On Tuesday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors agreed to ask county counsel to work with the Sheriffs Office to create an ordinance mandating safe storage of firearms in all unincorporated areas of the county.
Basically, the ordinance would mimic what many cities in Contra Costa County have already passed in locking up their guns in an effort to promote safe gun storage.
Supervisor Candace Andersen brought the item forward on behalf of members from the community who had concerns over gaps in the state law over gun storage safety.
“This is something that many of our cities in Contra Costa County have also passed a similar ordinance which essential State Law says if you have children present or know or should know a child will be present you need to lock a gun or have a gun storage or safety lock.”
She continued.
“There a state law that says if you know or should know that someone who has been by a court who should not have access to a gun then you need to lock up your gun,” said Andersen. “That leaves a wide range of possibilities of people who would have unlocked guns in their homes or visitor, a child visiting who you don’t know is coming, family visiting, others who might have access to an unlocked weapon.
Andersen admitted she knows many people who have guns and none of them keep their guns unlocked and that after discussing it with them they believe its “common sense” to lock a weapon up at all times.
“What I find most shocking is when we had a rash of burglaries in the Danville, Alamo and Walnut Creek area, anecdotally how often I was hearing guns and weapons had been stolen which of course are more likely going to be used in commission of other crimes,” explained Andersen.
Andersen said she spoke to the Sheriff who didn’t have concerns about this proposal and that they should be doing more to remove guns from criminals—such as enhanced penalties.
“I think it’s a common sense approach to keeping people safe,” said Andersen.
She explained today they were asking county counsel to draft a resolution to bring back to the Board of Supervisors.
Supervisor John Gioia confirmed under the policy it would mean to have a firearm locked or in a safety storage area such as a box—in every house.
Supervisor Diane Burgis said Andersen’s proposal would address some concerns by the Sheriff because a lot of times guns used in crimes are stolen guns and if they could help prevent them from being stolen or taken they would be contributing to the reduction of stolen guns.
Supervisor Ken Carlson said the Walnut Creek city council just recently did this and it’s a simple model.
“Its basically anyone who owns or possess a firearm in their residence they are required to keep it in a locked container. It prevents not only accident deaths, suicide, but prevents thefts,” said Carlson. “We are not only facing the challenges of ghost guns on our streets but a significant amount of guns that are recovered by our law enforcement partners are stolen guns. So, I think this is a step in the right direction.”
According to the Board Report:
Having a loaded or unlocked firearm in the home has been associated with an increased risk of firearm-related injury and death, as well as with the theft of the firearms. It is estimated that 200,000-500,000 guns are stolen each year in the United States. Thefts are a source of guns for the commission of other crimes. Recent burglaries in Contra Costa County have included the theft of firearms.
A firearm stored while loaded or unlocked increases the risk of an accidental shooting and with higher risks of suicide. Immediate access to loaded firearms increases the risk that a person’s impulsive decision to commit suicide will be carried out without reflection or seeking help, and the impulsive attempt will be fatal.
Children are particularly at risk of injury or death, or causing injury or death, when they can access firearms within their own homes or at homes they visit.
Keeping a firearm locked enhances safety by increasing the likelihood that it cannot be immediately accessed or used by others without the owner’s knowledge or permission, decreasing the risk that the gun will be used to commit suicide, homicide, or inflict injury, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Both gun rights and gun control advocates alike support the use of locking devices while storing firearms to prevent uninvited and untrained individuals from gaining access to firearms and causing harm or death. Requiring stored, unsupervised firearms to be secured with gun locks or in a locked container is a sensible safety regulation and does not substantially burden the right or ability to use firearms for self-defense in the home.
The proposed safe storage requirements would only apply to firearms that are not being legally carried. Legal firearm owners and adults over 18 may carry loaded and unlocked firearms in their home at any time.
After public comments, Burgis stated this was “common sense” but unfortunately they had to lean in on this and there will be punishment or consequences should someone not be storing firearms properly but called the ultimate consequence was something fatal because people are not being responsible.
“While a gun owner needs to be responsible, as parents and grandparents we need to talk to our children and teach them about respecting firearms and to not expect that it is a toy if they see it. We really need to lean in and teach and show respect to not go near those things,” said Burgis. “Those conversations need to be a part of this.”
She emphasized personal responsibility in owning a gun and educating both children and adults that you don’t play with firearms.
