked Roberts.
SO, HOW'D THEY RULE?
While an opinion in the case will not surface for months-- possibly as late as next June-- many read the tea leaves as bad for New York and bad for gun control.
The legal beat writers at just about every large newspaper and outlet in the country-- including several left-leaning organs-- seemed to agree on one thing: New York's strict gun laws may be on the ropes.
Just check out these headlines:
PRO-GUN GROUPS HOPEFUL
"Based on questions from the Supreme Court Justices,” said Second Amendment Foundation founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb in an email to Guns.com, “I’m confident we’re going to win either on a 5-4 or 6-3 vote."
He said suggestions from Underwood and Fletcher —both defending New York’s restrictive "may issue" carry law—that the case be remanded back to the lower courts smacks of an attempted stall.
"I think at that point the anti-gun rights justices, as well as the attorneys for New York, recognized they are not going to win," said Gottlieb, "and they were trying to forestall an unfavorable ruling. During the oral arguments, several justices affirmed that the right to keep and bear arms does not stop at the front door."
The Firearms Policy Coalition, like SAF one of more than 80 groups that have filed briefs with the court on the case, predicted that if the Court ultimately holds that New York’s carry license laws are unconstitutional, and instructs lower courts to apply the Court’s categorical approach laid out in Heller, many unconstitutional laws will be ripe for challenge.
“After today’s arguments, it’s clear that bans on the Second Amendment right to bear arms are unconstitutional and their days are numbered,” Brandon Combs, FPC founder and president, told Guns.com in an email. “Anti-rights states like New Jersey, California, Hawaii, New York, and Maryland will almost certainly be forced to respect the Constitution and allow their law-abiding residents to carry handguns for self-defense in public."
The case, NYSRPA v. Bruen, came before the highest court in the land to answer one question framed by the court itself:
"Whether the Second Amendment allows the government to prohibit ordinary law-abiding citizens from carrying handguns outside the home for self-defense."
The arguments, covered in the audio clip at the top, were delivered by Paul Clement on behalf of the gun rights proponents, NY Solicitor General Barbara Underwood responding for the State of New York, and Brian Fletcher who, as Principal Deputy Solicitor General, represented the Biden Administration's stand on the matter.
Clement summed up the crux of the issue in his opening remarks:
Underwood, speaking in defense of New York's system, fell back on what some could argue as cherry-picked examples of past carry restrictions, and pointed out that other states have similarly restrictive practices to the one under review:
Fletcher, representing the Biden administration, backed up Underwood's case, saying in his opening remarks, "New York's proper cause requirement is consistent with the Second Amendment because it is firmly grounded in our nation's history and tradition of gun regulation," then elaborating that, "Those laws remain in force in seven states today, and more than 80 million Americans live under their protection. They are, in short, both traditional and common regulations."
The justices were aggressive in their questions, with even the normally short Chief Justice Roberts, a nominal conservative that has been seen as a "swing vote" in recent years, asking a 32-line question of Fletcher. He also stressed to Fletcher the peculiarity of having to obtain a permit of some sort to exercise the right to keep and bear arms.
"I mean, you would --regardless of what the right is, it would be surprising to have it depend upon a permit system," said Roberts. "You can say that the right is limited in a particular way, just as First Amendment rights are limited, but the idea that you need a license to exercise the right, I think, is unusual in the context of the Bill of Rights."
Roberts also counted the best line of the day, asking Underwood, who scrambled to make a point that carrying a gun in a densely packed area such as New York City was different than in a more rural area.
"Well, how many muggings take place in the forest?" asked Roberts.
SO, HOW'D THEY RULE?
While an opinion in the case will not surface for months-- possibly as late as next June-- many read the tea leaves as bad for New York and bad for gun control.
The legal beat writers at just about every large newspaper and outlet in the country-- including several left-leaning organs-- seemed to agree on one thing: New York's strict gun laws may be on the ropes.
Just check out these headlines:
- AP: High court seems ready to strike down New York gun law
- CNN: Supreme Court seems poised to expand Second Amendment rights and strike down NY handgun law
- NPR: Supreme Court appears skeptical of New York's restrictive gun control law
- Politico: Supreme Court appears likely to void New York's gun permit law
- Reason: Supreme Court Seems Poised to Rule Against New York Gun Law
- USA Today: Supreme Court majority skeptical of New York law that limits carrying handguns in public
- Washington Post: Majority of Supreme Court appears to think N.Y. gun law is too restrictive
- Yahoo/NBC News: Supreme Court appears to suggest New York gun law infringes on Second Amendment rights
PRO-GUN GROUPS HOPEFUL
"Based on questions from the Supreme Court Justices,” said Second Amendment Foundation founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb in an email to Guns.com, “I’m confident we’re going to win either on a 5-4 or 6-3 vote."
He said suggestions from Underwood and Fletcher —both defending New York’s restrictive "may issue" carry law—that the case be remanded back to the lower courts smacks of an attempted stall.
"I think at that point the anti-gun rights justices, as well as the attorneys for New York, recognized they are not going to win," said Gottlieb, "and they were trying to forestall an unfavorable ruling. During the oral arguments, several justices affirmed that the right to keep and bear arms does not stop at the front door."
The Firearms Policy Coalition, like SAF one of more than 80 groups that have filed briefs with the court on the case, predicted that if the Court ultimately holds that New York’s carry license laws are unconstitutional, and instructs lower courts to apply the Court’s categorical approach laid out in Heller, many unconstitutional laws will be ripe for challenge.
“After today’s arguments, it’s clear that bans on the Second Amendment right to bear arms are unconstitutional and their days are numbered,” Brandon Combs, FPC founder and president, told Guns.com in an email. “Anti-rights states like New Jersey, California, Hawaii, New York, and Maryland will almost certainly be forced to respect the Constitution and allow their law-abiding residents to carry handguns for self-defense in public."
Manhattan lawyer battling NYPD, courts over rejected ‘carry’ permit
By
Dean Balsamini
December 4, 2021 11:10am
Updated
Max Leifer said, "It seems that celebrities, athletes and a select few are allowed permits, while law-abiding citizens are denied their constitutional right."Helayne Seidman
MORE ON:GUNS
Max Leifer sued New York’s Finest because the department’s License Division rejected his gun permit renewal application in July 2020, charging that he didn’t prove he needed to pack heat.
“It seems that celebrities, athletes and a select few are allowed permits, while law-abiding citizens are denied their constitutional right. To be able to carry in New York you would have to join a gang,” Leifer fumed to The Post.
The feisty 75-year-old, who has had a gun license for nearly 50 years, insists he needs the “carry” permit because he does business deals and takes client retainers that sometimes involve a “substantial amount of cash.”
Leifer is also a partner in two bars that do cash business — Brandy Library in Tribeca and Copper & Oak on the Lower East Side.
Max Leifer is pictured here during a firearm training course. He claims he needs to carry a gun because his business requires him to carry large amounts of cash.
A Manhattan Supreme Court judge this week denied Leifer’s appeal to get his guns back — so the attorney is now taking his case to the appellate division.
Amid the pandemic and the Big Apple’s staggering surge in shootings, new firearm applications nearly tripled in 2020 (9,395) from 2019 (3,766), but have dipped this year through Nov. 30 (4,312), according to NYPD data.
