The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday passed an ordinance requiring gun owners in unincorporated areas to lock up their guns.
The ordinance passed 4-0, with supervisor Diane Burgis absent.
Supervisor Candace Andersen proposed the ordinance, which would require gun owners to use trigger locks or gun safes. On Tuesday, Andersen said she is “a firm believer in the Second Amendment of our Constitution, and nothing that we are doing today takes away someone’s right to their arms.”
A similar state law is directed only at households with children, and Andersen said she not only wants to also limit access to children, but to adults who are violent, suffering from mental health issues and thieves.
“Just two weeks ago, I was in the community and speaking with some of our deputies, who said there’d just been a burglary in the community, in Alamo, and once again a gun was stolen,” Andersen said.
To critics who say dealing with a trigger lock or a safe when they need a gun for home defense takes too much time, Andersen suggested using biometric safes and triggers, rigged for the owner’s use.
“(The ordinance) does not prevent someone from carrying their weapon at all times in their homes or having immediate access to it,” Andersen said.
The ordinance allows people to report lost or stolen guns within five days to avoid violating the law.
The board asked county counsel to craft the ordinance in July and provided a staff report that said 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,” reads the report. “Thefts are a source of guns for the commission of other crimes. Recent burglaries in Contra Costa County have included the theft of firearms.”
The ordinance will only affect unincorporated areas, though some cities, such as Walnut Creek, already have similar laws.
The ordinance will come back for an official second reading and implementation on Oct. 3.
54 comments
I’ll get right on that. A locked up and unaccessible firearm is exactly what a home invasion robber hopes for when he breaks in. Stay alert, keep your guns close and your powder dry.
Because a stolen firearm with a gunlock on it is useless to the criminal
Are they going to every ones house? How do they enforce this?
Yeah for a few minutes till he cuts it off.
Mike,ever heard of a hacksaw?They are $1.49 at the 99 cent store.
It depends on the lock. The locks that use a key drill out real easy.
Check YouTube for your particular lock.
There are lotsa videos on how to cut ’em off.
There’s videos about how to break into those little safes too, EZ.
Watch those before you buy one, There are ways to mount them so that they are really hard to open.
Sorry Supervisor Anderson, but the extra seconds it takes to extract my weapon from my biometric safe (I have one where I keep some of my weapons) could make the difference in saving my life or that of my family. I will never compromise that.
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Unenforceable.
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I’m sure criminals will observe and follow this ordinance.
It’s enforceable in the sense that when irresponsible gun owners’ children kill someone with the gun the parent can be charged with not properly storing the weapon.
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There is ALREADY an ordinance on unsecured firearms with children around. This new ordinance requires firearms to be locked away when no one is home, regardless if there are children in the household or not.
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DO YOU COMPREHEND ENGLISH?
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There have been laws on that particular subject for a long time. In fact, when you buy a firearm, you have to sign a safe affidavit. Confirming that you have a gun safe to keep your firearm in. Please do your homework before posting statements like that.
“Please do your homework before posting statements like that.”
If some of these people ever did that it would be a first. Of course, stuff like that makes it easier to identify those who not only don’t own firearms, but know nothing about them.
So someone breaks into MY house steals MY things and it’s my fault!🖕
Yup. My guns are already in a giant locked container called MY HOUSE! Lawmakers making laws that do nothing but try to incriminate law abiding citizens.
More idiocy from the wannabe tyrants. Lawsuit in 10-9-8-7….
Candace Andersen said she is “a firm believer in the Second Amendment of our Constitution.” I do not believe she understands the meaning of “shall not be infringed.”
One way to cut down on home burglaries, would be for Becton to prosecute thieves, and have the judges hand down the maximum sentence prescribed by law.
… perps – are you listening? you’ll comply – right? … and how would this be enforced? and how will it be officially communicated? …somebody going door to door requiring signatures of receipt of the new law? … what a joke
I’ll lock up my gun when felons quit carrying there’s.
No police officer on this planet will ever enforce this. This is simply window dressing and a way to persecute the citizen. I keep all my guns in a safe (to keep track of) except my sidearm and it travels with me everywhere so no one will steal it while I am gone and it will always be there if I need it.
Biometric locks don’t work that great…god help you if you have a cut on your finger or thumb let along dry skin or fingers from the weather….or don’t line up your finger or thumb just right when rushing to try and open.
Can we modify Ordinance to require criminals to use trigger locks on their guns when they go out to commit crimes?
Here is a novel concept:
1-Make being caught with a stolen weapon automatic jail time
2-Make being caught with a stolen weapon NOT properly secured in a locked case additional automatic jail time.
They just can’t seem to get their arms around the idea of going after actual criminals.
What if your gun is stolen and it’s not registered?
Registered? You don’t need to register your firearm. You do need to pass a background check, a competency test, there is a proof of safe storage requirement, a 10 day waiting period & there’s a Dealer’s Record Of Sale that will be kept identifying you as the purchaser.
But…”You can register an unregistered gun in California by completing and submitting a Firearm Ownership Report (FOR) Application. This voluntarily declares that you are the owner of the firearm. However, this form cannot be used to register an assault weapon”.
“A FOR Application is not required for most firearms. They will have been registered by the dealer during the sale. However, there are reasons to register a firearm on your own. A registered gun that is lost or stolen may be returned to the person listed on the form. If the gun is unregistered, it will not be returned”.
https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/blog/gun-laws/how-to-register-an-unregistered-gun-in-california/
Ooops
#lockedcockedandreadytorock
… meant to say
Hey Claycord … what’s the hold up on giving us an “edit comment” button?
