los angeles county sheriff’s department concealed weapon licensing policy

8/20/2019 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Concealed Weapon Licensing Policy

1/5

ORDINANCE

NO

An ordinance adding a new Section 55.21 to Chapter V o the Los Angeles

Municipal Code to require handguns located in a residence to be kept in a locked

container or disabled with a trigger lock.

WHEREAS

firearm injuries have a significant public health impact both

nationally and locally;

WHEREAS

between 1999 and 2010 over 8 300 unintentional shooting deaths

were reported in the United States including 2 383 children and young people under the

age of 21;

WHEREAS

on the average over 16 000 people in the United States are treated

each year in hospital emergency rooms for unintentional gunshot wounds;

WHEREAS

in 2010 firearms were used in 19 392 suicides in the United States

constituting almost 62 percent o all gun deaths;

WHEREAS over 50 percent

o

suicides are committed with a firearm;

WHEREAS

approximately 49 gun suicides were committed each day for the

years 2005-201 ;

WHEREAS

firearms were used in 44 percent of suicide deaths among persons

under age 25 in

2 1

;

WHEREAS

more than 75 percent o guns used in suicide attempts and

unintentional injuries o people under 19 years o age were stored in the residence of

the victim a relative or a friend;

WHEREAS

a 1991 study found that 8 percent of accidental shooting deaths

resulted from guns fired by children under the age of six;

WHEREAS

having a loaded or unlocked gun in the home is associated with an

increased risk

o

gun-related injury and death;

WHEREAS in 2013 more than five children under the age

o

12 were killed

each month by guns that were improperly stored and secured at the home of a family

member or friend;

WHEREAS children are particularly at risk of injury and death or causing injury

and death when they can access guns in their own homes or homes that they visit;

WHEREAS a 2005 study found that an estimated 1.69 million children age

18

and under are living

in

households with loaded and unlocked firearms. Many young


2/5

children,

including child

ren as young

s

three ye a

rs old , are st

rong enough

to fire

handgu

ns;

WHEREAS

mo

re than two t

hirds o schoo

l shooters ob

tained their g

uns from

th eir o

wn home or t

hat o a re lativ

e;

W

HEREAS quick

access t o loa

ded firearm s

heighten s th

e risk that a y

oung

person s im

pulsive deci

sion to comm

it suicide will

be carrie d ou

t without refl

ection or

se eking

help, an d tha

t the attemp

t will be fatal.

One third o

youths who d

ied by suicide

ha

d faced a cri

sis within the

previous 24

hours. Amon

g people w ho

ne arly d ied n

a

suicide at

tempt, almos

t a quarter in

dicated that fe

wer than five

minutes had

passed

betwee

n deciding o

n suicide and

making the a

ttempt. Whi l

e fewer than

10 percent o

f

suic

ide attempts

by other mea

ns are fatal, a

t least 85 pe

rcent o f firear

m suicide

attempts end

n

death;

WHEREA

S

g

uns kept in th

e home are m

ore likely to

be involved n

an

unin

tentional sh o

oting, crim ina

l assault, or u

sed n suicide

s and agains

t family and

f

riends rather

than n self-d

efense;

WHERE

AS only one n

ten firearm ho

micides n th

e shooter s h

ome

is

considered

justified. O f e

very ten firea

rm homicide

victims k illed

at the sh oote

r s

residen

ce, s ix were i

ntimate partn

ers or fam ily

members

o

t

he shooter, t

hree were

frien

ds or acquai

ntances

o

th e

shooter , and

only on e wa

s a stranger

to the shoote

r;

W

HEREAS apply

ing trigger loc

ks or using lo

ckboxes whe

n storing fire

arms n

the home r

educes the ri

sk o firearm

injury and de

ath;

WH

EREAS keeping

a firearm loc

ked when it is

not being ca

rried ensures

that it

cannot be

accessed an

d used by ot

hers without

the owners k

nowledge or

permission.