The department did not say how many new applications were rejected. The Post reported last year that NYC gun-permit applications were soaring — but the NYPD wasn’t approving many.
SEE ALSO
Colorado cops slammed for tweet of Santa getting his concealed carry permit
The 8,088 applications for first-time pistol and rifle permits submitted from March 22, 2020 — when coronavirus-related restrictions went into effect — to the last week of that year represented a 216% increase over the 2,562 submitted between March 22 and Dec. 31, 2019, NYPD stats show. Despite that “heat” wave, only 1,087 applications were approved, far fewer than the 1,778 greenlighted during the same period in 2019, according to the official data.
A nearly 70 percent approval rate in 2019 plunged to less than 14 percent, according to the March-December 2020 data.
The crackdown doesn’t shock retired NYPD cop-turned-private eye Bo Dietl.
“I know a lot a guys who tried to re-up their pistol license and they’re not allowing them to re-up. They’ve had these carry permits for 30 or 40 years. It’s not right,” he said. “The reality is a lot of these people who are being denied are good, law-abiding citizens.”
Dietl said it was especially unfair to deny responsible gun owners given “the crime problem in New York City. With so may guns on the street. You have to equal the odds.”
Asked if he believed the NYPD plays favorites when it comes to issuing gun permits, Dietl said, “Absolutely. … Years ago I was responsible for getting [late shock jock Don] Imus’ gun permit. There was preferential treatment for celebrities.” He added: “There has been a big crackdown since the scandal.”
Leifer, 75, has carried a gun for over 50 years.Helayne Seidman
In 2017, the License Division was scarred by a corruption probe, with cops accused of fast–tracking applications for gun licenses in exchange for bribes that included booze and hookers.
“They got crazy because of that scandal,” attorney Leifer said of the division’s approval rate.
In the meantime, Leifer’s James Bond-like Walther automatic and a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver remain locked away at the 10th Precinct stationhouse in Chelsea.
“I may have to join a gang,” Leifer fumed. “They are the only people carrying.”Helayne Seidman
“The activities which justified granting a Business Carry License in the past, do not exist anymore,” the NYPD said in its original ruling against Leifer. “You no longer carry or transport cash. You no longer transact business involving expensive watches and artifacts. You no longer collect rent from rental properties. This amounts to a change in circumstance.”
Leifer, who resides on Central Park West and is about to build a third lounge on 44th Street and Madison Avenue, said he needs his guns now more than ever.
“It’s definitely BS. This is arbitrary. I cannot understand the rationale to deprive me of my rights,” he said. “I may have to join a gang. They are the only people carrying.”
By
Dean Balsamini
December 4, 2021 11:10am
Updated
MORE ON:GUNS
- Colorado cops slammed for tweet of Santa getting his concealed carry permit
- South Carolina gun store owner fatally shoots worker in botched prank
- Fearful Brooklyn students arming themselves for protection: ‘I don’t feel safe’
- Crumbley parents face rare, but not unprecedented, charges in Michigan school shooting
Max Leifer sued New York’s Finest because the department’s License Division rejected his gun permit renewal application in July 2020, charging that he didn’t prove he needed to pack heat.
“It seems that celebrities, athletes and a select few are allowed permits, while law-abiding citizens are denied their constitutional right. To be able to carry in New York you would have to join a gang,” Leifer fumed to The Post.
The feisty 75-year-old, who has had a gun license for nearly 50 years, insists he needs the “carry” permit because he does business deals and takes client retainers that sometimes involve a “substantial amount of cash.”
Leifer is also a partner in two bars that do cash business — Brandy Library in Tribeca and Copper & Oak on the Lower East Side.
Max Leifer is pictured here during a firearm training course. He claims he needs to carry a gun because his business requires him to carry large amounts of cash.A Manhattan Supreme Court judge this week denied Leifer’s appeal to get his guns back — so the attorney is now taking his case to the appellate division.
Amid the pandemic and the Big Apple’s staggering surge in shootings, new firearm applications nearly tripled in 2020 (9,395) from 2019 (3,766), but have dipped this year through Nov. 30 (4,312), according to NYPD data.
The department did not say how many new applications were rejected. The Post reported last year that NYC gun-permit applications were soaring — but the NYPD wasn’t approving many.
SEE ALSO
Colorado cops slammed for tweet of Santa getting his concealed carry permit
The 8,088 applications for first-time pistol and rifle permits submitted from March 22, 2020 — when coronavirus-related restrictions went into effect — to the last week of that year represented a 216% increase over the 2,562 submitted between March 22 and Dec. 31, 2019, NYPD stats show. Despite that “heat” wave, only 1,087 applications were approved, far fewer than the 1,778 greenlighted during the same period in 2019, according to the official data.
A nearly 70 percent approval rate in 2019 plunged to less than 14 percent, according to the March-December 2020 data.
The crackdown doesn’t shock retired NYPD cop-turned-private eye Bo Dietl.
“I know a lot a guys who tried to re-up their pistol license and they’re not allowing them to re-up. They’ve had these carry permits for 30 or 40 years. It’s not right,” he said. “The reality is a lot of these people who are being denied are good, law-abiding citizens.”
Dietl said it was especially unfair to deny responsible gun owners given “the crime problem in New York City. With so may guns on the street. You have to equal the odds.”
Asked if he believed the NYPD plays favorites when it comes to issuing gun permits, Dietl said, “Absolutely. … Years ago I was responsible for getting [late shock jock Don] Imus’ gun permit. There was preferential treatment for celebrities.” He added: “There has been a big crackdown since the scandal.”
Leifer, 75, has carried a gun for over 50 years.Helayne SeidmanIn 2017, the License Division was scarred by a corruption probe, with cops accused of fast–tracking applications for gun licenses in exchange for bribes that included booze and hookers.
“They got crazy because of that scandal,” attorney Leifer said of the division’s approval rate.
In the meantime, Leifer’s James Bond-like Walther automatic and a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver remain locked away at the 10th Precinct stationhouse in Chelsea.
“I may have to join a gang,” Leifer fumed. “They are the only people carrying.”Helayne Seidman“The activities which justified granting a Business Carry License in the past, do not exist anymore,” the NYPD said in its original ruling against Leifer. “You no longer carry or transport cash. You no longer transact business involving expensive watches and artifacts. You no longer collect rent from rental properties. This amounts to a change in circumstance.”
Leifer, who resides on Central Park West and is about to build a third lounge on 44th Street and Madison Avenue, said he needs his guns now more than ever.
“It’s definitely BS. This is arbitrary. I cannot understand the rationale to deprive me of my rights,” he said. “I may have to join a gang. They are the only people carrying.”
POLITICS
'Be very afraid': NYC mayor warns of potential Supreme Court gun ruling on concealed carry in NY
By Sandra Bookman
Monday, May 16, 2022 5:42PM
EMBED <>MORE VIDEOS
Ideas from "The Great Replacement Theory" filled a racist screed supposedly posted by Payton Gendron, the teen accused of killing 10 in Buffalo.
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The Supreme Court is set to rule on a case that could transform the landscape of what guns are legally allowed to be carried in New York.
At issue in the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen is whether New York's denial of applications for concealed-carry licenses for self-defense violats the Second Amendment.
Advertisement
The state's 100-year-old law requires showing "proper cause" in order to carry a concealed firearm, with permits issued at the discretion of local officials.
