The Department of Justice has initiated a civil rights investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department over allegations that lengthy wait times and expensive fees for concealed weapon permits are infringing on the Second Amendment rights of residents. According to NBC Los Angeles, the probe is looking into an 18-month delay suffered by two private plaintiffs in a federal court lawsuit when processing their concealed handgun license applications.
As part of a broader scrutiny of California's firearms legislation, "This Department of Justice will not stand idly by while States and localities infringe on the Second Amendment rights of ordinary, law-abiding Americans," Attorney General Pamela Bondi was quoted by CBS News Los Angeles. The investigation by the DOJ's Civil Rights Division comes in response to what the federal authorities perceive as proactive efforts by some states to counter recent pro-Second Amendment case law.
Addressing the issue of staffing shortages contributing to the delays, the sheriff's department stated, "The Department is facing a significant staffing crisis, with only 14 personnel in our CCW Unit, yet we have successfully approved 15,000 CCW applications," in a statement obtained by the U.S. Department of Justice Press Release. The department is currently working through about 4,000 active cases, a task they describe as an 'unfunded mandate' against the backdrop of their limited resources.
In its investigation, the DOJ has also taken aim at the California state legislature, which has recently passed new restrictions on gun ownership despite the Supreme Court's recognition of the Second Amendment as a fundamental, individual right. Issuing a stern warning, Bondi told the U.S. Department of Justice Press Release, "The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and under my watch, the Department will actively enforce the Second Amendment just like it actively enforces other fundamental constitutional rights."
