New York Firearms Law and Second Amendment Firm, Tilem & Associates has filed three legal actions, two in New York State Supreme Court and one in Federal Court in Manhattan alleging that the New York City Police Department Licensing Division uses factors in licensing decisions that disproportionately deny African-Americans gun licenses. In one outrageous case, the NYPD admitted to using false arrests, two arrests for which the NYPD was sued and ultimately settled, as part of the basis for revoking pistol licenses from an African-American.
The NYPD Licensing division is the division within the NYPD that is responsible for issuing and renewing pistol licenses in the City of New York, and has the authority to limit, suspend or revoke a handgun license subject to review by the New York State Supreme Court.
In February 2017, during a hearing at the NYPD License Division offices before an NYPD hearing officer, a Detective assigned to the investigation section of the License Division testified under oath about using dismissed arrests as a basis to recommend revocation of an African-American license holder’s license. In fact, and to the apparent surprise of the hearing officer, the Detective testified that anything reported to the NYPD License Division was considered an “incident” and that the Police Department did not necessarily consider the quality of the incidents but rather the sheer number and that included dismissed arrests. The Detective also admitted to considering dismissed arrests for which New York City settled 2 false arrests claims in his decision to revoke.