If the high court strikes that down or loosens the proper cause requirements, it would likely mean more guns in public spaces, which city officials and the NYPD is lobbying against.
ALSO READ | Bronx DA urges credit card companies to cut ties with ghost gun sellers
EMBED <>MORE VIDEOS
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark shared a letter she sent this week to both Mastercard and Visa, urging them to cut ties with ghost gun sellers.
It's the biggest test of gun rights before the Supreme Court in a decade, with the justices being asked to decide if there is a fundamental right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense.
Their decision could reshape gun laws nationwide.
Get Eyewitness News delivered to your inbox daily
Sign up for our daily newsletter
By providing my email address, I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.
Sign me up
"We should be very afraid," Mayor Eric Adams said. "In a densely populated community like New York, this ruling could have a major impact on us."
Adams is just one of many sounding the alarm and raising concerns about public safety if carry restrictions are rolled back too far.
It is the wrong move, he says, during a time of rising gun violence and deaths.
Just this week, the CDC reported 45,000 people died by gun violence in 2020, the highest rate of gun-related deaths in more than a quarter of a century.
New York and New Jersey are two of the eight states that have similar laws giving local authorities discretion to decide who receives gun permits.
ALSO READ | Suspect asked to leave Buffalo supermarket day before shooting
EMBED <>MORE VIDEOS
Anthony Johnson has the latest information on the Buffalo shooting suspect.
Legal experts say a decision striking down or loosening those "proper cause" requirements will mean more concealed weapons in public places -- especially concerning in densely populated areas.
"I think it would be a big mistake in urban areas to let this happen," former NYPD Chief of Detectives and ABC News contributor Robert Boyce said. "It's just too many people. Again, I'm a proponent of the Second Amendment, but everything has to be reasonable."
Gun rights advocates argue the standard is so tough to meet that it violates the Constitution, but whatever the high court's opinion, legal experts predict it will lay out a new standard for how courts should review state gun laws -- likely meaning more litigation will follow.
'Be very afraid': NYC mayor warns of potential Supreme Court gun ruling on concealed carry in NY
By Sandra Bookman
Monday, May 16, 2022 5:42PM
EMBED <>MORE VIDEOS
Ideas from "The Great Replacement Theory" filled a racist screed supposedly posted by Payton Gendron, the teen accused of killing 10 in Buffalo.
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The Supreme Court is set to rule on a case that could transform the landscape of what guns are legally allowed to be carried in New York.
At issue in the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen is whether New York's denial of applications for concealed-carry licenses for self-defense violats the Second Amendment.
Advertisement
The state's 100-year-old law requires showing "proper cause" in order to carry a concealed firearm, with permits issued at the discretion of local officials.
If the high court strikes that down or loosens the proper cause requirements, it would likely mean more guns in public spaces, which city officials and the NYPD is lobbying against.
ALSO READ | Bronx DA urges credit card companies to cut ties with ghost gun sellers
EMBED <>MORE VIDEOS
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark shared a letter she sent this week to both Mastercard and Visa, urging them to cut ties with ghost gun sellers.
It's the biggest test of gun rights before the Supreme Court in a decade, with the justices being asked to decide if there is a fundamental right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense.
Their decision could reshape gun laws nationwide.
Get Eyewitness News delivered to your inbox daily
Sign up for our daily newsletter
By providing my email address, I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.
Sign me up
"We should be very afraid," Mayor Eric Adams said. "In a densely populated community like New York, this ruling could have a major impact on us."
Adams is just one of many sounding the alarm and raising concerns about public safety if carry restrictions are rolled back too far.
It is the wrong move, he says, during a time of rising gun violence and deaths.
Just this week, the CDC reported 45,000 people died by gun violence in 2020, the highest rate of gun-related deaths in more than a quarter of a century.
New York and New Jersey are two of the eight states that have similar laws giving local authorities discretion to decide who receives gun permits.
ALSO READ | Suspect asked to leave Buffalo supermarket day before shooting
EMBED <>MORE VIDEOS
Anthony Johnson has the latest information on the Buffalo shooting suspect.
Legal experts say a decision striking down or loosening those "proper cause" requirements will mean more concealed weapons in public places -- especially concerning in densely populated areas.
"I think it would be a big mistake in urban areas to let this happen," former NYPD Chief of Detectives and ABC News contributor Robert Boyce said. "It's just too many people. Again, I'm a proponent of the Second Amendment, but everything has to be reasonable."
Gun rights advocates argue the standard is so tough to meet that it violates the Constitution, but whatever the high court's opinion, legal experts predict it will lay out a new standard for how courts should review state gun laws -- likely meaning more litigation will follow.
Mayor Eric Adams spoke out about the Supreme Court's decision to strike down New York's concealed carry law.
New York State Firearms Association
11h ·
The Supreme Court just handed down the biggest victory for gun owners in DECADES!
2008 Heller Vs. DC ruled that people have an individual right to keep and bear arms but the right was limited to your own property.
THIS decision says that you have a right to carry firearms in PUBLIC places! The ruling went on to strike down seven different states requirement to show a justifiable special reason to carry in public -- more on that later.
If you want to read the details, check out the ruling here: --> https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-843_7j80.pdf
We'll be going live momentarily to break down the bill for gun owners so stay tuned.
New York Enacts Ridiculous New Gun Laws In Response To Supreme Court Ruling
Colion Noir
2.13M subscribers
SUBSCRIBED
NYSRPA v. Bruen Response https://shop.mrcolionnoir.com/
In response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that determined sections of New York's concealed carry statute were unconstitutional, Democrats in the New York State Legislature on Friday passed a slew of new restrictions affecting legal gun owners. There is an extensive list of hurdles including having applicants disclose their current and past social media accounts so the licensing officer could review them to see if anything the applicant may have posted would, in the mind of the licensing officer, be objectionable and disqualify the applicant. If an applicant clears all of the hurdles involved in obtaining a concealed carry permit, they would have to be aware of an extensive list of places where it would still be illegal for them to be armed. They include government buildings, schools, colleges and universities, medical facilities, churches, libraries, and entertainment venues such as libraries, theaters, arenas, and stadiums. Legal gun owners with concealed carry permits would also be prohibited from carrying in a park, on a playground, at a polling place, at a parade or a protest, or while using public transit. They also could not carry while in a bar, or even in a restaurant that serves alcohol. In fact, under the new laws, they couldn't enter any private business or property with a legally registered gun, unless that business or property owner posted a sign which says they can. And even if they mistakenly carry someplace they shouldn't, they could be charged with a felony where, if convicted, they would lose their constitutional right to keep and bear arms. While it's long been established in the state's law that a felony record bars an individual from legally purchasing or processing a firearm, the new law would add several misdemeanors to the category of infractions that would disqualify an individual from owning a gun. This isn't even all of it! These people are not trying to protect you they're trying to control you and protect their power.
