New CA Gun Law Affects How Law Officers, Others Secure A Weapon

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
9-28-2016

A new California law signed into effect Monday means that truck owners, and law enforcement officers in California must secure a handgun left inside their vehicle with a safe or lock in inside the trunk. SB 869 can be viewed in its entirety here. The applicable text is: "A person shall, when leaving a handgun in an unattended vehicle, lock the handgun in the vehicle’s trunk, lock the handgun in a locked container and place the container out of plain view, or lock the handgun in a locked container that is permanently affixed to the vehicle’s interior and not in plain view." The law applies to law enforcement personnel as well as any concealed carry permit holder.

 

Most pickup trucks don't have trunks, so the bill means a handgun will be locked inside someplace in compliance, but not left in the glovebox or console, or under the seat (unless they incorporate a safe).

 

Most media outlets are reporting that the new regulations relate directly to two incidents in which a gun was stolen from a law enforcement officer and then used to kill a person. One incident involved a Bureau of Land Management ranger's stolen handgun that was used to kill a woman on San Francisco’s Pier 14. Another involves a weapon stolen from the car of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was used to kill a muralist as he worked in Oakland according to the LA Times.

 

The Orange County Register reported that 329 police firearms were recorded as lost or stolen from Southern California law enforcement agencies in the past five years. The Bay Area News Group reported that 944 police guns were missing from police agencies in that region.

 

Image from the GM-trucks.com safes and security page

[jimlem]

For god's sake. How long does that stiff Brown have in office? It's going to take years to fix all of his B.S. policies. And, Who thinks this stuff up. All cops are trained not to leave their weapon inside a vehicle and in an unsecured area. Actually you really should just carry it (most of the time). But 329 thefts and 2 homicides in 5 years? A tragedy for sure but likely a drop in the bucket to all guns stolen and used in homicides over same time period, by non LEOs. It seems CA just seems to have a need to change things, just to change them.

 

My last thought on it: to get to the point where the state of CA passes you for hire, trains you, and hands you that badge and gun, they tell you, you have discretion: Those at the pointy end decide what is best for his/her current situation. No, not leaving your weapon in a truck for 6 hours while drinking in a bar some where. Leaving it for 5 min when you run into pick up your 3 yr old from preschool, sure. It may be well meaning but not so well thought out. Ahhhhh!

[SnakeEyeSS]

This one is easy, I won't ever live there!