Exclusive: NYC Mayoral Candidate Running on Platform to Lower Crime by Arming Citizens

New York City mayoral candidate Fernando Mateo (R) is running on a platform that includes a push to lower crime by arming law-abiding citizens.

Mateo told Breitbart News on Tuesday that the process for obtaining a permit in the city was slow, nearly impossible, and then issuance of permits stopped altogether.

He noted that under Democrat governance, carry permit renewals were delayed over six months and eventually came to a grinding halt.

Mateo made clear he will reverse this trend so that carry permits will be issued to law-abiding citizens once again.

He said, “As mayor I will direct NYPD to expedite the process of issuing carrying permits. Perform the checks that need to be performed, but do it in a timely manner and then issue the permit law-abiding citizens aren’t the threat, criminals are the threat, and right now, criminals are preying on law-abiding citizens because they know those citizens can’t defend themselves.”

Mateo said he will encourage small business owners to apply for permits, as well as law-abiding citizens at large.

He pointed to the hypocrisy of Democrat politicians fighting against carry permits for law-abiding citizens, all the while those same politicians are protected day and night by good guys with guns.

“It’s very hypocritical for Democrats that are currently running for mayor and carry guns or have bodyguards with guns to tell others they can’t,” Mateo said. “Why don’t they give up their armed security. Why don’t the bureaucrats that are so anti-gun fire their armed security or surrender their guns?”

Mateo added, “The Democrats don’t do that because they fear for their lives, yet they tell others who fear that they cannot protect themselves, their families, or businesses.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.