This

simple measu

re significan

tly decreases

the risk that

the gun will b

e used to com

mit

s

uicide, homic

ide or inflict i

njury, whethe

r intentionally

or unint entio

nally;

WHEREA

S

s

afe storage m

easures hav

e a demonstr

ated protecti

ve effect n

hom

es with childr

en and teena

gers where g

uns are store

d;

WHEREAS

th e

re is a wide c

onsensus am

ong medical

professional

s, police

ch iefs,

gun con trol a

dvocates an

d gun rights g

roups that ap

plying trigge

r locks or usin

g

lo

ckboxes to s

tore unsuper

vised guns n

the home pro

motes health

and safety;

WHEREA

S

th

e Internation

al Associatio

n o Chiefs

o Police recom

mends that

stat

e and local g

overnments m

andate safe

storage of fir

earms;

W

HEREAS th e A m

erican Acade

my o f Pediat

rics recomme

nds that, if fa

milies

must have

firearms in th

eir homes, th

e firearms sh

ould be store

d locked, un

loaded and

sepa

rate from lock

ed ammuniti

on;


3/5

W

HE

RE

AS

, both

gu

n c

on

tr ol

and

gu

n r

igh

ts a

dvo

cat

es

end

ors

e t

he u

se

of

loc

kin

g d

evi

ces

wh

en

sto

rin g

gu

ns

to e

ns

ure

tha

t un

au

th o

riz e

d

or un

tra

in e

d p

ers

ons

ca

nn

ot u

se

th e

gu

n to

inf

lict

inju

ry

or d

ea

th .

Fo

r ex

am

ple,

th

e N

atio

nal

Ri

fle

Ass

oci

a tio

n 's

Ho

me

Fir

ear

m S

af

e ty

Ha

ndb

ook

, d

eve

lo p

ed

and

us

ed

as

par

t of

the

Na

tio

nal

Rif l

e A

sso

c ia

tio n

(N

RA

) B

asic

Fi

re a

rm

Tra

in in

g P

rog

ram

, e

m p

has

ize

s th

at

there

is

one genera l ru le tha t m ust be applied under all condit io ns: Store

gu

ns

so t

hey

a

re n

ot

acc

ess

ib le

to

un

tr ai

ned

or

un

auth

ori

zed

pe

rs o

ns.

T

he

NR

G

uid

e T

o T

he

Ba

sics

O

f Pe

rso

nal

Pr

ote

ctio

n In

Th

e H

om

e f

urth

er

exp

la in

s t

hat

all

sto

rag

e m

eth

od

s

de

sig

ned

to

pre

ven

t u

nau

th o

rize

d a

cc

ess

uti

lize

som

e

sor

t of

lo c

kin

g m

eth

od

;

W

HE

R E

AS

, req

uir in

g f

ir ea

rm

s to

be

sto

re d

wi

th t

r ig g

er

lo ck

s

or i

n a l

ock

ed

con

tai

ner

doe

s

not

sub

sta

ntia

ll y

bur

den

th

e ri

ght

or

a

bil

it y t

o u

se f

ir ea

rm

s fo

r s

elf

de

fe n

se

in th

e h

om

e;

W

H E

RE

A S

, the

lo

ckin

g r

equ

ir em

en

ts

app

ly o

nly

to

han

dg

uns

tha

t a

re n

ot

bein

g

la

wfu

lly c

arr

ied.

G

un

own

ers

an

d a

du

lt s o

ve

r 18

ye

ars

of

age

ma

y c

arr

y lo

ad

ed

and

unlocked handguns

n

the hom e at any t i

me

. T

he

safe

st

ora

ge

req

uire

m e

nts

als

o p

erm

it

o

wn

ers

to

stor

e th

e ir

ha

ndg

uns

fu

ll y l

oad

ed;

W

H

ER

EA

S, gu

n s

ecu

rity

do

es

not

pre

clu

de

qui

ck a

cce

ss

. F

or e

xam

pl

e,

a

fford

ab

le l

ock

box

es

usi

ng

S im

ple

x-ty

pe

loc

ks ,

wh

ic h

pop

op

en

im m

ed

iat

e ly

whe

n

sev

era

l ke

ys

or

p

us

hbu

tton

s a

re

to u

che

d

n a

pre

set

seq

ue

nce

, ar

e w

ide

ly a

vai

labl

e.

