New Jeresy –-(Ammoland.com)- New Jersey citizens are told to trust the police to keep them safe, but what if the state itself doesn’t even trust them enough to carry more than ten rounds in their magazines?
This paradox is the question that the people of the Garden State have been asking themselves for the past week.
Last Monday a ban went into effect making it illegal to own any magazines that hold more than ten rounds making millions of residents guilty of a class-four felony. Anyone caught with one of the now banned magazines in their possession faces up to 18 months in prison and up to $10,000 in fines or both for each magazine found.
Gov. Murphy wants citizens to trust in the police to protect them, but the law does not exempt off-duty officers from carrying more than 10 rounds in their magazines. Depending on the department police in the State carry between 15 to 17 rounds in their duty weapon magazines.
It doesn’t make sense why an off-duty officer is limited to 10 rounds when they carry much more while on duty. This artificial limitation severely hampers their ability to respond to a threat when off duty.
When Ian David Long walked into a crowded bar in Thousand Oaks California and opened fire with his .45 caliber Glock 21, the 28-year old killed 12 people. In that bar were six unarmed cops that were disarmed by their department policies. If even one of those officers were armed, then lives could have been saved.
A similar situation could play out in New Jersey due to the new magazine size restrictions placed on all citizens including off-duty police. Police respond to crimes after they happen. These off-duty officers are out blended into the public. The chances are strong that these officers have a better chance of stopping a crime progress then the uniformed officers on duty.
Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo sent out a memo to his officers clarifying that the law does apply to them when they are off duty even when they are in an on-call status. The memo was leaked on Twitter by Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik, the Tweet reads:
“NJ Governor @GovMurphy is endangering the life of every off duty NJ cop! Gang bangers, drug thugs and really bad guys don’t give a damn about magazine capacity… So he takes the good guy’s ammunition, and the bad guys are loaded for bear! @FoxNews @CNN @newsmax @DLoesch @ABC”
On FoxNews Kerik went even farther by calling the law ‘insane’ and by saying that the law is ‘just crazy’ for taking away round that police might need in a gun battle. He pointed out that criminals do not follow the law and the Governor is giving the criminals the upper hand.
Kerik is not alone in is condemnation for the law. Willes Lee, President of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA) and NRA board member was also shocked by the law.
“New Jersey liberal politicians don’t trust citizens. Now, they again demonstrate that Democrats hate law enforcement,” Lee told AmmoLand. “New Jersey police unions still support Democrats? Law enforcement and first responders lives are in danger when liberal politicians ban their ability to defend themselves. New Jersey just got more dangerous, even to their own law enforcement officers.”
Legislation has been introduced to amend the law to exempt cops from the magazine ban, but with the left-leaning legislature, there is no guarantee that the bill will pass. Democrats are known for being anti-gun and anti-police.
These anti-police moves are not the first time New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has been at odds with the cops. Earlier this month the former Bergen County Prosecutor told nj.com that police use of force cases should ‘be analyzed in hundreds of ways’ to make sure there was not abuse. He also has instructed departments to implement early warning systems to identify cops that might go rogue by analyzing their behaviors akin to the ‘Pre-Crime’ system used in the “Minority Report” movie.
It remains uncertain if legislation exempting cops from the law will pass the New Jersey legislature for Gov. Murphy to sign, but as of now, New Jersey is less safe than ever because of Gov. Murphy’s anti-gun law.
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on leftist deplatforming methods and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, on Facebook at realjohncrump, or at www.crumpy.com.
Next is banning off duty carry, and rubber bullets for duty weapons.
dont agree with any ban but always figured that if i’m not allowed to own/use/carry it then they shouldn’t be allowed to either…
Suck to have to abide by the same law one enforces, huh? At least you can have HP ammo in those mags!
Every gun & accessory manufacturer, dealer, wholesaler, etc. should stop doing business with any jurisdiction that restricts what the citizens can own, use, carry, etc.
NJ banned hollow points
LEO’s in NJ should have to abide by the mag law all the time, even on duty. After all, they won’t be facing any bad guys with over ten rounds ,right?
Make them follow the same laws and they might stop lending support to the laws that take away our rights, knowing that they won’t be exempted.
This actually answered my problem, thank you!
N J magazine limit may give those members of LE in N J a pause, who believe they are endowed with some type of
special excemption from laws that limit a persons ability to protect themselves or others. To have a totalitarian government limit individual self defense and make criminals out of law abiding citizens, is foolish and illegal no matter
wether a citizen is a civilian or a sworn officer.
If being unable to carry more that 10 rounds in their magazine while off duty endangers the lives of NJs cops why doesn’t the same restriction endanger the lives of the rest of NJs residents?
