Resolution 11-96

WHEREAS, "Saturday Night Specials", or junk guns, are cheap, easily- concealed, and poorly- manufactured weapons that are disproportionately represented in homicides and other crimes and lack any sporting purpose;

WHEREAS, junk guns are so inadequately designed and constructed that their use, particularly with higher-power ammunition now readily-available, represents a danger to the criminal or other user;

WHEREAS, crime statistics indicate that a high proportion of gun-related deaths and injuries are attributable to both the availability of weapons in residential areas and the lack of trigger locks which could forestall the firing of a weapon;

WHEREAS, many local governments in the Bay Area are considering or have already adopted ordinances or regulations prohibiting the sale of junk guns, zoning gun shops out of residential areas, and requiring gun dealers to install trigger locks at the point of sale;

WHEREAS, crime respects no urban boundaries and the availability of weapons in one jurisdiction may easily be used in a neighboring or distant community;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Executive Board of the Association of Bay Area Governments supports the adoption of local government ordinances to prohibit the sale of junk guns, to zone gun dealers out of residential areas, and to require gun dealers to install trigger locks at the point of sale.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Board urges all Bay Area local governments to guarantee the effectiveness of these ordinances by working in close consultation with neighboring jurisdictions to develop consistent and uniform ordinance provisions and enforcement procedures.

PASSED AND ADOPTED this 18th day of July, 1996.

SIGNED:

Charlotte Powers, President Eugene Y. Leong, Secretary-Treasurer