Attorney Mike Hammond is available to interview by phone (Eastern Time)
Intro: The City of Brotherly love is not showing much love to its citizens who want to protect themselves from the national movement to defund police. The Democrat machine in Philly has its citizenry waiting more than a year just to get an appointment to turn in applications to carry firearms. Discussing this matter with us is Mike Hammond, chief Legislative Counsel for Gun Owners of America, group suing the city of Philadelphia for unlawful restrains on the Second Amendment.
Q&A:
- Tell us about your lawsuit against the Philadelphia Democrat city fathers are not allowing their citizens timely processing of firearms applications.
Answer: In the City of Philadelphia, one cannot carry a gun openly or concealed without an LTCF, yet we are seeing wait times of more than one year just to get an appointment to get a LTCF.
- What are homeowners supposed to do if someone breaks into their homes while waiting for their appointment to fill out an application for a firearms permit?
Answer: Well, straws and dried peas are still legal and readily available without a permit so perhaps the Philadelphia city fathers assume pea shooters should be ample protection.
- Has this bureaucratic disarmament of the population led to less crime since there are less guns?
Answer: Actually, it’s let to more crime. People of ill-intent know they are less likely to run into resistance when breaking into homes or businesses, so it becomes a matter of supply and demand. In many cases, criminals have the guns and law abiding citizens do not.
- Gun Owners America (GOA) is suing on behalf of ten residents of Philadelphia who you say have been excessively delayed in processing their license to carry firearms. Are you able to tell us anything about the background of any of those citizens or anyone else who has more than just a passing interest in being armed?
- Just how bad are some of these delays?
Answer At least two of our plaintiffs have received initial appointments for January of 2022 and that’s unacceptable.
- What does the law say about the time allowed for LTCF applications to be processed?
Answer: The law gives the city of Philadelphia 45 days to issue a LTCF, but residents are waiting more than a year for an appointment just to turn in their application. It’s a standardized form made by the Pennsylvania State Police that some counties in Pennsylvania are accepting by email. There is absolutely no justification for this. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in record numbers of first-time gun buyers in Pennsylvania and across America. With the excessive delays in LTCF processing, new gun owners, or those with an expiring permit, cannot legally defend themselves when leaving their homes. Delays in LTCF processing exist in other counties in Pennsylvania. For example, the Firearms Division of the Allegheny County’s Sheriff’s office is now booked through March of 2021.
- Where may we get more information on your organization, Gun Owners of America and your work on behalf of defending the right to keep and bear arms?
Answer: Our Writ of Mandaus against the City of Philadelphia Police Department may be read at our website at GunOwners.org
Gun Owners of America is nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.
About Michael Hammond
Michael E. Hammond is the Legislative Counsel for Gun Owners of America. Having spent the better part of his career in government service, he has been a legislative counsel to Senators Bob Smith (R-NH), Gordon Humphrey (R-NH), Jesse Helms (R-NC), and Steve Symms (R-ID). He has served as Special Assistant and Legislative Assistant to Senator Harry Byrd (I-VA) and Senator James Buckley (R-NY), respectively. In 1980, Mr. Hammond was a member of the Department of Education Transition Team and the Department of Justice Transition Team. From 1977 to 1989, Michael served as General Counsel to the U.S. Senate Steering Committee. Mr. Hammond received his B.A. magna cum laude from Washington University and his J.D. from the New York University School of Law.
CONTACT: Rachel Ford by email at: rford.specialguests@gmail.com or call: 919-437-0001.
