New boss, same pains

Gun permits soar after slash spree

The recent anti-Semitic machete attack during a Chanukah service sparked a surge in Rockland County pistol permit applications, particularly in the heavily Jewish hamlet where five men were gashed inside a rabbi’s home, officials said.

The Rockland County clerk reports 73 local people filed the paperwork for a pistol since the gory Dec. 28 attack in Monsey, compared to 51 in the eight weeks before the hate-fueled crime. Thirty-one of the applications came from residents of Monsey, where the population is roughly one-third Jewish.

“It’s definitely because of this incident,” said County Clerk Paul Piperato. “In some way, shape or form, they want to defend themselves.”

Only five of the new applicants came from outside the town of Ramapo, an area that includes the 2.2 square miles of Monsey. Piperato said the sudden demand for gun permits was unprecedented during his 14 years as clerk.

The Monsey assault, where suspect Grafton Thomas stands accused of using a blade to hack at dozens of Orthodox Jews gathered to celebrate Chanukah, was one in a recent series of suspected anti-Semitic incidents in the New York area. Five men were injured, including one who suffered permanent brain damage, in the holiday attack.

On Dec. 10, two heavily armed shooters opened fire on a kosher grocery in Jersey City, killing three people in the most notorious of the crimes.

The spate of applications are under the “sportsman/residence” permit classification, allowing the license holder to keep a weapon in the home or carry it with them only for hunting or trips to a shooting range. A “full carry” permit, which allows the holder to bring the weapon along with them on a regular basis, is the next level up. Applicants will likely wait months to get their answer, as the process includes fingerprinting, a background check and firearms training before a license is issued.