NEW JERSEY – A New Jersey police union is suing state officials over restrictions on when retired peace officers can carry concealed firearms.
In a lawsuit filed Monday, the state’s Fraternal Order of Police argued that requiring former officers to apply for local permits violates their “national right … to carry concealed firearms anywhere in the United States, including New Jersey,” nj.com reported.
New Jersey gun restrictions are some of the toughest in the country. As a result, the suit is an attempt to level to playing field.
Federal law allows “a qualified law enforcement officer,” which includes retired cops, to carry concealed firearms. That proposal passed in 2004 and later amended in 2010.
New Jersey law agrees that former officers may carry, but not before completing additional requirements, which include application fees and receiving approval from the head of the State Police.
According to the lawsuit, New Jersey should do away with those permits. Furthermore, the state should also stop prosecutions of anyone who violated New Jersey’s requirements and reimburse attorney fees.
The lawsuit is directed at state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and acting State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan. A Grewal spokesman declined comment, and the State Police did not respond to a request for comment, according to nj.com.
The complaint says three residents were hurt by New Jersey’s limitations.
One is former Secret Service officer Richard Bowen, according to the lawsuit. Bowen is in his 70s, and New Jersey law won’t allow him to carry a concealed weapon once he’s older than 75. That violates his rights under federal law, the suit said.
The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for New Jersey along with the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.