Colion Noir
2.13M subscribers
SUBSCRIBED
NYSRPA v. Bruen Response https://shop.mrcolionnoir.com/
In response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that determined sections of New York's concealed carry statute were unconstitutional, Democrats in the New York State Legislature on Friday passed a slew of new restrictions affecting legal gun owners. There is an extensive list of hurdles including having applicants disclose their current and past social media accounts so the licensing officer could review them to see if anything the applicant may have posted would, in the mind of the licensing officer, be objectionable and disqualify the applicant. If an applicant clears all of the hurdles involved in obtaining a concealed carry permit, they would have to be aware of an extensive list of places where it would still be illegal for them to be armed. They include government buildings, schools, colleges and universities, medical facilities, churches, libraries, and entertainment venues such as libraries, theaters, arenas, and stadiums. Legal gun owners with concealed carry permits would also be prohibited from carrying in a park, on a playground, at a polling place, at a parade or a protest, or while using public transit. They also could not carry while in a bar, or even in a restaurant that serves alcohol. In fact, under the new laws, they couldn't enter any private business or property with a legally registered gun, unless that business or property owner posted a sign which says they can. And even if they mistakenly carry someplace they shouldn't, they could be charged with a felony where, if convicted, they would lose their constitutional right to keep and bear arms. While it's long been established in the state's law that a felony record bars an individual from legally purchasing or processing a firearm, the new law would add several misdemeanors to the category of infractions that would disqualify an individual from owning a gun. This isn't even all of it! These people are not trying to protect you they're trying to control you and protect their power.
Law abiding citizens will be turned to criminals, and the criminals will continue to crime by not following none of these laws.
Flashing signs warn Times Square is 'gun free zone' before NY state law takes effect
Signs flashing "TIMES SQUARE: GUN FREE ZONE" were being driven around Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday. Photo credit Glenn Schuck
By Adam Warner, Glenn Schuck, and Juliet Papa
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- City Department of Transportation trucks were driving around Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday with flashing electronic signs reminding people that Times Square is a “gun free zone” and that violators can be charged with a felony.
The trucks are getting the message out just days before a new state law takes effect that will ban concealed firearms in so-called “sensitive locations.”
omny.fm
“TIMES SQUARE: GUN FREE ZONE,” the signs read. “Licensed gun carriers and others may not enter with a gun unless otherwise specially authorized by law. Violation of this prohibition is a felony.”
ADVERTISING
The flashy messaging comes as the issue of concealed guns in Times Square comes before the City Council on Tuesday. The council’s Public Safety Committee was meeting to determine the areas of Times Square where guns can be limited and how the NYPD will enforce the restrictions. Mayor Eric Adams is also scheduled to make a "gun safety-related announcement" later in the day.
During Tuesday’s hearing, officials said there would be no NYPD checkpoints around Times Square. Instead there will be “gun free zone” signs posted in the area.
According to a document obtained by 1010 WINS, the City Council is expected to define Times Square in two tracts. One tract will be “bounded on the west by the west side of Eighth Avenue, on the south by the south side of W. 40th Street, on the east by the east side of Sixth Avenue, and on the north by the north side of W. 53rd Street.” The other tract will be “bounded on the west by the west side of Ninth Avenue, on the south by the south side of W. 40th Street, on the east by the east side of Eighth Avenue, and on the north by the north side of W. 48th Street.”
Also on the state list of sensitive places are schools, universities, government buildings, places where people have gathered for public protests, health care facilities, places of worship, libraries, public playgrounds and parks, day care centers, summer camps, addiction and mental health centers, shelters, public transit, bars, theaters, stadiums, museums, polling places and casinos.
Hochul signed the new law two months ago after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 6-3 ruling in June struck down a New York state law and loosened the right to carry a concealed firearm in public for self-defense. Specifically, the court threw out a “proper cause” requirement that forced applicants to prove they had a need for self-defense.
LISTEN TO 1010 WINS
In the ruling, the court said guns could be restricted in sensitive locations, giving states like New York that had strict concealed carry laws an opening to continue some restrictions.
The law has prompted several legal challenges from Second Amendment advocacy groups.
Last week, Gun Owners of America asked a federal judge to block the state’s law before it takes effect on Sept. 1. The gun rights groups argue that the Supreme Court meant sensitive locations to be a “narrow group of places,” not the long list laid out by the state.
“You know, government building, schools. But it’s not all of these places. Like, Times Square—it can’t be a sensitive place,” Second Amendment attorney Stephen Stamboulieh said. “It could be that Times Square is sensitive at certain times, but not all the time.”
Applications for new gun permits have spiked across the state since the Supreme Court ruling. There were nearly 10,000 applications statewide this month, compared to 3,000 in August 2021.
New York’s law requires concealed firearm applicants to provide local officials with a list of current and former social media accounts from the previous three years. It also requires applicants to undergo hours of safety training, prove they’re proficient at shooting, provide four character references and sit for in-person interviews.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Signs flashing "TIMES SQUARE: GUN FREE ZONE" were being driven around Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday. Photo credit Glenn Schuck
By Adam Warner, Glenn Schuck, and Juliet Papa
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- City Department of Transportation trucks were driving around Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday with flashing electronic signs reminding people that Times Square is a “gun free zone” and that violators can be charged with a felony.
The trucks are getting the message out just days before a new state law takes effect that will ban concealed firearms in so-called “sensitive locations.”
Lawmakers try to limit areas where New Yorkers can carry a gun following Supreme Court ruling - 1010 WINS On-Demand
Glenn Schuck reports live from Times Square, one of the areas lawmakers want to make it harder to carry a gun.
omny.fm
ADVERTISING
The flashy messaging comes as the issue of concealed guns in Times Square comes before the City Council on Tuesday. The council’s Public Safety Committee was meeting to determine the areas of Times Square where guns can be limited and how the NYPD will enforce the restrictions. Mayor Eric Adams is also scheduled to make a "gun safety-related announcement" later in the day.
During Tuesday’s hearing, officials said there would be no NYPD checkpoints around Times Square. Instead there will be “gun free zone” signs posted in the area.
According to a document obtained by 1010 WINS, the City Council is expected to define Times Square in two tracts. One tract will be “bounded on the west by the west side of Eighth Avenue, on the south by the south side of W. 40th Street, on the east by the east side of Sixth Avenue, and on the north by the north side of W. 53rd Street.” The other tract will be “bounded on the west by the west side of Ninth Avenue, on the south by the south side of W. 40th Street, on the east by the east side of Eighth Avenue, and on the north by the north side of W. 48th Street.”
Also on the state list of sensitive places are schools, universities, government buildings, places where people have gathered for public protests, health care facilities, places of worship, libraries, public playgrounds and parks, day care centers, summer camps, addiction and mental health centers, shelters, public transit, bars, theaters, stadiums, museums, polling places and casinos.
Hochul signed the new law two months ago after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 6-3 ruling in June struck down a New York state law and loosened the right to carry a concealed firearm in public for self-defense. Specifically, the court threw out a “proper cause” requirement that forced applicants to prove they had a need for self-defense.
LISTEN TO 1010 WINS
In the ruling, the court said guns could be restricted in sensitive locations, giving states like New York that had strict concealed carry laws an opening to continue some restrictions.
The law has prompted several legal challenges from Second Amendment advocacy groups.
Last week, Gun Owners of America asked a federal judge to block the state’s law before it takes effect on Sept. 1. The gun rights groups argue that the Supreme Court meant sensitive locations to be a “narrow group of places,” not the long list laid out by the state.
“You know, government building, schools. But it’s not all of these places. Like, Times Square—it can’t be a sensitive place,” Second Amendment attorney Stephen Stamboulieh said. “It could be that Times Square is sensitive at certain times, but not all the time.”
