The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously passed a new “safe storage” law, the violation of which is a misdemeanor offense. Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced his plan to sign the law, which will take effect 30 days afterwards. “Under the law, handguns must be locked up or disabled with a trigger lock unless they are ‘within close enough proximity and control’ that the owner or another legally authorized user can readily retrieve and use them ‘as if carried on the person,'” lattimes.com reports. Here’s a surprise (not) . . .
That wording was added partly to reassure the police union, which had raised concerns about whether retired officers would be able to quickly access their guns and pushed for an exemption.
Because retired police officers have more of a right to defend themselves with a firearm than “civilians.” Apparently Question: what about keeping a firearm on the nightstand? Answer . . .
The question of whether someone was in control “would be a case by case, fact-based determination made by a court,” said Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for City Atty. Mike Feuer.
Krekorian said police won’t be going door-to-door to examine how guns are stored but could encounter violations while reacting to other calls or in the aftermath of a shooting.
Or in the course of some other police-related business, of course. The new ordinance comes on the heels of a prior diktat banning ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds. That law is already the subject of a lawsuit. Pro-gun rights groups will have to launch a new, separate lawsuit to contest the safe storage mandate. Which, let’s face it, has little chance of succeeding.