October 20, 2021 E-Blast from Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan
Hi Neighbor,
Yesterday, the Oakland City Council voted to unanimously approve the resolution I introduced in support of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin's lawsuit against "ghost gun" manufacturers. The lawsuit seeks a court order to bar the companies from shipping their products in California. I applaud Attorney General Rob Bonta, who announced early last week that he will join the lawsuit to combat this growing crisis at its source.
There has been an upward trend of gun violence in Oakland since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and especially over recent months. Illegal gun dealers and users are supplied by the ease of purchasing and assembly of ghost guns and their lack of traceability. This trend has not only impacted Oakland, but the Bay Area and beyond. People are shipping death into our community, and making profits while evading basic gun safety laws. I am pleased that my colleagues passed my proposal, and now the City of Oakland publicly supports this litigation to hold these “ghost gun” manufacturers accountable.
Item: Link
I have urged Nancy O’Malley, Alameda County District Attorney to join the lawsuit. From my letter, “I urge you to join cities such as our neighbors in San Francisco and the City of Los Angeles who have filed lawsuits against manufacturers of Ghost Guns. The entire system of gun safety laws and regulations are undermined by ghost gun manufacturing companies, who are profiting from the violence and harm in our community. Therefore, I implore that Alameda County join San Francisco’s lawsuit against ghost gun manufacturers and retailers.”
Full Letter to District Attorney: Link
I will continue to advocate that every possible jurisdiction joins the effort to take a strong stance against the manufacturers and retailers of ghost guns, which are devastating our communities, and are being used to evade basic gun laws. Community members who would like to join this important call for Alameda County to help in this important effort to protect our communities from deadly ghost guns, are asked to sign on to the following petition:
Image: Office of Attorney General Rob Bonta "What is a Ghost Gun" Graphic
Background on Rebecca Kaplan’s Fight against illegal guns and gun violence:
I have pushed for control and regulation of ghost guns and the prioritization of ending gun violence. On April 20 2021, I successfully passed a resolution asking the State Legislature to enact regulations against ghost guns. In December of 2020, Council unanimously passed a resolution I introduced declaring Gun Violence the Top Law Enforcement Priority. I authored and passed a law prohibiting leaving guns loose in unattended vehicles -- a dangerous act which has often resulted in guns being stolen and used in killings. On April 12, 2021, I successfully allocated funding to expand ShotSpotter to areas of East Oakland currently not covered, support Operation Ceasefire, and fund gun tracing to identify and shut down sources of illegal guns (4/12/21 - Budget spreadsheet).
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