Applications for new gun permits have spiked across the state since the Supreme Court ruling. There were nearly 10,000 applications statewide this month, compared to 3,000 in August 2021.
New York’s law requires concealed firearm applicants to provide local officials with a list of current and former social media accounts from the previous three years. It also requires applicants to undergo hours of safety training, prove they’re proficient at shooting, provide four character references and sit for in-person interviews.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NYC’s new law returns fire at Supreme Court: Guns are now banned almost everywhere
Douglas Dowdy
Updated: Jul. 20, 2022, 5:50 p.m.|
Published: Jul. 20, 2022, 6:01 a.m.
www.syracuse.com
Albany, NY — A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision overturned a more than 100-year-old law in New York state, opening the door to allow more people to carry handguns.
But the state moved quickly to adopt a new law that will do just the opposite: It will greatly restrict where people can have a handgun.
The new law will ban firearms on all private property unless the owner makes a point to allow them by putting up signs. It’s a flip of the switch from the current law, which allows legal concealed carry on most private property unless an owner posts signs forbidding guns.
The law also includes a list of 20 types of locations where guns are totally banned: churches, bars, restaurants with alcohol, public parks, government buildings, colleges and public gatherings, among other places.
Critics say the law will, in practice, ban legal gun-owners from carrying weapons nearly anywhere besides their own home and public sidewalks. In nearly every other public place, guns are banned unless a property owner allows them.
That means that diners, gyms, malls and big-box stores no longer need to ban firearms. A business’s only decision will be whether to open up to guns. It could lead to a culture of gun-friendly businesses: a coffee shop, hardware store or gas station that caters to a gun-toting crowd.
New York is the first state in the country to pass a law that bans guns on private property by default.
The new law was passed quickly by the state legislature and signed by the governor in response to the 6-3 Supreme Court decision that struck down the state’s century-old gun licensing law. Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the conservative majority, ruled that the state could not require an individual to provide a specific need for a gun to obtain a legal permit.
That so-called “proper cause” statue was unconstitutional because a person’s Second Amendment right to a gun was always grounded in the need for self-defense, the court ruled.
Thomas offered a vague blueprint for future gun laws by ruling that certain “sensitive” places – such as schools or courthouses – could be off-limits for guns. But, he warned, banning guns on the entire island of Manhattan would be unconstitutional.
New York’s sweeping new gun law lies somewhere in-between. State lawmakers defend the new restrictions as legal because they don’t single anyone out and provide objective standards for where guns can be taken.
Robert Spitzer, a gun expert and author, said it will be up to the courts to decide whether the state’s gun laws go too far. Typically, it can take a couple of years for the Supreme Court to hear a new case.
But the conservative majority could decide to review the law on an “expedited review” as early as this fall, said Spitzer, a political science professor emeritus at SUNY Cortland.
Unlike New York’s new law, all other states generally allow guns on private property unless a property owner objects, he said.
Whether New York’s default ban is constitutional is something that remains to be seen, Spitzer said.
The legal challenges needed for such a decision are already in the works. In one, a gun rights group bemoaned that the law makes it virtually impossible to take a gun anywhere in daily life.
“With ‘sensitive locations’ covering most public locations and locations that have some tie to or involvement with state government, and ‘restricted location’ covering all private property by default, it is hard to imagine how a carry license holder could so much as leave home without running afoul of the (law),” the federal lawsuit Antonyuk vs. Bruen reads.
Assuming the law goes into effect without a court injunction, it will also remain to be seen how such law will be enforced.
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said that he will uphold his oath to follow the new law, but said that he and local police needed to meet to determine how these arrests might be handled.
Under the new law, taking a legally licensed gun into any sensitive area – such as a park or church – or any restricted area – defined as any private property without signs or other communication allowing guns – is a felony punishable by up to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
But Fitzpatrick noted that police and prosecutors had discretion in how to handle these cases.
If someone takes a legal gun into a grocery store, for example, there would not be an arrest unless someone knew of the gun and reported it to authorities. The store would then have to get police involved (confirm that the store supported the default ban), and then police would need to arrest the person.
Even then, the district attorney’s office has wide latitude to resolve cases in the interest of justice. A legal gun owner cannot have any felony convictions, by law, making them typically a newcomer to the criminal justice system.
The chances of an otherwise law-abiding citizen being convicted of a felony for taking a legal gun onto private property without permission is very low, Fitzpatrick indicated.
That said, the DA warned that he would have to order some sanction in most cases: perhaps a non-criminal plea that involves giving up a gun license for a period of time, he suggested.
Before the new law, private property owners could ban guns. However, there was no crime for disobeying such a ban. Instead, the owner could order the gun-carrier off the property, then have the person arrested for trespassing – at most, a misdemeanor -- if he or she refused to leave.
Spitzer noted the new law makes carrying a gun on private property an automatic felony.
“It certainly ups the ante,” he said.
Here’s a list of “sensitive places” in which guns will be banned under all circumstances beginning Sept. 1:
(a) any place owned or under the control of federal, state or local government, for the purpose of government administration, including courts;
(b) any location providing health, behavioral health, or chemical dependance care or services;
(c) any place of worship or religious observation
(d) libraries, public playgrounds, public parks, and zoos;
(e) the location of any program licensed, regulated, certified, funded, or approved by the office of children and family services that provides services to children, youth, or young adults, any legally exempt childcare provider; a childcare program for which a permit to operate such program has been issued by the department of health and mental hygiene pursuant to the health code of the city of New York;
(f) nursery schools, preschools, and summer camps;
(g) the location of any program licensed, regulated, certified, operated, or funded by the office for people with developmental disabilities;
(h) the location of any program licensed, regulated, certified, operated, or funded by office of addiction services and supports;
(i) the location of any program licensed, regulated, certified, operated, or funded by the office of mental health;
(j) the location of any program licensed, regulated, certified, operated, or funded by the office of temporary and disability assistance;
(k) homeless shelters, runaway homeless youth shelters, family shelters, shelters for adults, domestic violence shelters, and emergency shelters, and residential programs for victims of domestic violence;
(l) residential settings licensed, certified, regulated, funded, or operated by the department of health;
(m) in or upon any building or grounds, owned or leased, of any educational institutions, colleges and universities, licensed private career schools, school districts, public schools, private schools licensed under article one hundred one of the education law, charter schools, non-public schools, board of cooperative educational services, special act schools, preschool special education programs, private residential or non-residential schools for the education of students with disabilities, and any state-operated or state-supported schools;
(n) any place, conveyance, or vehicle used for public transportation or public transit, subway cars, train cars, buses, ferries, railroad, omnibus, marine or aviation transportation; or any facility used for or in connection with service in the transportation of passengers, airports, train stations, subway and rail stations, and bus terminals;
(o) any establishment issued a license for on-premise consumption pursuant to article four, four-A, five, or six of the alcoholic beverage control law where alcohol is consumed and any establishment licensed under article four of the cannabis law for on-premise consumption;
(p) any place used for the performance, art entertainment, gaming, or sporting events such as theaters, stadiums, racetracks, museums, amusement parks, performance venues, concerts, exhibits, conference centers, banquet halls, and gaming facilities and video lottery terminal facilities as licensed by the gaming commission;
(q) any location being used as a polling place;
(r) any public sidewalk or other public area restricted from general public access for a limited time or special event that has been issued a permit for such time or event by a governmental entity, or subject to specific, heightened law enforcement protection, or has otherwise had such access restricted by a governmental entity, provided such location is identified as such by clear and conspicuous signage;
(s) any gathering of individuals to collectively express their constitutional rights to protest or assemble;
(t) the area commonly known as Times Square, as such area is determined and identified by the city of New York; provided such area shall be clearly and conspicuously identified with signage
Here’s the new felony law that bans guns on private property without permission to carry:
“A person is guilty of criminal possession of a weapon in a restricted location when such person possesses a firearm, rifle, or shotgun and enters into or remains on or in private property where such person knows or reasonably should know that the owner or lessee of such property has not permitted such possession by clear and conspicuous signage indicating that the carrying of firearms, rifles, or shotguns on their property is permitted or has otherwise given express consent.”
