California CCW - concealed carry forum

Well, someone had to. Sure, it's Santa Clara. We'll be one of the last to get shall-issue CCW if we go county by county. But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't help everyone else.

kbyrd wrote:

Well, someone had to. Sure, it's Santa Clara. We'll be one of the last to get shall-issue CCW if we go county by county. But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't help everyone else.

Welcome to the forum, and thank you for joining us.

Yup, Santa Clara right now is no-issue, and it will be among the last to go shall-issue, unless someone sues them into the ground (hint hint).

Sheriff Laurie Smith

http://www.sccgov.org/portal/site/sheriff/

Here are the cities in SClara county:

Campbell
Cupertino
Gilroy
Los Altos
Los Altos Hills
Los Gatos
Milpitas
Monte Sereno
Morgan Hill
Mountain View
Palo Alto
San Jose
Santa Clara
Saratoga
Sunnyvale

Some have their own PDs, and some are "contract" cities which use the sheriff's dept as their PD. A good way to start would be to find out who the police chiefs there are, contact them IN WRITING and ask for their WRITTEN CCW policies and records of all approved and denied applications in the past three years.

That's the best way to start the fight there.

It's quite possible that a police chief in Santa Clara County could start issuing. Gilroy is a rural kind of place, seems like most of the other nearly-shall-issue areas of California.

DON'T GIVE UP! Do some digging and let them all know that there's going to be a fight.

I have sent an email to the leader of the Records Division at Gilroy PD (which usually handles CCW permits). I should be getting a response tommorow. The best thing to happen in this situation would be that they issue their own permits, and not have declared G.

I'm in San Jose and ready to get started.

Lonnie Wilson wrote:

I have sent an email to the leader of the Records Division at Gilroy PD (which usually handles CCW permits). I should be getting a response tommorow. The best thing to happen in this situation would be that they issue their own permits, and not have declared G.

Wanna bet? I have been waiting for over a month now. Still "no response". I am in the Bay Area, San Mateo County to be exact, sheriff in my area make you start from your local chief (passing the buck I would think)then to the sheriff for further processing. If you want to help build a case collectively statewide, Keep paper trail. Your correspondence should all be handled certified mail with return receipt. I am keeping my own paper trail.

Just an FYI for everyone: I do not currently have a residence in California. I'm just trying to help.

Lonnie Wilson wrote:

Just an FYI for everyone: I do not currently have a residence in California. I'm just trying to help.

Thanks for trying anyway. We gun owners have a long road to hike.

I think Gilroy is being naughty. the head of the records division states that the application must be filed with his division, but that "Good cause" is up to the Chief of Police and "his own policies". How much you wanna bet that he doesn't have his policies posted?

Ok, so what now?

Lonnie Wilson wrote:

I think Gilroy is being naughty. the head of the records division states that the application must be filed with his division, but that "Good cause" is up to the Chief of Police and "his own policies". How much you wanna bet that he doesn't have his policies posted?

Ok, so what now?

Wow!!!!, sounds like my case. Sheriff advised applicant to go to PC to start the process, if PC approves, forward file to Sheriff for further processing and final approval. Web check of my PC did not show Policy but that doesnt mean he doesnt have one. I suspect between Sheriff and PC, they have an MOU.

Does anyone know where to start with SJPD. I sent just a general e-mail and recieved no reply. Since I'm unable to make calls during the day for a few months I'm hoping to find some info on the process here.

Attorney Don Kilmer is based down there and has a very low opinion of not only that agency, but the courts in Santa Clara county and the county lawyers.

He doesn't want to deal with any lawsuit in that county involving even clear-cut matters like public records access. Per Don, there's a clear-cut pattern whereby the county's attorneys will flood a solo-practitioner attorney with paperwork - meaningless requests for document production, motions for miles, anything they can do to literally drive his practice into the ground.

A proper court would put a stop to that. The SC County courts don't.

The only lawsuit that makes sense in that county would be a full-on discrimination suit involving a minority plaintiff. Even then, SC isn't the best target because the sheriff's practices aren't as clear-cut racially discriminatory as other counties.

The "primo" targets are Contra Costa, Sacramento and LA. A case could also be made in any county with a high Latino population and an Hispanic plaintiff.

