Actually, it wasn't so much the local police chief as those faceless, nameless, anonymous bureaucrats in state and federal agencies. He was ultimately as much at their mercy as I was -- he couldn't issue a permit untill they were also on board.
My bet is the local, anti-gun, New Jersey police chief was conveniently placing the blame on the "faceless, nameless, anonymous bureaucrats in state and federal agencies" to get the heat off of him. Why would those identical background checks be processed so quickly for Florida, but be so "slow" in New Jersey, your previous residence?
My guess is that the local rulers/powerbrokers didn't want guns in their fiefdom and simply erected barriers wherever they could get away with it. Many people without your tenacity simply would have given up and thrown in the towel. You did a good thing by holding their feet to the fire.
~ Blue Jays ~