Us

ers

rep

ort

tha

t th

ey

can

re

tr iev

e a

lo

ade

d w

ea

pon

in u

st

tw

o to

th

ree

sec

on

ds,

and

th

a t t

he

loc

ks a

re

also

ea

sy

to

ope

n

n th

e d

ark.

Th

e N

R

de

sc

ribe

s th

is

ty pe

lo

ckb

ox

a

s p

ro v

id in

g a

go

od

co

mbi

nat

io n

of

sec

urit

y an

d q

uic

k a

cce

ss.

S

om

e lo

ckb

ox

es

also

fe at

ure

bio

m e

tric

loc

ks,

wh

ic h

pro

vid

e im

m

edia

te

acc

ess

wh

en

the

y s

can

th

e o

wne

r's

fin

ger

prin

t; a

nd

W

H E

RE

A S

,

p

ort

ab l

e lo

ckb

ox

es c

an

sto

re

load

ed

we

apo

ns

suc

h t

hat

the

y a

re

al

way

s w

ithi

n e

asy

re

ach

on

co

unte

rs,

tab

le s

o

r nig

hts

ta nd

s.

Su

ch

sa f

e ly

sto

red

w

eap

on

s ar

e m

ore

qu

ic k

ly a

nd

eas

il y

ret

riev

ed

for

use

in

self

-de

fen

se

th a

n u

nlo c

ked

g

uns

tha

t h

ave

be

en

hid

den

aw

ay

in

se ld

om

-us

ed

loc

atio

ns.

N

OW

, T

H E

R E

FO

R E

,

TH

E P

EO

PL

E O

F T

HE

C

ITY

O F

LO

S

A N

G E

LES

D

O O

RD

AI

N A

S

FO

LLO

W

S:

S

ec

tion

1.

A

new

Se

cti

on

55 .2

1 is

a

dde

d to

C

hap

te r

V o

f th

e L

os

Ang

ele

s

Mun

ic ip

al

Cod

e t

o re

ad

as

foll

ows

:

S

EC

. 5

5.2

1. S

A F

E

STO

R A

G

E O

F H

AN

DG

UN

S.

(

a)

De

fin

itio

ns.

1

R

esi

den

ce

sha

ll m

ea

n a

ny s

tru

ctu

re i

n te

nde

d

or us

ed

for


4/5

hum

an

habi

tatio

n, in

clud

ing,

but n

ot lim

ite d

to,

hous

es,

co nd

omi

nium

s, ro

om s

, in

law

un

its, m

ote

ls, h

otels

, sin

gle r

oom

occ

upan

cy's

, tim

e-sh

are s

, re c

re ati

onal

and

oth

er v

ehic

les w

here

hu

man

hab

itatio

n oc

curs

.

2.

Lo

cked

Co

ntai

ner

sha

ll m

ean

a se

cure

con

taine

r wh

ich is

fu l

ly

enclosed and locked by a padlock, key lock, combination lock or sim ilar locking

de

vice

.

3

.

H

andg

un

sh

all m

ean

any

pisto

l, re

volv

er or

o the

r f ir

earm

tha

t

is

c

apab

le o

f be i

ng c

once

aled

upo

n th

e pe

rson

, des

igne

d to

be u

sed

as a

w e

apon

,

cap

able

of e

xpell

ing a

pro

jecti

le by

the

force

o

a

ny e

xplo

sion

or o

th er

fo rm

of

c

omb

usti

on a

nd h

as a

barr

el le

ss th

an 1

6 in

ch es

in le

ng th

.

4

T

rigg

er L

ock

sh

all m

ean

a tr

igge

r loc

k th a

t

i

s l

isted

in t

he

Calif

orn ia

De

partm

ent

o J

ustic

e's l

ist o

f a pp

ro ve

d fir

earm

saf

ety d

evic

es a

nd th

at

is

id

enti

fied

as a

ppro

priat

e fo r

th at

han

dgun

by

re fe

re nc

e to

eithe

r the

manufacture r and model

o

the hand

gun

or to

the

phy

sical

cha

ra cte

risti

cs of

the

h

and

gun

that

matc

h th

ose

liste

d on

the

roste

r for

use

w ith

the

devi

ce u

nder

P en

al

Cod

e Se

ct io

n 23

655(

d).