Carlson shared his passion for this.
“As a near 30 year law enforcement officer there are many things that we block out and do our best not to remember but there are some that you just can’t block out. Early in my career, I was called to the home of a youngster who on the very last day of school used his parents gun to kill himself. He should have been moving onto a summer of fun and looking forward to middle school,” said Carlson. “It was just traumatic and tragic that it could have been prevented. Having sharing with a parent the loss of their child over what may be perceived as neglect or their lack of control. Its traumatic all around. That experience alone is what is ingrained in me for the need for us to do this to prevent those kinds of things from happening. The guilt that parent lives with is I am sure tremendous and the loss of a child is irreplaceable. So thank you and I am in full support.”
Supervisor John Gioia said this makes sense to support but not fool themselves into this solving the problem. He called fro them to do a lot more.
“It’s a good incremental step,” said Gioia. “There is a lot more we need to do. There is too many guns. There are too many guns in the wrong hands and the US Supreme Court has made decisions that reduced the ability of states and local government to pass sensible gun control laws. I think every step we take is important and this is an important incremental step.”
Supervisor Federal Glover called it a great step for advocacy for placing meaningful gun control in place. He urged lawmakers to work harder on this.
It passed in a 5-0 vote.
The item will come back in a draft from to the Board of Supervisors after the ordinance will be crafted after what other local cities in Contra Costa County—including best practices.
Editors notes
- Feb 1, 2023 – Governor Newsom Takes Action to Strengthen California’s Gun Safety Laws
- Nov 30, 2022 – Lafayette Council Unanimously Passes Safe Firearms Storage Ordinance
- June 2022 – Walnut Creek approves firearm storage ordinance
- Jan 2022 – Antioch approves firearm storage ordinance
- Oct 2021 – Brentwood took NO ACTION on a potential firearm storage ordinance
- Oct. 2018 – Orinda approves firearm storage ordinance
- Feb 2018 – Moraga approves firearm storage ordinance
9 comments
The BOS can kiss my ass! What I do inside my home is my business. They should be addressing the corrupt DA Becton and her failure to prosecute criminals and her racist policies.
Please tell me this stupidity isn’t real? Crazy how these fools always focus on the low hanging fruit versus the real issues.
That’ll fix Antioch.
If your door to your house is shut and locked that should be enough.
Why not lock up the burglars and thieves.So going into a strangers home and stealing is the accepted norm?
I used to play Simon says back in elementary school
Locking up guns isn’t enough. Law enforcement should be able to enter the home without notice in compliance of the law.
Zee, law enforcement should be able enter the home without notice. Kinda like the Nazis in 1938. Great Idea!! “NEVER ARGUE WITH STUPID PEOPLE. THEY WILL DRAG YOU DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL AND THEN BEAT YOU WITH EXPERIENCE.” – MARK TWAIN
What does the worthless east county stupervisor Becton have to say? Her giant, lazy worthless behind has been cashing the county paycheck for years but hasn’t done squat for east county!
Why is this additional law needed? There is already a state law for gun storage. What gaps exist in state law exist and what specifically exist that involve unincorporated areas? This is not defined in the proposal.
If someone breaks into a home and finds a gun safe they will simply take it with them as they would any other items of value. Shouldn’t the onus be on finding the people who break into homes? Shouldn’t the punishment be on the criminal who broke in to someone’s domicile thus violating the rights of the citizen to the sanctuary of their home?
While any suicide is tragic. The reason the child died is not the gun, simply the method chosen.
If preventing suicide or accidents with guns is the goal, wouldn’t a safety campaign be more valuable than another law? We already have thousands of laws that no one ever knows about or that are violated by offenders and we see them go free to commit more crimes every day. Yet, you would fine or jail a parent who just lost their child to suicide?
That seems unreasonably harsh and unlikely to have charges placed. Are they proposing that someone who’s home has been burglerized get charged? Or if a resident has their gun on the bedside table suffers a home invasion, will they be charged? All of these scenarios seem unlikely thus making this ordinance completely unnecessary. I would say a waste of the sherrifs time. Better spent finding the perpetrators who break into homes in the first place. A law for the sole ability to say, I made a gun safety law when it does nothing to make anyone safer, only opens the vicmized, twice a victim seems to be more a campaign blurb on a mailer at election time than anything substantial to create safer communities.
Just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you should.
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