Edit butten I second that.
Spell check button
Thad would bee cule!
Please vote them all out…
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Another ordinance passed by people who have never owned or used a gun? Lofty bunch.
The country is in a sad state of affairs when this is a serious discussion. They do not care if they steal your valuables just if the steal your guns. I am not going to write out the reasons someone like the DA in Oakland refuses to hand out justice to victims but she is one sick dog. Changed my mind. These kids did nothing to prepare themselves for life when they were in school so now we have to give them a break. Makes as much sense as our open border. Maybe the board of education should be made for their crimes. Or the parents for their crimes.
I think the only time you’ll get punished for not having your guns locked up is after you either report them stolen or they are used in another crime.
Several of my guns are locked in a safe, a few are not.
The County can’t guarantee our safety, that’s up to us.
I tend to agree that a truly secured weapon is next to useless in a sudden emergency. Though there are storage solutions that can meet the middle ground.
Lest you think this is fluff legislation, understand it gives teeth to existing California statues. You don’t have to read it all, just know you’ll burn and burn hard if the unimaginable happens, as it sometimes does:
Penal Code – PEN
PART 6. CONTROL OF DEADLY WEAPONS [16000 – 34370] ( Part 6 added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 711, Sec. 6. )
TITLE 4. FIREARMS [23500 – 34370] ( Title 4 added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 711, Sec. 6. )
DIVISION 4. STORAGE OF FIREARMS [25000 – 25225] ( Division 4 added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 711, Sec. 6. )
CHAPTER 2. Criminal Storage of Firearm [25100 – 25140] ( Chapter 2 added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 711, Sec. 6. )
25100.
(a) Except as provided in Section 25105, a person commits the crime of “criminal storage of a firearm in the first degree” if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) The person keeps any firearm within any premises that are under the person’s custody or control.
(2) The person knows or reasonably should know that a child is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian, or that a person prohibited from possessing a firearm or deadly weapon pursuant to state or federal law is likely to gain access to the firearm.
(3) The child obtains access to the firearm and thereby causes death or great bodily injury to the child or any other person, or the person prohibited from possessing a firearm or deadly weapon pursuant to state or federal law obtains access to the firearm and thereby causes death or great bodily injury to themselves or any other person.
(b) Except as provided in Section 25105, a person commits the crime of “criminal storage of a firearm in the second degree” if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) The person keeps any firearm within any premises that are under the person’s custody or control.
(2) The person knows or reasonably should know that a child is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian, or that a person prohibited from possessing a firearm or deadly weapon pursuant to state or federal law is likely to gain access to the firearm.
(3) The child obtains access to the firearm and thereby causes injury, other than great bodily injury, to the child or any other person, or carries the firearm either to a public place or in violation of Section 417, or the person prohibited from possessing a firearm or deadly weapon pursuant to state or federal law obtains access to the firearm and thereby causes injury, other than great bodily injury, to themselves or any other person, or carries the firearm either to a public place or in violation of Section 417.
(c) Except as provided in Section 25105, a person commits the crime of “criminal storage of a firearm in the third degree” if the person keeps any firearm within any premises that are under the person’s custody or control and negligently stores or leaves a firearm in a location where the person knows, or reasonably should know, that a child is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian, unless reasonable action is taken by the person to secure the firearm against access by the child.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 840, Sec. 6. (SB 172) Effective January 1, 2020.)
See summary pdf: https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/cfl2021.pdf
Geez Thraxx, you sure are taking a beating for a crappy law you didn’t write 😄
When do unannounced three am compliance inspections begin ? ? ?
Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe they play the stupid game and maybe they win the stupid prize. It’s their lifestyle choice and after all, choices have consequences. Smile, wait for flash.
I voted for Mary Knox and Ben Therriault, in the last election. Maybe y’all should have, too?
This is the political version of the dutchoven selfie. I have kids, my guns are locked but the mags are not. I can access my gun and rack a round in under 10 seconds- I know because I practice.
Violation of our rights. Also interesting to see all the names getting busted for posting with different names. You guys just don’t have the support you wish you had huh? All the typical characters.
When they come for your guns, give them the ammo first.
Excellent plan CCCounty stupervisors.
I can’t think of a better way to generate funds than to make thousands of your citizens’instant criminals.
No sense passing your ordinance without backup……….When will the ENFORCERS be knocking “just to ensure compliance?”
Be sure to send this great idea to the governor, he always needs more money too.
So glad to have escaped the madness of CCC.
Don’t like your neighbor? Just alert the ENFORCERS & tell them you “believe” there are unattended firearms on the property. Wait for the fun to start. You may need to stay up ’till 3 am.
Let’s all make sure to punish everyone for the crimes of a few. It’s the WOKE Progressive way of life.
Prove me wrong!
ps: remember to get all the ‘”jab’updates”…….maybe fines should be invoked to ensure compliance.
A free person does NOT need permission to own a firearm.
I haven’t read the ordinance, but does it specify that everyone must use a Liberty Safe to make it easier for the government to get in?
Haha nice
Before the legal gun owners lock up their guns how about all the owners of black-market guns lock their first!
I’ll show you mine if you show me yours…..
What kind of dolt believes that the same person who broke a lock to get into your house won’t break a rinky dink trigger lock on your firearm?
Wait a minute. So if someone steals my car and then crashes into someone or something with it, am I liable for that!!??
Who will be the first to challenge the control freaks and this unconstitutional power grab
Me thinks the dirt bags breaking into homes are the problem not the guns. Let’s. Lock them up.
I got your gun lock right here.
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