The Monterey Park City Council passed a series of ordinances Wednesday, Aug. 16, to enhance gun safety and support regulations on firearms within the city.
Council members endorsed ordinances prohibiting firearms on city-owned property and requiring the safe storage of firearms within residences.
“We believe that these measures strike a balance between Constitutional rights and our obligation to promote the well-being of our community,” Mayor Jose Sanchez said in a statement. “By advocating for responsible gun ownership and proper storage, we take significant steps towards reducing gun violence.”
This vote comes after Aug. 3’s vote to approve an ordinance that outlawed retail sales of gun sales within a 1,000-foot zone around “sensitive receptors” such as schools and residences.
The council has been active on gun policy since Jan. 21, when 72-year-old Huu Can Tran entered Star Ballroom Dance Studio on Garvey Avenue pulling the trigger on his 9-millimeter MAC-10, taking the lives of 11 residents, a tragedy that the city is working to never see happen again.
To that end, the council unanimously endorsed a pledge that affirms dedication to “taking all legal actions within their authority to help reduce the incidents of gun violence.” According to officials, the pledge acknowledges the balance between preserving constitutional rights of gun ownership for responsible citizens and the obligation to ensure the safety and well-being of the community.
The restriction on carrying guns on city property includes an exception for law enforcement officers. The prohibition on loaded firearms on city property also includes persons carrying concealed weapons “in accordance with valid permits.”
The safe-storage ordinance requires “all firearms” in a residence to be “securely stored” in a locked container or disabled with a trigger lock.
Monterey Park has supported other gun reform bills, including Senate Bill 14: Age 21 Act, Senate Bill 25:…
Read the full article here