There is a trope that says criminals will go after cops, because they feel that if it weren’t for cops, none of them would be put in jail. No one has been able to prove this yet (while it’s true that some cops are targeted for revenge, it’s also true that many more non-cops are also targeted for revenge). Some also feel that cops are more trained in gun handling than, so they should be able to carry more often. These same people disregard the training that military personnel get in gun handling (MUCH MORE than cops get!). But why… Read more »
68% of Connecticut Police disregarded the magazine registration ban, I’m sure that all the NJ Police will abide by that though.
Now NJ realizes that they SCREWED UP and are going to to try to amend the law. Gee, maybe if they had any brains they never would have made the stupid law!
Wait politicians with a brain? NEVER HAPPEN!
i am a retired law enforcement officer and I’m surprised it has taken this long. there is a move afoot to disarm police on an everyday basis like they are in England. maybe now the general public will wake up and see what’s really the end game for all of this and its confiscation. the legislature the governor, and the so called police union leadership knew exactly what they were doing when the law was written and left it the way intentionally, the big shot chiefs and others who wouldn’t know a real crook if one jumped up and bit… Read more »
As I have said the voters are the assholes. They put these politicians in office over & over then they wonder why we get such stupid laws. You don’t trust off duty police? Other then Chicago, NY & a couple of other places they are the most crooked office holders in existence. But again who makes it possible?
I wonder if these NJ politicians realize that their own security police are subject to these limitations, and if the politicians have their own private security, that these individuals are subject to the limitations and potential felony if they retain any magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. But then, it really doesn’t matter to the politicians – until it’s their butt on the line. Until that time, they will be high-fiving each other and celebrating their gun control “victory”, completely ignoring the fact that their actions have impacted the good guys, yet will have ZERO effect on the bad… Read more »
Wow tha will go well 🙁
How is it that the people of NJ keep electing these Liberal/Socialist/Communists for office? I don’t understand this.
Wirelessly, Democrats believe that while on duty, police “need” their standard capacity mags to keep them safe, but only need ten or fewer rounds to keep them safe while off-duty. At least they didn’t create special classes of citizens with this law, unlike NYS with their “SAFE” Act several years ago. It still begs to question how it is that LEOs are safer with more rounds, but private citizens are safer with fewer. I have a difficult time with Democrat “logic”. If an anti-rights cellular mass (probably not human, since they believe fetuses aren’t human) can explain the logic of… Read more »
Heed, this is simple: it’s not that democrats trust the police more than private citizens. The real story is that they think they already have control of the police. They “allow” the police to have so-called more firearms privileges than civilians in places like NJ because they use the police to control YOU. Trust me, if they ever thought that they no longer had total control over what the cops do, they’d throw the cops under the bus in a heartbeat!
Gerry, by forcing the off-duty police to conform to this unconstitutional law, they did “throw the police under the bus”, too. Either way, the law is unconstitutional because it creates special classes of citizens, on-duty officers, opposed to off-duty and private citizens. Sadly, their judges will uphold this law, regardless. Thankfully I do not live there, but in my state, after this past election cycle, I am one vote from tyranny. Just as in NYS with their “SAFE” Act, these idiot politicians will find that citizens will not comply with unjust, unconstitutional laws.
If New Jersey demorats are anti gun and anti police, Why do police keep supporting and voting for demorats. If I was a cop in new jersey I would pack up and leave for another state. If all the police did that the gov might rethink his actions about mag limits.
Stand and fight boys and girls. Tell the government of New Jersey to go to HELL !! They do not have the right to infringe on our rights.
What makes anyone think police officers get more training in firearms use than those in the military?
Of off-duty LEOs are considered to have the training necessary to carry off-duty, then why not military-trained people? Does the state really think their police departments are better at training than the military?
Not allowing anything over 10 rounds for an off duty police officer can be lethal to their health. Not only that said but how many officers will continue to protect and serve after hours? I have been retired for about 10 years and I still carry, every day! It’s a good thing I don’t live in NJ as I believe the state is messing with my second amendment right! What’s as bad is I live in Massachusetts. They have a bunch of ridiculous laws and every day leading to more turmoil. God Bless America and the LEO’s who are out… Read more »
Article VI – Supremacy Clause: why are inferior courts and judges no longer in good standing with the Supreme Law of the Land within the US Constitution? Disbar them, they are in violation of Article VI, which guarantees the US Constitution and Bill of Rights supersede ALL Courts (Supreme) including State Constitutions. When law is in question Article VI trumps all! Restore the US Constitution, purge those who seek to undermine our Republic! Those who stomp on our flag shall be shot on the spot!