Douglas Dowdy
Updated: Jul. 20, 2022, 5:50 p.m.|
Published: Jul. 20, 2022, 6:01 a.m.
NY’s new law returns fire at Supreme Court: Guns are now banned almost everywhere
Under new law, gun owners would be able to take their weapons to fewer places. See the list of all the places guns will be banned starting Sept. 1.
Albany, NY — A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision overturned a more than 100-year-old law in New York state, opening the door to allow more people to carry handguns.
But the state moved quickly to adopt a new law that will do just the opposite: It will greatly restrict where people can have a handgun.
The new law will ban firearms on all private property unless the owner makes a point to allow them by putting up signs. It’s a flip of the switch from the current law, which allows legal concealed carry on most private property unless an owner posts signs forbidding guns.
The law also includes a list of 20 types of locations where guns are totally banned: churches, bars, restaurants with alcohol, public parks, government buildings, colleges and public gatherings, among other places.
Critics say the law will, in practice, ban legal gun-owners from carrying weapons nearly anywhere besides their own home and public sidewalks. In nearly every other public place, guns are banned unless a property owner allows them.
That means that diners, gyms, malls and big-box stores no longer need to ban firearms. A business’s only decision will be whether to open up to guns. It could lead to a culture of gun-friendly businesses: a coffee shop, hardware store or gas station that caters to a gun-toting crowd.
New York is the first state in the country to pass a law that bans guns on private property by default.
The new law was passed quickly by the state legislature and signed by the governor in response to the 6-3 Supreme Court decision that struck down the state’s century-old gun licensing law. Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the conservative majority, ruled that the state could not require an individual to provide a specific need for a gun to obtain a legal permit.
That so-called “proper cause” statue was unconstitutional because a person’s Second Amendment right to a gun was always grounded in the need for self-defense, the court ruled.
Thomas offered a vague blueprint for future gun laws by ruling that certain “sensitive” places – such as schools or courthouses – could be off-limits for guns. But, he warned, banning guns on the entire island of Manhattan would be unconstitutional.
New York’s sweeping new gun law lies somewhere in-between. State lawmakers defend the new restrictions as legal because they don’t single anyone out and provide objective standards for where guns can be taken.
Robert Spitzer, a gun expert and author, said it will be up to the courts to decide whether the state’s gun laws go too far. Typically, it can take a couple of years for the Supreme Court to hear a new case.
But the conservative majority could decide to review the law on an “expedited review” as early as this fall, said Spitzer, a political science professor emeritus at SUNY Cortland.
Unlike New York’s new law, all other states generally allow guns on private property unless a property owner objects, he said.
Whether New York’s default ban is constitutional is something that remains to be seen, Spitzer said.
The legal challenges needed for such a decision are already in the works. In one, a gun rights group bemoaned that the law makes it virtually impossible to take a gun anywhere in daily life.
“With ‘sensitive locations’ covering most public locations and locations that have some tie to or involvement with state government, and ‘restricted location’ covering all private property by default, it is hard to imagine how a carry license holder could so much as leave home without running afoul of the (law),” the federal lawsuit Antonyuk vs. Bruen reads.
Assuming the law goes into effect without a court injunction, it will also remain to be seen how such law will be enforced.
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said that he will uphold his oath to follow the new law, but said that he and local police needed to meet to determine how these arrests might be handled.
Under the new law, taking a legally licensed gun into any sensitive area – such as a park or church – or any restricted area – defined as any private property without signs or other communication allowing guns – is a felony punishable by up to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
But Fitzpatrick noted that police and prosecutors had discretion in how to handle these cases.
If someone takes a legal gun into a grocery store, for example, there would not be an arrest unless someone knew of the gun and reported it to authorities. The store would then have to get police involved (confirm that the store supported the default ban), and then police would need to arrest the person.
Even then, the district attorney’s office has wide latitude to resolve cases in the interest of justice. A legal gun owner cannot have any felony convictions, by law, making them typically a newcomer to the criminal justice system.
The chances of an otherwise law-abiding citizen being convicted of a felony for taking a legal gun onto private property without permission is very low, Fitzpatrick indicated.
That said, the DA warned that he would have to order some sanction in most cases: perhaps a non-criminal plea that involves giving up a gun license for a period of time, he suggested.
Before the new law, private property owners could ban guns. However, there was no crime for disobeying such a ban. Instead, the owner could order the gun-carrier off the property, then have the person arrested for trespassing – at most, a misdemeanor -- if he or she refused to leave.
Spitzer noted the new law makes carrying a gun on private property an automatic felony.
“It certainly ups the ante,” he said.
Here’s a list of “sensitive places” in which guns will be banned under all circumstances beginning Sept. 1:
(a) any place owned or under the control of federal, state or local government, for the purpose of government administration, including courts;
(b) any location providing health, behavioral health, or chemical dependance care or services;
(c) any place of worship or religious observation
(d) libraries, public playgrounds, public parks, and zoos;
(e) the location of any program licensed, regulated, certified, funded, or approved by the office of children and family services that provides services to children, youth, or young adults, any legally exempt childcare provider; a childcare program for which a permit to operate such program has been issued by the department of health and mental hygiene pursuant to the health code of the city of New York;
(f) nursery schools, preschools, and summer camps;
(g) the location of any program licensed, regulated, certified, operated, or funded by the office for people with developmental disabilities;
(h) the location of any program licensed, regulated, certified, operated, or funded by office of addiction services and supports;
(i) the location of any program licensed, regulated, certified, operated, or funded by the office of mental health;
(j) the location of any program licensed, regulated, certified, operated, or funded by the office of temporary and disability assistance;
(k) homeless shelters, runaway homeless youth shelters, family shelters, shelters for adults, domestic violence shelters, and emergency shelters, and residential programs for victims of domestic violence;
(l) residential settings licensed, certified, regulated, funded, or operated by the department of health;
(m) in or upon any building or grounds, owned or leased, of any educational institutions, colleges and universities, licensed private career schools, school districts, public schools, private schools licensed under article one hundred one of the education law, charter schools, non-public schools, board of cooperative educational services, special act schools, preschool special education programs, private residential or non-residential schools for the education of students with disabilities, and any state-operated or state-supported schools;
(n) any place, conveyance, or vehicle used for public transportation or public transit, subway cars, train cars, buses, ferries, railroad, omnibus, marine or aviation transportation; or any facility used for or in connection with service in the transportation of passengers, airports, train stations, subway and rail stations, and bus terminals;
(o) any establishment issued a license for on-premise consumption pursuant to article four, four-A, five, or six of the alcoholic beverage control law where alcohol is consumed and any establishment licensed under article four of the cannabis law for on-premise consumption;
(p) any place used for the performance, art entertainment, gaming, or sporting events such as theaters, stadiums, racetracks, museums, amusement parks, performance venues, concerts, exhibits, conference centers, banquet halls, and gaming facilities and video lottery terminal facilities as licensed by the gaming commission;
(q) any location being used as a polling place;
(r) any public sidewalk or other public area restricted from general public access for a limited time or special event that has been issued a permit for such time or event by a governmental entity, or subject to specific, heightened law enforcement protection, or has otherwise had such access restricted by a governmental entity, provided such location is identified as such by clear and conspicuous signage;
(s) any gathering of individuals to collectively express their constitutional rights to protest or assemble;
(t) the area commonly known as Times Square, as such area is determined and identified by the city of New York; provided such area shall be clearly and conspicuously identified with signage
Here’s the new felony law that bans guns on private property without permission to carry:
“A person is guilty of criminal possession of a weapon in a restricted location when such person possesses a firearm, rifle, or shotgun and enters into or remains on or in private property where such person knows or reasonably should know that the owner or lessee of such property has not permitted such possession by clear and conspicuous signage indicating that the carrying of firearms, rifles, or shotguns on their property is permitted or has otherwise given express consent.”
