It’s bad enough for a government entity to suppress constitutionally guaranteed Second Amendment rights. Somehow, New Jersey officials allegedly found a way to make their actions worse.
According to the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), journalist and board member John Petrolino uncovered damning information on New Jersey’s gun control apparatus. And state officials are digging themselves into a deep hole by refusing to hand over records.
Preliminary evidence indicated a pattern of racial discrimination in issuing gun permits in the Garden State that would concern any civil libertarian. Petrolino filed suit last week over its repeated denials of requests for state records.
Disturbing numbers indicate possible discriminatory practices against Black gun owners
In 2024, the investigative reporter discovered that Black permit-to-carry applicants are denied at over twice the rate of White citizens.
According to the complaint, “Plaintiff and the public has a strong interest in ascertaining the relationship between the demographics of carry permit holders amongst the general public and retired law enforcement officers including but not limited to county location, race, sex, and the effect of potentially disqualifying criteria in the application population as well as the success rate for the appeal process within the New Jersey State Police.”
A serious fight over transparency is brewing in New Jersey
When Petrolino complained about repeated denials of his records requests, he was told by an unknown agency official to sue them.
“So, here we are,” the journalist declared. CCRKBA is not a named party in John Petrolino v. New Jersey State Police, & Trooper “X.”
CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb noted that some of the requested records are for retired law enforcement officers applying for gun permits.
“Do they have the same level of perceived bias in their permitting statistics?” Gottlieb asked. “Or perhaps worse yet, do they not? The public has a right to know this information.”
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