When will the people realize that they elect these rabid liberals expecting milk and honey but all they get is gun control and unisex restrooms? You can’t fix stupid yet Democrats continue to get elected.
You can’t fix stupid thus Democrats continue to get elected.
FIFY
I have my doubts that the DA’s would prosecute LEO for carrying a mag with over 10 rds unless they wanted to get them for some other reason. Training police is not a inexpensive endeavor and this would be taking police off the job if convicted.
In response to the unarmed officers in the bar in California, Greg Elfriiz had an article on his blog that if those officers were armed and used their weapons they better hope that the breathalyzer test they will have to take better read ZERO or they would face some potentially serious repercussions. Guns and alcohol are never a good idea regardless of who you are.
All laws are supposed to be for ALL people! But we see to have a problem with this, If you’re going to exempt just one person for any reason then there’s no reason for that law in the first place ! Before anyone takes a job in law enforcement or politics they are just like any other citizens, no better no worse, if any one person thinks they a more in titled than the next person that is where the problems start. One law for all or not at all ! When you inforce laws that are not uniform for… Read more »
You all that have this opinion about the cops aren’t “better” than anyone else need to understand one thing: politicians hate the cops more than the most hardened criminal does. Period. Except for some arrogant asses that slip thru the cracks, cops ARE just like everyone else. They aren’t asking for special privileges (well, except for the bosses, but they’re no longer “real cops.”) Politicians know they are in complete control of what the cops do. It’s only when the outcome of their instructions turns out to be not politically correct, they throw the cops under the bus. The rest… Read more »
It is time for ammo and gun manufactures to step up to the plate ad stop selling to any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, these people have left these idiots pass these useless laws by traders of the Constitution, it has now turned on the police in N J big time!!!!!! This puts a totally new meaning on to protect and serve!!!!!!! This non-cents is putting the police back into the thirties where the thugs will be able to out gun the police departments again!!!!!!!!
Amend NJ law to require the governor’s body guards and guards for politicians to be restricted to ten rounds or less per magazine. Maybe even eliminate guns for the governor’s body guards. Lead by example. Want to buy a bridge? Because there are more cops than criminals, don’t the criminals deserve a leg up when committing a crime? Thank you socialist governor.
As a LEO I’m saying there shouldn’t be a difference in what’s carried under 2A rights.
Makes me glad I’m in free(er) America where we fight for ourselves and our rights and don’t bow to the whims of liberalism.
I’m a LEO in GA It is stupid not to allow LEO on or off duty to posses ammo of same capacity. Crime don’t stop when end of shift stops. Those that make stupid laws prohibiting certain ammo capacity might think twice if that LEO off duty might could save life if a famil member whether those that passed law or a citizen who lives in the community. When are people going to realize a bad guy is going to have a gun and as much ammo as they wish to have. If an off duty LEO is killed because… Read more »
This dilemma is interesting. A police officer in New Jersey, as a result of this law, cannot even pick up his 15 round magazine firearm until he is on duty. That means that their first duty, once the clock strikes their starting time, would be to obtain their firearm, safety check it and load it before going out on the street to work. The reverse would be required when they get off duty. This would mean substantial overtime or loss of police coverage during shift changes. Any other options make the officers felons. As a retired LEO, I have a… Read more »
Chiefton, Thanks for your career of service. You know what the libs controlling the courts have said…a restriction on magazine size isn’t a restriction on the 2A. I totally disagree with that, but their position is that once banned, mag mfg’s will make 10 round mags. Of course, the counter is, at what point does it stop? 10, 8, 6, 2 rounds? As you say, until the SCOTUS weighs in, the anti-gun crowd will just court shop and get rulings in their favor. Until (if) the NRA develops a more effective marketing program explaining to people what they are losing,… Read more »
Hmmm…so the police need in excess of 10 rounds to protect you, but citizens don’t need them to protect themselves while waiting for the police to arrive? Do the police turn into criminals when they clock out? Are untrained citizens better shots than the police? This underscores the reality that this ban, while being unconstitutional, has nothing to do with public safety as the courts have ruled.
OF COURSE it’s not about public safety. It’s about politician safety, as in they want to control you, and you’re a hell of a lot easier to control when you don’t have a gun!
NJ bans cops carrying standard capacity magazines? Rightfully so. If they weren’t so dangerous the law would not have been passed. And as to overturning federal law at the state level? Kudos to NJ! The streets will be so much safer without all those rouge retiree cops running around packing heat.
Do I have to turn the sarcasm off now………
The magazine ban is just as UnConstitutional for John Q. Cop as it is for John Q. Citizen,all citizens rights are in need of restoration.