Bob B

Al1969, It is possible to get one if you can get a letter from your employer stating that you have some kind of work related need, like making large cash deposits, or responding to burglar alarms in the middle of the night. The problem is that, if you do get the permit, it will be stamped "Valid only while on duty." This term is interpreted by the State Police and prosecutor's to mean, "valid only while on premises." That means that you can't carry to work, from work, when going to lunch, etc. If caught, you risk 3 to 7 years. NJ is notorious for prosecuting law-abiding citizens for gun related "crimes." I spent a few hours today on the WestLaw database looking at NJ cases where people got very tough sentences for ridiculous reasons. One was prosecuted for possession of a BB gun for an unlawful purpose in his home. He got(7 years, 3 mandatory then possibility of parole. The judge made the attorney redact a section of the owners manual of the bb gun that stated that it was not a fire arm before giving the manual to the jury. Another was found guilty of possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose. Even though he had a permit, it was stamped "valid only while on duty." He was dropping his car off at the repair shop when he was assaulted by several teens. He fired a warning shot into a bush. Now he is doing 7 years. Both lost their appeals. There are only about 1000 people in NJ, other than law enforcement and retired law enforcement that have permits. It is absolutely set up so that even if you get one, you can't carry because of the risks. Regardless of what anyone tells you, there is no right to bear arms in NJ. If you believe that NJ should be "shall issue," as I do, I would respectfully encourage you to call and write your legislators expressing your desire that they vote yes on S193/A1282. Also, you may want to do the same with the 4 legislators on the Handgun Task Force (Madden, Cunningham, Burzichelli, and Gordon Johnson) They will be reviewing all NJ gun legislation over the next 18 months. The task force has tentatively scheduled an open meeting for Sept 19 at 10:30am at a place TBD. That's a good opportunity for all of us to be heard. Good luck either way.