Justice Department Opens Investigation into Alleged Firearm Permitting Abuses in Two Connecticut Municipalities

Today, the Justice Department opened an investigation into MiddletownLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. and WaterburyLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link., Connecticut, to determine whether they unnecessarily delay the issuance of firearm permits to their residents. The Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear firearms - including the right to carry firearms. The investigation will focus on the Middletown and Waterbury police departments' permitting systems.

"All law-abiding Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms for self-defense," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "This right is not a luxury reserved for a privileged few, but a fundamental liberty for all, including the residents of Middletown and Waterbury, Connecticut."

The Supreme Court's 2022 seminal ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, recognized that the right to keep and bear arms applies with equal force inside and outside the home. In Bruen, the Supreme Court warned against "lengthy wait times in processing license applications" that effectively "deny ordinary citizens their right to public carry." The Middletown and Waterbury police departments may be unreasonably denying otherwise qualified applicants a CCW permit and forcing them to undergo a potentially years-long appeal process to exercise this fundamental right.

The Civil Rights Division's Second Amendment Section enforces the Second Amendment. If you believe your right to keep and bear arms is being infringed, please submit an online complaint through www.justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-sectionLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..