The Los Angeles City Council doubled down on recent efforts to tighten gun regulations last Tuesday, giving preliminary approval to new requirements for the proper storage of handguns in homes.
In a 14-0 vote, city council members instructed attorneys to draft an ordinance requiring all guns not in use to be trigger-locked or stored in a locked container. The decision comes on the heels of a recent vote banning ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
City officials say they are tired of waiting on the federal government for stricter gun control laws.
“We are setting an example that other cities, states and Congress should follow,” said Council Member Paul Krekorian. “Taking action on gun safety will save lives and increase public safety. It’s about keeping guns safely stored in peoples’ homes. No exceptions for law-enforcement officers. No exceptions for anyone.”
Attorneys with the National Rifle Association condemned the move Tuesday, saying the ordinance “illegally impedes” on existing firearm storage laws at the state level.
“Single women who live alone in high-crime areas, and who may require prompt access to a firearm for self-defense, do not have the same storage needs as families in gated communities,” added Chuck Michel, an attorney representing the NRA.
The ordinance, which will return for a vote this week, will specify that guns do not have to be stored if they are “within close proximity and control that the owner can readily retrieve and use the handgun as if carried on the person.”
Read more about the ordinance here.
Image Credit: Flickr User mrbill, https://flic.kr/p/6689hJ via (CC BY 2.0)