- Simone Braithwaite
- Simone.Braithwaite@asm.ca.gov
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - Today, Governor Newsom signed AB 1191 which will require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to analyze the crime gun data it currently collects, to determine trends and patterns related to how crime guns are sold and trafficked.
A crime gun is any firearm that is illegally possessed, used in a crime or suspected to have been used in a crime.
In California today, the Automated Firearms System approximates that 75% of all crime guns originate from within the state. While the DOJ Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) collects data on firearm acquisition and registration, they don’t conduct a comprehensive analysis of available data on seized crime guns.
“If we are to reduce gun violence, our focus must be on the initial source of crime guns from irresponsible dealers who profit of the sales of firearms that infiltrate communities across the state, particularly communities of color,” said Assemblymember Kevin McCarty.
In California, Black men make up less than 4% of the state’s population, yet they represent over 30% of gun homicide victims. Additionally, Black men between the ages of 10 and 24 are also more than 18 times as likely to be murdered with a gun as White men of the same age.
This bill will require the DOJ to provide analyses on how crime guns are being diverted from the legal market and identify irresponsible dealers -- properly addressing a root cause of gun violence.
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Kevin McCarty represents California’s 7th Assembly District, which include the cities of Sacramento, West Sacramento and unincorporated Sacramento County. McCarty serves as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance.