SAN DIEGO—County officials announced proposals Oct. 14 to ban so-called “ghost guns” among other initiatives aimed at stemming gun violence locally.
The proposed policies to be voted on next week by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors would call for an ordinance banning the possession or distribution of unserialized parts used to create ghost guns.
Ghost guns, also known as “do-it-yourself guns,” are homemade, personally manufactured firearms without serial numbers. They are untraceable due to the lack of identifying markings and therefore can evade state and federal regulations that apply to firearms such as background checks.
The proposed measures would also prohibit the 3D printing of unserialized firearms or their parts and would establish safe storage requirements for county gun owners.
If the proposed policy passes at the Oct. 19 Board of Supervisors meeting, county staff would also work with community leaders to create preventative gun violence “reduction and disruption” programs.
“We are bringing common-sense gun reforms to San Diego County,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher, who introduced the policies to the media Oct. 13. “Unserialized guns are a clear and present danger that [are] impacting our communities. By regulating their use and production, we will save lives.”
Fletcher additionally said the county’s investment into gun violence programs will “protect individuals in our community from harm.”
County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, said the policies would ensure untraceable ghost guns don’t fall into the wrong hands.
“As the mother of a toddler, I don’t want a future where she has to practice active shooter drills or where I live in dread of a text message saying her school is on lockdown. We have the power to change this, and it starts with approving these common-sense safety regulations,” Lawsom-Remer said during the press conference.
The policy follows a recently enacted ordinance that goes into effect Oct. 23 in the City of San Diego.
“Ghost guns are wreaking havoc in our communities and we need every level of government to act to close the ghost gun loophole. Like we did in the City of San Diego, I am thankful that the County of San Diego is cracking down on untraceable, non-serialized firearms and firearm parts to keep guns out of the hands of people who pose danger to our communities—including violent criminals, domestic abusers, individuals suffering from mental illness and terrorists,” said San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, who authored the city’s similar legislation.
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