By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division on Tuesday launched an investigation “to determine whether Philadelphia Police use a vague ‘good cause’ standard to cancel permits to carry legal firearms.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced the investigation, explaining, “I have directed the Civil Rights Division, through our Second Amendment Section, to defend law-abiding citizens from local authorities who infringe the right to safely carry legal firearms. Law-abiding Americans, regardless of where they live, should not have to worry that their city will revoke their means of self-defense.”
According to a DOJ news release, “It is a violation of the Second Amendment for government officials to use vague, personal discretion when determining whether to issue or revoke permits to carry firearms.”
This investigation continues a series of significant pro-Second Amendment actions which have occurred during the second Donald Trump administration, under the frequently-stated philosophy that “the Second Amendment is not a second-class right.”
According to Fox News in Philadelphia, the investigation will also look at how the department enforces Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearms Act. The report noted DOJ notified Mayor Cherelle Parker, Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel, City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, and City Solicitor Renee Garcia of the investigation on Tuesday. The city will be notified when the investigation is finished and if violations are uncovered, the public will be notified.
After the Justice Department sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for foot-dragging on gun permit applications, and the Virgin Islands Police Department for a similar complaint, it became obvious that DOJ had done a 180-degree course correction regarding the Second Amendment from previous administrations, especially the Biden and Obama administrations.
“In 2008,” the DOJ news release stated, “the U.S. Supreme Court, in its landmark decision District of Columbia v. Heller, held that the Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding citizens to possess weapons that are in common use for lawful purposes. In 2022, the Supreme Court held, in another case (New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen), that permitting officials may not base licensing decisions merely on their personal discretion. Here, it is alleged that Philadelphia Police use just such a discretionary standard to improperly limit Second Amendment rights.”
In her letter to Mayor Parker and other officials, notifying them of the investigation, AAG Dhillon explained, “We have not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of this investigation. We will consider all relevant information, including information pertaining to the efforts the City and the PPD have undertaken to ensure adherence to the Constitution and federal law. During our investigation, we will seek to speak with City and PPD officials, as well as individuals who have interacted with PPD. We assure you that we will seek to minimize any potential disruption of the City’s and the PPD’s operations during our investigation.”
