Lockport, N.Y. (WBEN) - Many Niagara County residents are flocking to the County Courthouse to get a pistol permit before new gun legislation takes effect on Thursday.
Changes to the New York SAFE Act, which will go into effect Sept. 1st, were passed in July by New York legislators and Governor Kathy Hochul. This Act will allow more gun owners to apply for a license to carry a concealed weapon, but set new restrictions on where you can carry as well as require 16 hours of training at a firing range before you can obtain a pistol permit. In addition, extra background checks will be required.
Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski says the last 11 days, he has seen an unprecedented number of residents applying before the deadline.
"We had 856 new applications apply with our office just in the last 11 days. This morning, we had the first person lined up at three o'clock this morning, When it was all said and done with, before the doors open, we had over 200 people lined up outside to come in to apply for the pistol permit," said Jastrzemski.
100 applications will be processed today. Jastrzemski said last year they saw record numbers, "I've been County Clerk for seven years. Last year was the highest number we ever had processed, and that was 1,429."
For the sake of efficiency, the office gave numbers to the first 100 people in line at the courthouse so they can come back when it's their turn.
Many people are not in favor of these changes to the SAFE act, as the process to obtain permits has increased in difficulty.
"This is all by design to discourage people from being able to get their permit. That's why everybody's trying to do it now. People don't want to sit through 16 hours of training and another two hours of, learning for live fire and the cost that's related to it. It's totally designed to discourage people from getting a pistol permit 100%. This is an awful law," Jastrzemski says.
The clerk says that himself and other clerks in the area have received information from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services late last evening, which they are still trying to process. Jastrzemski says however that they have received no new information regarding New York's semi-automatic gun law changes.
"We're just getting bits and pieces of information. I do know the President of the Clerk's Association, along with our Chair of our SAFE Act Committee are having a conversation today with DCJS. So hopefully they have some more information and can clear up some of the information that we have received."
"My staff is working overtime each and every day. I just ask everybody to please be patient. We're doing the best we can. As I said, it's unprecedented in numbers and I encourage everybody to continue to work towards naturally wanting to exercise their Second Amendment right," Jastrzemski adds.
