EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. — For the second time in just over a year, the state Supreme Court has rebuked the East Providence police for improperly denying residents licenses to carry concealed weapons.

The high court recently issued an order faulting Chief Christopher J. Parella for failing to abide by the court's previous directive.

The court in April 2015 ordered the city to back up any denial of a license to carry a concealed weapon with findings of fact. It also said at that time that the city was incorrectly applying the law by requiring that applicants demonstrate a "a proper and true need" to carry.

The law reads that a city or town's licensing authority "shall" issue a license when it appears that the applicant has a good reason to fear an injury to his or her person or property or has "any other proper reason" to carry. A proper showing of need is not a component of the law, the court said.

In the court's recent ruling, issued on Oct. 25, the justices threw out Parella's denial of concealed permits to three residents and directed that new decisions be issued within 90 days that include the chief's reasoning.

"It's very frustrating that citizens have to hire a lawyer just to obtain compliance with the Supreme Court ruling," said David J. Strachman, who represents the three applicants. The law is not discretionary, as the city has argued, but mandatory if an applicant shows a proper reason to carry, he said.

Strachman criticized East Providence police in court papers for their "troubling history" of "flagrantly ignoring" the high court's mandate and refusal to comply with state law.

Strachman is referring to the court's 2015 ruling in the case of Norman Gadomski, a National Rifle Association instructor and gun collector who sought to carry a weapon for self-defense. The court found that the police chief, Joseph Tavares, had wrongly denied him a license by requiring that he show need. At the time, the city had not issued such a permit for 10 years.

Robert E. Craven Sr., assistant city solicitor, acknowledged this week that Parella appeared to be using the state law that governs the issuance of licenses by the attorney general. That law states that the state's chief law enforcer "may" issue a license upon a proper showing of need.

He said he had instructed Parella to state the reasons for any denial, which Craven would then review. "I do view it as a mandatory issue if there's any proper reason," Craven said. "It says what it says, and it has to be enforced."

Parella could not be reached for comment this week.

The three applicants now seeking licenses to carry are Jessica de la Cruz, a stay-at-home mother of three who collects rents; Fernando Brasil, an information-technology engineer who grew up handling guns; and Brian K. Turgeon, a 52-year-old man who wants to protect himself and his wife.

The mother of three children younger than 6, de la Cruz, 35, wrote in her application that she is a landlord who often collects rent money. "Standing my ground to defend myself and my children would be the only option to ensure their survival," she wrote.

Brasil, 34, told police that he had owned firearms since age 21 and that he wanted a license for self-defense.

"With the alarming rate of violent acts around the United States, it has become abundantly clear that my number one priority is to keep myself, my family, and my property safe from anyone seeking to do harm," Brasil wrote.

Turgeon wrote in his application about being threatened less than a mile from his home by a man who had been recently released from prison and was friends with a career criminal. Turgeon has bad knees and lower back problems. He fears that he won't be able to protect himself or his wife, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a cane.

Turgeon's high court appeal notes that Parella rejected five applications on the same day in January using "boilerplate" language.

David Eikeland, a gun enthusiast, said he had reviewed concealed weapons policies for every Rhode Island city and town through Freedom of Information requests.

"Unfortunately, we're still seeing a lot of people being wrongfully denied," he said. "It's very typical that licensing officials are using the wrong standard."

Eikeland said he was denied a license in his hometown of Newport, but that the attorney general's office ultimately granted him a license.

"You shouldn't have to be an NRA instructor or have a license from the ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]" to get licensed, said Eikeland, who wants to carry for self-defense and has credentials through the NRA.

As of Dec. 31, there were 2,813 active pistol permits in Rhode Island issued by the attorney general.