New York’s tightened gun licensing rules to go into effect

File Photo Confiscated illegal guns are displayed during a news conference at New York City Police (NYPD) Headquarters in New York, October 27, 2015. Photo Courtesy: Reuters

Kathmandu: The number of New Yorkers hoping to legally pack heat spiked this summer ahead of strict new permitting rules set to take effect on Thursday.

As reported by the New York Daily News, applications for gun permits increased by 54 percent in the five boroughs after the Supreme Court struck down a century-old Empire State law requiring New Yorkers to show “proper cause” when seeking a concealed carry license.

The jump comes as New York’s strict new laws increasing training and requiring the disclosure of social media accounts for new applicants go into effect on Thursday.

Under the new rules, applicants for concealed carry permits must undergo a 16-hour classroom training course and an additional two hours of live-fire drills.
Permit seekers must also disclose their social media accounts for the past three years to prove they are of “good moral character.”

New restrictions will also prevent people convicted of serious misdemeanors, including drunk driving, menacing and third-degree assault, from obtaining permits.

(News Source: New York Daily News)