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Health & Fitness

Brady Campaign Requests PH Regulate Sales of Firearms and Ammo

Contra Costa Brady Campaign Requests Pleasant Hill Regulate Sales of Firearms and Ammo

On March 4th, the Contra Costa Brady Campaign delivered the following letter to the Pleasant Hill City Council:

Subject: Request the Pleasant Hill City Council Adopt an Ordinance Regulating Sales of Firearms and Ammunition

Dear Mayor Harris:

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After the Newtown massacre of 20 children and 6 teachers, President Obama called for a national conversation on firearms regulation. The Contra Costa Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is asking the Pleasant Hill City Council to have that conversation with the residents of Pleasant Hill. We respectfully request the City adopt an ordinance regulating the sales of firearms and ammunition in Pleasant Hill.

Since 2011, Pleasant Hill has approved a home occupation gun dealer, and gone from having one gun store, to having four operating in the city limits (with the opening of Dick's Sporting Goods) -- all without the benefit of public input or local oversight. The Contra Costa Chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has voiced concerns to the City Council and Planning Commission about the unregulated sales of firearms and ammunition in Pleasant Hill -- and the lack of any public hearing or notification process regarding the opening of gun stores and/or approvals of home gun dealers.

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In May 2011, we complained about the opening of City Arms East gun store across the street and less than 1,000 feet from Diablo Valley College with no public notification. At the City’s March 2012 "Goals" Workshop we asked the City to include in its goal for Public Safety the establishing of an ordinance to ban home occupation gun dealers. We were dismayed to learn shortly thereafter that the city had actually approved a Home Occupation Gun Dealer Permit for a resident to sell guns over the Internet, with (as described by the applicant) the firearms being delivered to his home for redistribution. At a City workshop in November 2012 on home occupation permits, we again voiced our concerns about the risk to neighborhood public safety this activity presents. We believe it is time for the City to take action to regulate the sale of firearms and ammunition and
adopt an ordinance similar to the City of Pinole’s (see attachment).

Federal regulation of firearms dealers and ammunition sellers is currently inadequate to protect public safety, and gun dealers are a major source of trafficked firearms. Although gun dealers are required to get a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), that agency does not have the resources or the authority to properly oversee them. ATF gets around to inspecting a gun dealership once every 17 years on average. Internet sales are even less regulated, and storage of firearms and ammunition on the premises is a public safety concern for the neighborhood.  We look forward to your response.

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