Closing Gun Purchase Loophole

A statement from CeaseFirePA

Earlier this week, CeaseFirePA joined state legislators, police chiefs and law enforcement officials, and mayors to support legislation closing a loophole exploited by criminals to circumvent Pennsylvania law enforcement, applying for concealed carry permits from the Florida Department of Agriculture – as well as the licensing bodies of other states, including Utah and New Hampshire. House Bill 2536 reconfirms the exclusive authority of Pennsylvania police to grant concealed carry permits to Pennsylvania residents.

Individuals, who after a lengthy investigation were denied or revoked a permit to carry on the streets of Philadelphia, can simply purchase an out of state permit online. There have been a number of incidents in which persons were denied a Pennsylvania permit, acquired a permit from an outside state, and were later involved in a violent crime in Philadelphia. Examples of such incidents include suspects who were denied PA permits based on prior arrests for narcotics and even homicide, suspects with active protection from abuse orders and histories of domestic abuse, and even a suspect implicated in the shooting of a Philadelphia police officer. Each of these individuals subsequently applied for and obtained a Florida concealed carry permit – enabling them to carry their gun in Pennsylvania.