DOJ opens probes of three police departments over gun permit delays

The Justice Department has opened investigations into three local police departments in eight days over how they handle firearm permits. Jared Yanis walks through the announcements and argues that a permit process slow enough can work like a denial, even where the law says eligible people can get one.

Key points

• New Jersey: On October 14, the DOJ announced an investigation into Pennsauken Township's police department over alleged unreasonable delays in issuing firearm licenses.
• Connecticut: On October 22, it added the police departments in Middletown and Waterbury, citing possible unnecessary delays plus denials followed by an appeal process that could take years.
• Who is running it: The Civil Rights Division's Second Amendment Section, under then-Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, with Barry Arrington as section chief.
• Legal hook: The DOJ cites the Bruen decision. Yanis points to the concurrence warning against excessively long processing times and exorbitant fees, and to McDonald v. Chicago for applying the Second Amendment to local governments.
• Not a finding: Yanis stresses that no department has been found in violation, and that not every delay is unconstitutional.

Quick take

These are investigations, not rulings. If you have been stuck in a slow permit process, the useful detail is that the DOJ section is taking reports, and Yanis links to it from the video's description.

Watch the full video: Jared Yanis