Posted: 3/22/2012 6:46:42 AM EDT
|
Has anyone gone through the LTCF process in montgomery county recently?
My wife and I moved from Bucks Co last year and our permits are up for renewal. I contacted the Sheriff's Department and we were told that despite it being a "renewal" we have to pay the full price and fill out this "local police check form". I've waited two weeks so far which is TWICE as long as it took to get our initial permits in Bucks County. 
I called for status today and I was told that they were waiting on word from our local police chief... 
Last I checked, PA is a "Shall Issue" state and the chief's political opinions shouldn't matter.
I contacted our Sheriff who seems reasonable and gun friendly. from what I understand the last Sheriff continued policies from the previous anti-gun Sheriffs in the county and wouldn't sign off on NFA stuff, but Sheriff Behr has been doing the CLEO signoff. In my email, I asked for clarification as to what this local check does that PICS doesn't. From what I've found online, the local police check was from a time prior to PICS. I've also read on other sites that the local PD will put stupid crap on there that will not disqualify you from carrying. It seems like a waste of time and tax payer money. |
|
Here's the email I sent this afternoon:
Good afternoon, My wife and I purchased a house in ABC Township (XYZ Boro) last year. Our PA LTCFs that were originally issued by Bucks County are expiring in April, so we began the renewal process early to avoid a lapse in coverage. I was informed by this office that, since we are new to the county, we would need to have a "local police check card" completed despite the permits being renewals. I dropped these forms off at my local PD about two weeks ago and when I called for status today I was told that they were waiting for a reply from the chief of police. This confused me because PA is a "shall issue" state. Neither my wife and I are prohibited persons, so the opinion, political or otherwise, of the local police chief should have no bearing on my ability to carry a firearm. Even if I misunderstood the comment, it seems a bit excessive for the police chief himself to be running background checks. I'm also a bit confused as to why we've already waited twice as long for the local check to be completed as it took to obtain our original LTCFs in Bucks County. I was hoping that Sheriff Behr or one of her deputies could help me understand this process, the discrepancy in wait time/process between counties, and the need for this form if we are to be run through PICS. I've done some research, and from what I've gathered the local police check form was used prior to PICS being fully operational in the state. Is this form just an artifact from that time period? Is it still relevant with PICS? What disqualifications does the local police check show that PICS doesn't? I am concerned that this form is adding excessive wait times to what should be a fairly simple process, and a redundant step that is tying up our local police resources and tax payer dollars, the things that PICS was created to avoid. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response. Sincerely, |
|
If you want a LTCF, you pretty much have to do the check card. It was no problem for me, I just dropped it off and they mailed it back to me the next day.
Debating or even challenging the legality and stupidty of the montco local police check card is a whole 'nother bag of worms. |
|
Quoted:
If you want a LTCF, you pretty much have to do the check card. It was no problem for me, I just dropped it off and they mailed it back to me the next day. Debating or even challenging the legality and stupidty of the montco local police check card is a whole 'nother bag of worms. well i'm questioning it. there is no legal requirement for a local check car, it has turned shall issue into "may issue" which is a violation of PA state law. it's NOT how other counties do things and should have been thrown out when PICS went fully active our new sheriff seems receptive to correcting errors of the previous anti-gun sheriffs to the point where she is signing off on NFA items, rumor I heard was that the montco sheriffs would not do CLEO signoff prior to her. I'll keep you posted on my progress. I'm all for escalating this to the state attorney general's office and the governor. |
|
Last week, I received a phone call from one of the deputies. He explained that the LTCF is to make sure I live where I claim and that "i'm not someone who gets drunk and beats my wife"
I expressed my concerns about the violations of the Uniform Firearms Act and asked to speak with the Sheriff herself, all were ignored. I was told that despite the UFA requiring the investigation not to exceed 45 days, this "preliminary" local check is outside of that purview, the timer doesn't start until my application is submitted, which requires this completed form.
I was unhappy with the response. So i've contacted the PA State Attorney General's Office Good morning, last year my wife and I moved from Bucks to Montgomery County. Our LTCFs are expiring in April, and I started the renewal process with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office or so I thought. They have a prerequisite to the Permit Application that requires a "local police check" to be done. According to the Sheriff's office, it is "required" (not by law, but by their policy) and that they have no control over when the local police complete this check which entails verifying my address and checking for any complaints. I have two concerns with this. The Uniform Firearms Act of PA section 6109 spells out the process by which a permit is to be issued. Section d states that the Sheriff shall conduct an investigation. In Montgomery county, I am responsible for asking my local PD to conduct a preliminary separate investigation, followed up by the Sheriff's Department running me through PICS/NICS and whatever other systems they use. The next is that section e requires the investigation not to exceed 45 days, however since I have not submitted the application to the Sheriff, the clock has not started and there is nothing to force the local PD to conduct this check. As it sits now, both of these concerns seem to violate not only the law as written but the spirit of the law, and have created a loophole by which local PDs and our county Sheriff have preempted state law regarding issuance of Licenses to Carry Firearms changing them from "Shall Issue" to "May Issue". I contacted the local PD (Montgomery Township), and they said that they are waiting for the Chief's word. I contacted the Sheriff's Office and a Deputy told me that there's nothing they can do about it despite this being THEIR policy NOT state law. I asked to speak to the Sheriff directly, but that request was ignored as were the concerns about the Uniform Firearms Act. I am writing you now as this is a violation of state law, and I don't know where else to turn. Thank you for your assistance in this matter, and I look forward to hearing from you. |