Washington, D.C., February 18, 2021 - Brady applauds California Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) for introducing AB 1191, which will require the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to analyze data from firearms recovered at crime scenes, crime guns, to determine trends and patterns related to how these weapons are sold and trafficked. The bill will also require the DOJ to provide an annual firearms-tracing report to the California State Legislature.These actions will provide California with much-needed insight into how communities are flooded with illegal guns and how firearms come to be used in crime. The data and analysis will enable the state to make informed decisions around dealer inspections, regulations, and additional policies that will help to prevent gun violence.Brady President Kris Brown shared:“California has some of the most comprehensive gun violence prevention laws in the nation. These laws work and they save lives every day. However, California, like every state, requires greater insight into the drivers of gun violence, including how firearms end up used in crimes, to develop new processes and initiatives to keep its residents safe.AB 1191 will help to answer that question, compelling the California Department of Justice to analyze crime gun data, and will provide new insights for the state to make evidence-based decisions around how to best prevent gun violence and stop weapons from falling into the hands of those who should not have them. This bill will make California safer for all of its residents and particularly help Black and Brown communities across the state who bear a disproportionate toll of gun violence. Brady urges the State Assembly to pass this common-sense bill without delay.”Assemblymember Kevin McCarty shared:“California has always had the strongest gun laws in the nation. However, there’s still important work to be done in our efforts to curb gun violence. This bill will help prevent firearms from falling through the cracks, and will give us answers on how to stop gun violence in the future.”Brady California Legislative Chair Amanda Wilcox shared:"Firearm sales have soared across California since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, flooding our communities with new guns and gun owners. Our state’s laws are the strongest in the nation to ensure that these sales are safe and legal, but we also know that at least some of these firearms will inevitably be diverted into the black market and cause harm. We need answers as to how that comes to pass.This bill will help to fill that gap and create resources for lawmakers, researchers and the public to use to make evidence-based decisions to prevent gun violence in our state. We thank Assemblymember McCarty for championing this important issue and introducing this bill.”About AB 1191:California’s Department of Justice regularly collects crime gun data.This bill would require the CA DOJ to analyze this data in an effort to identify trends in how crime guns are sold and trafficked. AB 1191 will also require the department to create an annual firearms tracing report to track California licensed firearms dealers that are selling recovered crime guns.What is a crime gun?A crime gun is a gun that has been recovered by law enforcement officials after being used in a crime, suspected of being used in a crime or possession of the gun may have been a crime. Only 5 percent of gun dealers are responsible for 90 percent of recovered crime guns nationwide.Gun Violence as a Racial Justice Issue:Though only a small number of dealers are responsible for selling firearms eventually used in crimes, communities of color disproportionately bear the brunt of our nation’s gun violence epidemic, leading to the question of how the flow of these weapons into communities occurs and how we can prevent it.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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