(b

)

Proh

ib iti

on.

No

per

so n s

ha ll

ke e

p a h

and

gun

withi

n a

resid

ence

ow

ned

or c

ontr

olled

by

th at

pers

on u

nles

s the

han

dgu

n

i

s s

tore

d in

a loc

ke d

con

taine

r or

dis

able

d wit

h a

trigg

er lo

ck th

at h

as b

een

appr

ove d

by

the C

alifo

rn ia

Dep

artm

ent

of

J

us tic

e.

(c)

Ex

emp

tion

s.

The

prov

ision

s o

Sub

sect

ion (

b) sh

all n

ot a

pply

whe

n the

h

and

gun is

ca

rried

o

the p

ers o

n o f

an i

ndivi

dua l

ove

r the

age

o

18 or

u nd

er th

e co

ntrol

o f a p ea

ce o

ffice

r un

der P

ena

l Co

de S

ec tio

n 8

30.

d)

Pe

nalt

y.

Ever

y vio

la tio

n o f

this

Sec

tion

shall

con

stitu

te a

mis d

eme

ano

r

a

nd u

pon

con

victio

n sh

all b

e pu

nish

ed b

y a

fine

not t

o ex

ce ed

1,

000

or by

im p

riso

nme

nt in

the

coun

ty ja

il no

t to e

xce

ed s

ix mo

nths

, o r

by b

oth.

(e)

S

eve

rabil

ity.

If a

ny p

rovis

ion

of th

is or

dina

nce is

fou

nd t

o be

unc

onsti

tutio

nal o

r oth

erw

ise i

nvali

d by

any

c ou

rt o f

com

pete

nt ju

risdic

tion

, th a

t inv

alidit

y

sh

all n

ot af

fe ct

th e r

ema

ining

pro

vis io

ns o

f this

ord

inan

ce w

hich

can

be

im ple

men

ted

w

ithou

t the

inv

alid p

ro vi

sion

s, an

d to

this

end,

th e

prov

ision

s

o this

ord i

nanc

e ar

e

decl

are d

to b

e se

ve ra

ble .

The

C ity

Co

uncil

her

eby d

ecla

re s

th at

it w o

uld

have

a do

pted

this

ord

inan

ce a

nd e

ach

pro v

ision

th e

reof

irres

pect

ive

o wh

eth e

r any

o ne

or m

ore

pro

vis io

ns a

re fo

un d

inva

lid,

unco

nstit

ution

al o

r oth

erw i

se u

nenf

orce

able

.


5/5

Se

c. 2

The C i

ty Cler

k shall

certify

to the

passa

ge of t

his ord

inance

and h

ave it

p

ublish

ed in a

ccorda

nce wi

th Cou

ncil po

licy e i

ther in

a daily

new s

pape r

circula

ted

in the

City of

Los A

nge le

s

or

by

postin

g for t

en day

s in thr

ee pub

lic p la

ces i

n the Cit

y of

L

os Ang

eles:

one co

py on

the bul

letin bo

ard lo

cated a

t the M

ain S

treet e

ntrance

to the

Los An

geles

City Ha

ll; one

copy on

th e

bullet in

board

locate

d at th

e Main

Stree

t

entrance to the Los Angeles C ity Hall East;

and on

e copy

on the

bullet

in boa

rd loca

ted

at t

he Tem

ple S t

reet en

trance

to the

Los A

ngeles

Coun

ty Hall of

Rec

ords.

I hereb

y certi

fy tha t

this o r

dinanc

e was

passed

by th

e Coun

cil of t

he City

of

Los A

ngeles

at its

meetin

g of

HO LL

Y

L

W

OL O

TT C i

ty Cler

k

B

y

_

D

eputy

Appro

ved

M

ayor

Appro

ved as

to Fo

rm and

Legal

ity

M

ICHAE

L N . F

EUER

City A

ttorney

D

eputy

City A

ttorne

y

Date

- I?

-J

_

File No

CF 14

-1553

m :

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n\brian so

ttile\stora

ge

of

ha ng

uns\stora

ge of han

dguns ord

inance f i n l 6

18

1

5

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los angeles county sheriff’s department concealed weapon licensing policy

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