LA Ordinance Would Require Gun Owners To Store Firearms In Locked Containers
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A half-dozen City Council members Friday proposed a new ordinance that would require gun owners in the city of Los Angeles to store their firearms in locked containers or apply the trigger locks when not in use.
Councilman Paul Krekorian authored the motion, which if passed, would be modeled after a similar law adopted by San Francisco officials in 2007.
The motion goes further than current California state law, which requires only that safety locks be included with guns manufactured, sold or transferred in the state. However, state law does not require that all firearms actually be disabled with a trigger lock or stored in a locked container when not in use.
It was not immediately clear how officials proposed to enforce the measure.
Krekorian introduced the measure as part of move to declare Nov. 7 as "TALK Day" in L.A., an acknowledgment of Women Against Gun Violence's TALK Project, which educates LA families on gun violence prevention and safe storage of firearms.
"It is critical for Los Angeles to lead on this issue," said Krekorian. "Requiring gun owners to lock up their firearms and store them safely will prevent needless accidents and tragedies. This sensible step will keep our schools and children safe."
Councilmen Bernard Parks, Gil Cedillo, Bob Blumenfield, Paul Koretz and Mitch O'Farrell seconded the motion, which will be heard first by the Public and Safety Committee.
The motion will then return to the full City Council for a vote "in several weeks."
Proponents of the motion say a loophole exists in which the state requires that guns come with safety locks, but there is no requirement to actually use the locks while the weapons are not in use, or to store them in locked containers.
An estimated 68 percent of school shootings involve a gun brought from home, according to Krekorian.
The motion comes less than a month after City Attorney Mike Feuer pressed charges against a mother whose 17-year-old son brought a loaded handgun to Will Rogers High School in Van Nuys.
Krekorian previously sponsored a ban on ammo for high-capacity gun magazines in L.A. in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The City Council passed the measure in May 2013.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)