Oh yeah. The funniest piece of idiocy out of Sheriff Smith is that her copy of the state-standard CCW form is altered. It instructs the applicant to fill out "section seven" themselves. Yet if you do a public records inquiry for "good cause" data, she'll tell you it falls under the "police investigator's notes" gambit created by doctoring the forms in 1999. See also:

http://californiaccw.org/posts/list/198.page

No, it doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

I see a lot of chatter about my town, Gilroy. I've been following CCW policy here for quite a long time now.

The following article in the Gilroy Dispatch might be of interest:

http://www.gilroydispatch.com/news/contentview.asp?c=146872

It's about 17 months old, but things move kind of slowly out here in rural America. It's probably still pretty accurate.

Pat, here is your mission, should you choose to accept it:

1. Contact the reporter who did that story. Invite him to come take a look at this website and do a follow-up story, "18 months later" kind of thing.

2. Start your application in Gilroy. Ask GPD for the application. Get help from us here to help you fill it out and do your cause statement. Apply. Document all your contacts with GPD: who you spoke with, what they said, when, etc. Also get their written CCW policy. They are required to have one. Once you get it please let us know so we can post it here.

Depending on how your application goes, there are a variety of next steps. Their reaction could range from denying you an app to accepting your app and denying your CCW to issuing you.

(Btw: It sounds like they issued a permit to an instructor. You can be an instructor, too. Take the NRA certified instructor course.)

Newbie standing by in Santa Clara.....

Dieter3 wrote:

Newbie standing by in Santa Clara.....

You do not have to standby Newbie? Are you a member of the GS2AC (Golden State 2nd Amendment Council)? They have a meeting at Harry's Hofbrau in 390 Saratoga Ave, SJ this Thursday, No host dinner. You can help our cause by bringing a bunch of copies of "The facts on Carrying a Concealed Handgun in California" Print it from CaliforniaCCW archives. I am not from Santa Clara but I have attended one of their meetings.

Admin wrote:

. . . Take the NRA certified instructor course. . . .

I've thought about doing this, just for fun as I don't anticipate making even a part-time career out of it. However, I looked at the NRA.org website and found very little in the way of detail.

Does anyone know what's involved?

I'm an experienced teacher, been around guns for nearly 50 years, but I'm not a brilliant shot (don't get enough practise

Python2 wrote:

Dieter3 wrote:

Newbie standing by in Santa Clara.....

You do not have to standby Newbie? Are you a member of the GS2AC (Golden State 2nd Amendment Council)? They have a meeting at Harry's Hofbrau in 390 Saratoga Ave, SJ this Thursday, No host dinner. You can help our cause by bringing a bunch of copies of "The facts on Carrying a Concealed Handgun in California" Print it from CaliforniaCCW archives. I am not from Santa Clara but I have attended one of their meetings.

Thanks Python! I was unaware of this group, and I do know Harry's, really close actually. Curses though, we've got out of town company coming in!! I will check them out and find out about the next, next meeting. No longer standing by!!!

Glock22Fan wrote:

Does anyone know what's involved?

NRA website isn't the easiest to drill into, but with some diligent work work you'll find:

http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/find.asp?State=CA&Type=IT

There are some other NRA Training Counselors in the area who aren't listed there. You can call NRA Training for more help. It's possible to get the general "instructor-specific" parts of the course bundled with more than one discipline. E.g., I took Instructor Training, Home Firearm Safety, Basic Pistol and Personal Protection all at once (think it was like two weekends for the whole thing?). Now I'm OK to teach any of the three classes.

Gilroy Issues
Had a CCW there at one time but then COP didn't want to renew it because he didn't want to accept the "political liability". It was discresionary as he was willing to accept liability for others that were more active politically. Don't live there now.

Political Activity
Silicon Valley NRA Members Councils Meets the last Tuesday of each month at Reed's Indoor Range in Santa Clara on Duane Ave (old Nationa range). Check out the loaded Springfield w/.22 caliber conversion kit they have as a special drawing at Reed's Sporting Goods annual sale next weekend.

South Valley NRA Members Council meets the first Wednesday of the month for those of you in that area.

Additional members council info can be found at:
http://nramemberscouncils.com/mc/directory/

Glock22Fan
Check out BayProfs.org for assistance in learning to teach and then applying/improving that knowledge for going out and teaching on your own.

City of Santa Clara
CCW policy is COP will only issue to Reserves. Members of the general public who wish to obtain a concealed weapons permit will be directed to the Santa Clara Count Sheriff's Office. SCPD General Orders available via a PRAR or maybe for asking.

My nickel.

Tom