Group urges passage of gun safety legislation in CA

ByZach Fuentes and Karina Nova KGO logo

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Gun safety group urges passage of gun safety legislation

Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action will be holding a press conference to urge the passage of legislation for gun safety.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action will be holding a press conference on Wednesday via Zoom to urge the passage of legislation for gun safety.

The group's press conference comes after President Joe Biden announced on Monday new federal regulations against ghost guns, firearms without serial numbers.

At the White House, he highlighted the Justice Department's work to finalize new regulations to crack down on ghost guns.

He also announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"Law enforcement is sounding the alarm," Pres. Biden said. "Our communities are paying the price."

He promised the new regulations would save lives as they require background checks and serial numbers on ghost gun kits.

Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong addressed the widespread violence across the city and how ghost guns are playing a part in these crimes.

Furthermore, businesses that buy ghost guns for re-sale must create a serial number before they are sold again.

Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong on Tuesday addressed the widespread violence across the city and how ghost guns are playing a part in these crimes.

During a news conference, Chief Armstrong showed two videos that gave a glimpse at the violence the city is facing.

He says these are the kind of incidents Oaklanders are facing every day and it has to stop.

The chief went on the offensive Tuesday, calling out Alameda County's judicial system.

"Far too many people have been let out of custody after being caught with firearms," he said.

Alameda County District Attorney's Office sent a response to ABC7's J.R. Stone on Wednesday.

"Far too many individuals who have been released under the emergency bail schedule continue to engage in criminal activity. We have seen an escalation in the seriousness of the crimes being committed after release without a bail. This is especially true when the crimes involve firearms, which we know have increased substantially and are wreaking havoc on communities and individuals. The need to return to the original bail schedule (pre-COVID) is equally critical in that hundreds of individuals who are arrested and charged with new crimes are already under the court's jurisdiction, either on probation or parole. The District Attorney is advocating for a return to the pre-COVID bail schedule for those who are on probation or parole, or those with prior convictions."

The DA's office went onto say, it "has created several programs to help individuals move away from the criminal justice system, for example, the C.A.R.E.S. Navigation Center for those with mental health or substance-use disorders, Early Intervention Court, or Behavioral Health Court, all addressing the needs and issues of the individual who is charged with crimes. This is a supportive environment as an alternative to incarceration. "

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While homicides are down in Oakland so far this year from 41 to 34 according to the chief, there is a 30-percent increase in the amount of guns that are being recovered.

Barry Donelan of the Oakland Police Officer's Association says officers are struggling to respond to 2,000 calls a day.

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Chief Armstrong says they recovered 300 ghost guns in the city last year.

Assemblymember Mike Gipson, the lead sponsor of AB 1621 that discusses unserialized guns, joined Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer and Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, and Rudy Espinoza Murray, a volunteer with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo also spoke.