New Jersey Coalition for Self Defense

Project FIDO (Firearms Identification Delivery Operation) is an NJCSD member benefit that provides attorney support to overcome the typical runaround citizens get for both first-time applicants for ID cards, and followup applications for purchase permits.

Consisting of a package designed to inform members of 'best practices' when applying, the key component is a letter from our attorney addressed to the local issuing authority that the individual member does in fact have legal representation in the matter of the application, and gently "reminds" the issuing municipality of their statutory obligation to issue or decline within 30 days.

In the case where delays are experienced, the attorney will follow up with stronger letter(s) to the local municipality as needed.  Such a letter often costs hundreds of dollars from other lawyers.  The NJCSD provides this service inclusive in its membership dues as our way of fighting back to regain our rights as honest citizens.

Should the member still be the victim of bureaucratic obfuscation, we will escalate as needed until the problem is solved, up to and possibly including a case taken to the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Below is the press release announcing FIDO.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – AUGUST 22, 2008

WASHINGTON TWP. - The New Jersey Coalition for Self Defense today announced "Project FIDO", a new program designed to assist citizens seeking NJ Firearms Purchaser identification cards, in what is widely recognized as one of the most restrictive states in the nation where firearms are concerned.

New Jersey has a process that is needlessly duplicative to the Federal NCIC, or National Criminal Instant Check, a system operated by the FBI to determine whether any citizen has been guilty of a violent crime or mental illness.  The NCIC electronic check typically takes under fifteen minutes.  Despite this modern Federal system, the Garden State insists on forcing its citizens to undergo a "manual" investigation conducted by the local and State Police in a process that can last months.

The motivation behind Project FIDO, which stands for Firearms Identification Delivery Operation, arises from the experience of New Jersey residents who have waited up to one year for their NJ Firearms Purchaser ID cards to be issued by their municipalities. New Jersey law says that the NJ Firearms Purchaser ID card shall be issued within 30 days.

"This is just one of the many obstacles that New Jersey has thrown in the path of residents who wish to exercise their Second Amendment right," said Robert Kreisler, co- founder and President of the NJCSD. "Our job as an organization is to be the watchdog for those people and make sure New Jersey holds up its end of the bargain when it comes to self-defense rights."

Instead of issuing NJ Firearms Purchaser ID cards within the mandated 30-day maximum time period allotted for the investigation under the statute, several municipalities across the state routinely lose paperwork and/or have difficulty understanding the law, resulting in unnecessary delays for first-time applicants, thereby violating the very laws that they are sworn to uphold. Project FIDO will also assist those communities by having our attorney remind them of the procedures that must be followed according to New Jersey statutes.

"Some towns have more problems than others, and we have a pretty good idea who they are," said Joe Ficalora, NJCSD's Executive Director. "But one of the nice things about this program, in addition to providing help to our fellow citizens, is that we're going to be able to track where the problems are and let people know who's responsible. If they're elected officials, gun-owning voters will be able to do something about it, and if they’re not, we can point out the incompetence."

Project FIDO is available only to members of the New Jersey Coalition for Self Defense.  The NJCSD was founded in 2003 and is dedicated to preserving and protecting the absolute right of New Jersey Residents to defend themselves.  For more information, please visit www.njcsd.org, or call 877-890-5460 for more information.