In response to the recent supreme court ruling, gun-owners and hopeful gun-owners have been flocking to their police departments to obtain permits.

While the process for a gun purchase permit – which excludes carrying – remains the same, the CCW (carry) process became simpler, as the justifiable need is no longer necessary. The move has prompted many residents to apply for a gun permit, and many existing gun-owners to apply for a carry permit.

Lakewood police tell TLS a whopping 200 plus have applied for a gun permit, and approximately 50-70 have applied for a carry permit – numbers the department has never seen before.

In Jackson, Police Chief Matt Kunz tells TLS the department also saw large numbers, with over 50 applying for CCW permits. Toms River numbers weren’t immediately available.

Many who applied for permits reached out to TLS inquiring why they haven’t yet been approved or heard back from their departments.

What applicants may not realize, police say, is that each application undergoes an investigation, and the detective assigned to the case actually goes through each line of the application.

“Although we’re seeing a larg influx in applications, we are processing them in the time allotted,” says Lakewood Police Chief Greg Meyer.

So far, a number of local residents who have applied have been approved and have received their carry permits.