Los Angeles City Council Takes Step Toward Ban On Ghost Guns
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles City Council passed a motion Tuesday aimed at prohibiting the possession, purchase, sale, receipt and transportation of "ghost guns" in the city.
The council voted 14-0 to have the City Attorney's Office draft an ordinance prohibiting ghost guns, also known as kit guns and 80% receivers.
In 2020, ghost guns accounted for more than 40% of guns confiscated by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and one-third of crime guns recovered by the Los Angeles Police Department.
In 2019, the ATF recovered about 10,000 ghost guns in the United States, 2,700 of which were in California.
"When we see an increase in homicides here, and when we see that the LAPD reports that 40% of the crime guns recovered are ghost guns, we know that we have a very urgent critical situation that needs to be addressed," Councilman Paul Krekorian said Tuesday before the unanimous vote to pass the motion he introduced with Councilman Paul Koretz on Aug. 10.
The motion will also direct the LAPD to present data to the council within 14 days on the impact of ghost guns in Los Angeles.
Once the City Attorney's Office prepares the draft ordinance, it will be sent to the City Council for a vote.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)