New York City officials urge credit card companies to track gun and ammo sales, flag 'suspicious' sales
New York officials argued the merchant codes could help reduce gun violence
By Lawrence Richard FOXBusiness
Published August 31, 2022 2:49am EDT
www.foxbusiness.com
Some New York City officials want major credit card companies to create a unique code for firearm and ammunition purchases that could then be used to monitor "suspicious" purchases.
During a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams called on American Express, MasterCard and Visa — the largest credit card companies in the U.S. — to establish a merchant category code (MCC) for gun-related items and to report bulk purchases.
"Why can't we have this code when you purchase guns? This is a real issue [as] 316 people a day are shot by guns in our country, [and] 106 die from guns. When you think about these numbers, these are astronomical numbers," said Adams, who was introduced by City Comptroller Brad Lander as "a forthright champion for action to reduce gun violence."
"We are not leaving any stone unturned. Everyone must play a role," the mayor added.
Adams was joined at the presser by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Teachers’ Retirement System and Board of Education Retirement System and some state lawmakers.
The New York City government released a statement after the press conference that said the code would flag and report "suspicious activity."
"The creation of a new code would help financial institutions detect and report suspicious activity, such as unusually large purchases of firearms or ammunition, or purchases from multiple stores, that may be used for criminal purposes," the statement read.
During the press conference, Adams praised city officials and lawmakers like New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie and New York State Assemblymember Chantel Jackson, who have acted to reduce gun violence.
He also pointed out that MCC’s are already in place for some items.
"When it comes to guns falling into the wrong hands, we must find upstream solutions before we’re faced with downstream consequences — because downstream consequences are lost lives," Adams said. "When you buy an airline ticket or pay for your groceries, your credit card company has a special code for those retailers. It’s just commonsense that we have the same policies in place for gun and ammunition stores. I’m proud to join Comptroller Lander and our partners at the state level to call for this important policy change."
The city elaborated further: "Unique merchant category codes exist for grocery stores, sporting goods stores, bicycle shops, and many other retailers — but not for gun and ammunition stores. Proposals have been brought before the ISO to create a merchant category code for gun retailers, but American Express, MasterCard, and Visa have not supported the proposal."
Addressing critics, the mayor said, "you don't have to agree on everything to agree on the fact that we have to be safe."
Adams’ urgency to reduce gun violence was echoed by Comptroller Lander and the attorney general.
"Gun violence continues to ravage our nation and communities across our city," Lander said. "As fiduciaries, we have a responsibility to minimize risks of harm that could negatively impact the companies in our portfolio."
He argued: "Establishing a merchant category code to identify purchases from gun retailers could do just that, by helping to prevent gun crimes and saving lives."
"We must fight for public safety through every tool at our disposal: reducing the flow of guns into our communities, working with police to take on crime, and demanding that businesses do their part," Attorney General James said. "Communities could stop paying the price for gun violence if credit card companies did their part to categorize gun purchases and flag suspicious activity to law enforcement agencies."
The press conference comes ahead of a meeting this fall by the International Organization on Standardization, which sets merchant codes.
Click Above Link To View Social Media Video
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, and state lawmakers at a press conference about reducing gun violence on August 30, 2022.
New York officials argued the merchant codes could help reduce gun violence
By Lawrence Richard FOXBusiness
Published August 31, 2022 2:49am EDT
New York City officials urge credit card companies to track gun and ammo sales, flag 'suspicious' sales | Fox Business
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and state officials are calling on credit card companies like American Express, MasterCard and Visa to uniquely flag gun-related credit card purchases.
Some New York City officials want major credit card companies to create a unique code for firearm and ammunition purchases that could then be used to monitor "suspicious" purchases.
During a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams called on American Express, MasterCard and Visa — the largest credit card companies in the U.S. — to establish a merchant category code (MCC) for gun-related items and to report bulk purchases.
"Why can't we have this code when you purchase guns? This is a real issue [as] 316 people a day are shot by guns in our country, [and] 106 die from guns. When you think about these numbers, these are astronomical numbers," said Adams, who was introduced by City Comptroller Brad Lander as "a forthright champion for action to reduce gun violence."
"We are not leaving any stone unturned. Everyone must play a role," the mayor added.
Adams was joined at the presser by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Teachers’ Retirement System and Board of Education Retirement System and some state lawmakers.
The New York City government released a statement after the press conference that said the code would flag and report "suspicious activity."
"The creation of a new code would help financial institutions detect and report suspicious activity, such as unusually large purchases of firearms or ammunition, or purchases from multiple stores, that may be used for criminal purposes," the statement read.
During the press conference, Adams praised city officials and lawmakers like New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie and New York State Assemblymember Chantel Jackson, who have acted to reduce gun violence.
He also pointed out that MCC’s are already in place for some items.
"When it comes to guns falling into the wrong hands, we must find upstream solutions before we’re faced with downstream consequences — because downstream consequences are lost lives," Adams said. "When you buy an airline ticket or pay for your groceries, your credit card company has a special code for those retailers. It’s just commonsense that we have the same policies in place for gun and ammunition stores. I’m proud to join Comptroller Lander and our partners at the state level to call for this important policy change."
The city elaborated further: "Unique merchant category codes exist for grocery stores, sporting goods stores, bicycle shops, and many other retailers — but not for gun and ammunition stores. Proposals have been brought before the ISO to create a merchant category code for gun retailers, but American Express, MasterCard, and Visa have not supported the proposal."
Addressing critics, the mayor said, "you don't have to agree on everything to agree on the fact that we have to be safe."
Adams’ urgency to reduce gun violence was echoed by Comptroller Lander and the attorney general.
"Gun violence continues to ravage our nation and communities across our city," Lander said. "As fiduciaries, we have a responsibility to minimize risks of harm that could negatively impact the companies in our portfolio."
He argued: "Establishing a merchant category code to identify purchases from gun retailers could do just that, by helping to prevent gun crimes and saving lives."
