Across the United States, taxpayers spend more than $5 billion a year to buy guns and ammunition to equip law enforcement agencies. Unfortunately, some public agencies have made such purchases from firearms dealers that have a record of violating federal, state or local laws governing their business. Among other things, such violations include failing to complete background checks to verify that customers are not prohibited from buying firearms, failing to maintain customer records critical to law enforcement investigations, and failing to submit multiple sales reports, which are vital in preventing straw purchasing.
Compliance with the laws regulating firearms dealers is an essential element in reducing firearms trafficking and gun violence. The City of Los Angeles has enormous purchasing power because of the high volume of its procurements. In the case of firearms purchases, the City should make every effort to use that purchasing power to incentivize better business practices and compliance with the law on the part of firearms dealers. Conversely, the City should never use taxpayer dollars to purchase from firearms dealers who irresponsibly fail to conform to the law.
I THEREFORE MOVE that the City Attorney draft an ordinance, based on the ordinance recently passed by the City Council of San Diego (attached hereto as Exhibit A), to require (i) that firearms and ammunitions manufacturers and dealers with whom the City conducts business are complying with all applicable local, state, and federal laws and have no unresolved federal, state, or local violations from any type of inspection, and (ii) that all firearm and ammunition dealers have policies in place to meet the requirements as outlined in the Ordinance relating to firearms and ammunition before contracting with the City.
I FURTHER MOVE that the Chief Legislative Analyst, in consultation with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Chief Procurement Officer, and the Bureau of Contract Administration, report with recommendations for changes in policy and practice that would facilitate the objectives of this motion.