5.29.2023
Motion by Councilmember Torosis: Protecting Our Community from Gun Violence as A Harm Reduction Strategy
Leading the world in gun ownership, there are more guns than people in the United States. As a Country, we surpass every other developed nation on Earth in gun-related deaths. The United Stated accounts for just 4% of the world’s population but 35% of global firearm suicides and 9% of global firearm homicides.1 Since 1966, nearly 90% of all mass shootings resulting in six or more deaths have occurred wholly or partly in locations where civilian guns were allowed and/or where armed security or law enforcement was present.2
California’s common sense gun safety laws are extremely effective; we have a 37% lower gun death rate than the national average. Santa Monica is still not immune to gun violence. For example, in 2013, a gunman opened fire at Santa Monica College, killing five people. In the wake of the recent tragedies in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, as well as the continued threat of mass shootings, it’s critical that Santa Monica takes lead on the issue of gun safety and reform. Santa Monica currently has ordinances in place that require gun dealers to obtain a local license to operate, prohibit firearm sales at home businesses, and require dealers to periodically report their inventories to law enforcement.
In recent years, surrounding cities have adopted additional restrictions to ensure that guns are not sold or carried unnecessarily so as to keep our communities safe.
However, in Santa Monica, we have yet to restrict gun dealers from operating near sensitive areas where children or families are congregating, we do not require dealers to videotape sales, we do not prohibit unaccompanied minors from entering gun stores, and we do not require regular police inspections of gun dealer premises. Moreover, Santa Monica has not adopted safe storage laws to require safe storage in the home and in vehicles, nor do we require loss and theft reporting. Culver City, Redondo Beach, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood City Councils have adopted a combination of some or all of these regulations. San Jose became the first city in the nation to require gun owners to pay a yearly fee and carry liability insurance. Fees are levied and collected by a non-profit foundation established to distribute all fee revenue to community-based programs focused on reducing gun violence.
The City Council therefore directs the City Manager and the City Attorney to, within 60 days, draft an ordinance for council adoption to restrict the sale of guns in Santa Monica and propose additional gun owner responsibilities. This ordinance should be based on best practices from other jurisdictions, stakeholder engagement, and consultation with subject matter experts.
1 https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/
2 Ibid.