"We must fight for public safety through every tool at our disposal: reducing the flow of guns into our communities, working with police to take on crime, and demanding that businesses do their part," Attorney General James said. "Communities could stop paying the price for gun violence if credit card companies did their part to categorize gun purchases and flag suspicious activity to law enforcement agencies."
The press conference comes ahead of a meeting this fall by the International Organization on Standardization, which sets merchant codes.
Click Above Link To View Social Media Video
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, and state lawmakers at a press conference about reducing gun violence on August 30, 2022.
thank youNew York City officials urge credit card companies to track gun and ammo sales, flag 'suspicious' sales
New York officials argued the merchant codes could help reduce gun violence
By Lawrence Richard FOXBusiness
Published August 31, 2022 2:49am EDT
New York City officials urge credit card companies to track gun and ammo sales, flag 'suspicious' sales | Fox Business
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and state officials are calling on credit card companies like American Express, MasterCard and Visa to uniquely flag gun-related credit card purchases.
Some New York City officials want major credit card companies to create a unique code for firearm and ammunition purchases that could then be used to monitor "suspicious" purchases.
During a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams called on American Express, MasterCard and Visa — the largest credit card companies in the U.S. — to establish a merchant category code (MCC) for gun-related items and to report bulk purchases.
"Why can't we have this code when you purchase guns? This is a real issue [as] 316 people a day are shot by guns in our country, [and] 106 die from guns. When you think about these numbers, these are astronomical numbers," said Adams, who was introduced by City Comptroller Brad Lander as "a forthright champion for action to reduce gun violence."
"We are not leaving any stone unturned. Everyone must play a role," the mayor added.
Adams was joined at the presser by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Teachers’ Retirement System and Board of Education Retirement System and some state lawmakers.
The New York City government released a statement after the press conference that said the code would flag and report "suspicious activity."
"The creation of a new code would help financial institutions detect and report suspicious activity, such as unusually large purchases of firearms or ammunition, or purchases from multiple stores, that may be used for criminal purposes," the statement read.
During the press conference, Adams praised city officials and lawmakers like New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie and New York State Assemblymember Chantel Jackson, who have acted to reduce gun violence.
He also pointed out that MCC’s are already in place for some items.
"When it comes to guns falling into the wrong hands, we must find upstream solutions before we’re faced with downstream consequences — because downstream consequences are lost lives," Adams said. "When you buy an airline ticket or pay for your groceries, your credit card company has a special code for those retailers. It’s just commonsense that we have the same policies in place for gun and ammunition stores. I’m proud to join Comptroller Lander and our partners at the state level to call for this important policy change."
The city elaborated further: "Unique merchant category codes exist for grocery stores, sporting goods stores, bicycle shops, and many other retailers — but not for gun and ammunition stores. Proposals have been brought before the ISO to create a merchant category code for gun retailers, but American Express, MasterCard, and Visa have not supported the proposal."
Addressing critics, the mayor said, "you don't have to agree on everything to agree on the fact that we have to be safe."
Adams’ urgency to reduce gun violence was echoed by Comptroller Lander and the attorney general.
"Gun violence continues to ravage our nation and communities across our city," Lander said. "As fiduciaries, we have a responsibility to minimize risks of harm that could negatively impact the companies in our portfolio."
He argued: "Establishing a merchant category code to identify purchases from gun retailers could do just that, by helping to prevent gun crimes and saving lives."
"We must fight for public safety through every tool at our disposal: reducing the flow of guns into our communities, working with police to take on crime, and demanding that businesses do their part," Attorney General James said. "Communities could stop paying the price for gun violence if credit card companies did their part to categorize gun purchases and flag suspicious activity to law enforcement agencies."
The press conference comes ahead of a meeting this fall by the International Organization on Standardization, which sets merchant codes.
Click Above Link To View Social Media Video
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, and state lawmakers at a press conference about reducing gun violence on August 30, 2022.
New York City officials urge credit card companies to track gun and ammo sales, flag 'suspicious' sales
New York officials argued the merchant codes could help reduce gun violence
By Lawrence Richard FOXBusiness
Published August 31, 2022 2:49am EDT
New York City officials urge credit card companies to track gun and ammo sales, flag 'suspicious' sales | Fox Business
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and state officials are calling on credit card companies like American Express, MasterCard and Visa to uniquely flag gun-related credit card purchases.
Some New York City officials want major credit card companies to create a unique code for firearm and ammunition purchases that could then be used to monitor "suspicious" purchases.
During a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams called on American Express, MasterCard and Visa — the largest credit card companies in the U.S. — to establish a merchant category code (MCC) for gun-related items and to report bulk purchases.
"Why can't we have this code when you purchase guns? This is a real issue [as] 316 people a day are shot by guns in our country, [and] 106 die from guns. When you think about these numbers, these are astronomical numbers," said Adams, who was introduced by City Comptroller Brad Lander as "a forthright champion for action to reduce gun violence."
"We are not leaving any stone unturned. Everyone must play a role," the mayor added.
Adams was joined at the presser by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Teachers’ Retirement System and Board of Education Retirement System and some state lawmakers.
The New York City government released a statement after the press conference that said the code would flag and report "suspicious activity."
"The creation of a new code would help financial institutions detect and report suspicious activity, such as unusually large purchases of firearms or ammunition, or purchases from multiple stores, that may be used for criminal purposes," the statement read.
During the press conference, Adams praised city officials and lawmakers like New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie and New York State Assemblymember Chantel Jackson, who have acted to reduce gun violence.
He also pointed out that MCC’s are already in place for some items.
"When it comes to guns falling into the wrong hands, we must find upstream solutions before we’re faced with downstream consequences — because downstream consequences are lost lives," Adams said. "When you buy an airline ticket or pay for your groceries, your credit card company has a special code for those retailers. It’s just commonsense that we have the same policies in place for gun and ammunition stores. I’m proud to join Comptroller Lander and our partners at the state level to call for this important policy change."
The city elaborated further: "Unique merchant category codes exist for grocery stores, sporting goods stores, bicycle shops, and many other retailers — but not for gun and ammunition stores. Proposals have been brought before the ISO to create a merchant category code for gun retailers, but American Express, MasterCard, and Visa have not supported the proposal."
Addressing critics, the mayor said, "you don't have to agree on everything to agree on the fact that we have to be safe."
Adams’ urgency to reduce gun violence was echoed by Comptroller Lander and the attorney general.
"Gun violence continues to ravage our nation and communities across our city," Lander said. "As fiduciaries, we have a responsibility to minimize risks of harm that could negatively impact the companies in our portfolio."
He argued: "Establishing a merchant category code to identify purchases from gun retailers could do just that, by helping to prevent gun crimes and saving lives."
"We must fight for public safety through every tool at our disposal: reducing the flow of guns into our communities, working with police to take on crime, and demanding that businesses do their part," Attorney General James said. "Communities could stop paying the price for gun violence if credit card companies did their part to categorize gun purchases and flag suspicious activity to law enforcement agencies."
The press conference comes ahead of a meeting this fall by the International Organization on Standardization, which sets merchant codes.
Click Above Link To View Social Media Video
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, and state lawmakers at a press conference about reducing gun violence on August 30, 2022.
This is why cash is king and I am against money going digital.