Uniting in an effort to put an end to the illegal gun trade that fuels gang violence, Chief Bratton, Sheriff Lee Baca, State Assemblymembers Mike Feuer and Kevin De Leon, Councilmember Jack Weiss, and Women Against Gun Violence Chair and former Police Commissioner Ann Reiss Lane, joined Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in announcing support for four new gun-related legislative measures. The announcement came at a media event at City Hall on February 15, 2007.
Stating that violent street gangs are responsible for 70 percent of the shooting crimes in Los Angeles and that 83 percent of the City’s murders are committed with guns, Chief Bratton believes that these four bills will not only help reduce crime, but will help solve crimes that do occur. A synopsis of the four bills follows:
The Lost and Stolen Firearm Notification Act, authored by Assemblymember Lloyd Levine, requires that a gun owner report to local law enforcement when a gun is lost or stolen. The notification period would be within five days of discovery of the missing or lost firearm.
The Crime Gun Identification Act, Authored by Assemblymember Michael Feuer, would require gun manufacturers to produce guns that mark each bullet casing with the guns make, model and serial number through a process called mircostamping. The microstamp would assist law enforcement in tracing the origin of the bullets to the firearm.
The Ammunition Licensing Measure, authored by Assemblymember Kevin de Léon, mandates that vendors log ammunition purchasers’ information including driver’s license or identification card information, signatures, and thumb prints, and retain the data for two years.
The Shooting Crime Victim’s Bill of Rights, authored by State Senator Alex Padilla, gives law enforcement the extra time needed to use the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network to its fullest potential. This will help law enforcement track crime guns and stop criminals before they can strike again.
Comments