ORD 2227 - Laserfiche WebLink

ORDINANCE NO. 2227 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PLEASANTON AMENDING CHAPTER 10.12 OF THE PLEASANTON MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADD ARTICLE II REQUIRING THE SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS IN RESIDENCES WHEREAS, according to Everytown Research and Policy, As of September 14, 2021, there have been 266 unintentional shootings by children resulting in 107 deaths and 173 injuries across the nation. In California, there have been at least 11 unintentional shootings by children, 3 deaths, and 8 injuries. WHEREAS, from 2014 to 2018, there were 629 gun-related deaths within Alameda County according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and WHEREAS,the unsafe storage of firearms threatens public health and safety in the United States. A 2016 study of gun owners published in the American Journal of Public Health found that while millions of responsible gun owners follow recommended storage practices, an estimated 54% do not lock up all of their guns or store them unloaded, trigger-locked, and separate from ammunition; and WHEREAS, many young children, including toddlers, are strong enough to fire handguns. A Washington Post report in 2015 showed that toddlers were responsible for an average of one shooting a week that year. In 2013, more preschoolers were shot to death (82)than police officers according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Bureau of Investigation published in October 2015 by the New York Times; and WHEREAS, in 2018, a study published in the Journal of Urban Health found that roughly 4.6 million children and youth under age 18 were living in homes with loaded and unlocked firearms. In addition, a study published in 2006 in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that 73% of children under age 10 living in homes with guns reported knowing the location of their parents' firearms. The same study demonstrated that parents often believe, incorrectly, that their children do not know the location of guns stored in the home or that their children have not handled their parents' firearms; and WHEREAS, a 2010 study in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior found that over 80% of children (18 years or younger) who died by gun suicide used a gun belonging to a family member. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 637 children die by gun suicide each year on average; and WHEREAS, research from JAMA Pediatrics found that the safe storage of firearms can reduce firearm suicide and unintentional firearm fatalities among youth; and WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that for individuals who choose to keep guns in the home, the firearms should be kept unloaded, and locked in a separate location from ammunition; and WHEREAS, unsecured guns are susceptible to theft and pose a significant public health and safety hazard. A 2017 study in the journal Injury Epidemiology found that national survey data suggests that approximately 380,000 guns are stolen from individual gun owners each year and that gun owners who do not safely store their firearms are significantly more likely to have