LTCH Interview Questions?

[2cool9031]

I got mine in Porter County...no questions asked...In fact the ladies behind the counter were very helpful, they even sent the paperwork in for me.

 

[JR50]

No hassle in Hammond. The lady was very nice, took the fingerprints and made sure the paperwork was correct for my wife and me.

 

[Roadie]

The "interview" issue was raised again in the "Current LTCH Wait" thread, and yes, I know this is an old thread, but I figured this was better than starting a new one..

In Carmel the Chief wants to meet applicants in person, see what their knowledge of guns is, etc. Maybe it's my inner "tin foil hat guy" coming out, but I was thinking...

Does the Carmel PD have cameras installed in its offices? Is it possible, as paranoid as this sounds, that is their way of getting a picture of the LTCH applicant to keep on file?

 

[alexanjl12]

In Carmel the Chief wants to meet applicants in person, see what their knowledge of guns is, etc. Maybe it's my inner "tin foil hat guy" coming out, but I was thinking...

I wasn't aware that they could even ask you questions regarding your application for the LTCH, unless you forgot to file something out....

 

[Roadie]

I wasn't aware that they could even ask you questions regarding your application for the LTCH, unless you forgot to file something out....

Apparently some cities require an "interview" during the LICH process. The legality of this was debated in this (and other) threads..

 

[alexanjl12]

Apparently some cities require an "interview" during the LICH process. The legality of this was debated in this (and other) threads..

They can also "require" many things that they really arent allowed to do

I'm quoting this from one of the earlier posts...no where in there is there anything that says anything about an interview.

"(c) The officer to whom the application is made shall ascertain the applicant's name, full address, length of residence in the community, whether the applicant's residence is located within the limits of any city or town, the applicant's occupation, place of business or employment, criminal record, if any, and convictions (minor traffic offenses excepted), age, race, sex, nationality, date of birth, citizenship, height, weight, build, color of hair, color of eyes, scars and marks, whether the applicant has previously held an Indiana license to carry a handgun and, if so, the serial number of the license and year issued, whether the applicant's license has ever been suspended or revoked, and if so, the year and reason for the suspension or revocation, and the applicant's reason for desiring a license. The officer to whom the application is made shall conduct an investigation into the applicant's official records and verify thereby the applicant's character and reputation, and shall in addition verify for accuracy the information contained in the application, and shall forward this information together with the officer's recommendation for approval or disapproval and one (1) set of legible and classifiable fingerprints of the applicant to the superintendent.
(d) The superintendent may make whatever further investigation the superintendent deems necessary. Whenever disapproval is recommended, the officer to whom the application is made shall provide the superintendent and the applicant with the officer's complete and specific reasons, in writing, for the recommendation of disapproval.
(e) If it appears to the superintendent that the applicant:
(1) has a proper reason for carrying a handgun;
(2) is of good character and reputation;
(3) is a proper person to be licensed; and
(4) is:
(A) a citizen of the United States; or
(B) not a citizen of the United States but is allowed to carry a firearm in the United States under federal law;
the superintendent shall issue to the applicant a qualified or an unlimited license to carry any handgun lawfully possessed by the applicant."


I'm guessing this has been going on for quite a long time...I am curious on if someone has said no to the interview process...and if so, how did the chief take it?

 

[jamil]

Apparently some cities require an "interview" during the LICH process. The legality of this was debated in this (and other) threads..

Wow, I thought IN was a "shall issue" state, not "shall issue, but first let's chat..."

 

[chraland51]

Because we have to have a permit to legally carry a handgun, this is one time that I do not mind the law enforcement people asking a few extra questions even though they are over-stepping their legal boundaries, if they are just trying to get an idea of the type of person who will be carrying a firearm. I would answer willingly as long as it did not seem to be harassment.

 

[jgreiner]

According to the Indiana Code, there should be no interview for the process of applying for an LTCH.

Might want to remind them of that.

-J-

The are requiring them in Carmel I do believe. I read a post on that this morning. I suggested to the poster to check out the statute.

 

[jgreiner]

No hassle in Hammond. The lady was very nice, took the fingerprints and made sure the paperwork was correct for my wife and me.

Same is true in West Lafayette. Everyone very nice...they commented on seeing a ton of the applications coming thorugh. And the finger print gal was a cutie.

 

[WebSnyper]

... even though they are over-stepping their legal boundaries, if they are just trying to get an idea of the type of person who will be carrying a firearm...

so you are okay with subjectivity in the process and whether they may like what you say or do and that potentially impacting the process?

I'm not ok with this. Either you are eligible for an LTCH or not. An interview should not change this, and if it cannot change it, it should not be at someone's discretion to include it in the process.

This is what I liked about the process in FL when I lived there almost 20 years ago. All of your paperwork went directly to the state. You could use local PD for fingerprints, but there was no part of the app that was dependent on local law enforcement.

 

[finity]

Because we have to have a permit to legally carry a handgun, this is one time that I do not mind the law enforcement people asking a few extra questions even though they are over-stepping their legal boundaries, if they are just trying to get an idea of the type of person who will be carrying a firearm. I would answer willingly as long as it did not seem to be harassment.

What's the point of the "LE people" asking you questions before you get your LTCH?

You have already filled out an application giving all required information. The "LE person" has all the records necessary to do their job of approving (or not) your LTCH in his local database.

What else could the person get from you that would really have any bearing on whether you get your LTCH? It's not like they can deny just because they didn't "like" you when you talked to them. There has to be a LEGAL basis to deny you. Not just some bad "feeling" that the chief gets. That's what "shall issue" means.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

What's the point of the "LE people" asking you questions before you get your LTCH?

It's about control, not reason.

If this is still happening, is Carmel being sued? If not, why not?

 

[Leo]

The first Indiana Permit I applied for was when you had to list your reasons for needing to carry. I listed that "my job requires me to do emergency service work in the middle of the night alone in Gary, Indiana". The Police chief read that line and said something like "you unlucky man" and signed it right then with no further questions. When I got back to Indiana last Christmas, no one asked me anything.

 

[Bill of Rights]

I don't like that they do it, but to fulfill the statutory "of good character and reputation", I can see how they might feel they need to do these interviews.

And to the question of getting a photo of the applicant, I'd guess "no"; I could be mistaken, and LEOs, check me on this, but I think they can pull up your drivers license pic based on your LTCH app information.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[ATM]

The first Indiana Permit I applied for was when you had to list your reasons for needing to carry. I listed that "my job requires me to do emergency service work in the middle of the night alone in Gary, Indiana".

Yikes! I always just said, "for the defense of the people and the State."

But yours certainly had a more dramatic ring to it.

 

[MACHINEGUN]

I didn't answer no stinking questions.. I just applied, got fingerprinted and a few weeks later my LTCH arrived in my mailbox.