CALIFORNIA BRADY CAMPAIGN CHAPTERS BRADY CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE

For Immediate Release
Monday, October 12, 2009

CALIFORNIA’S GOVERNOR SIGNS LEGISLATION
TO HELP TRACK AMMUNITION SALES

 
Sacramento, CA – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into

law legislation that will help law enforcement officials track down 

and apprehend armed criminals and other prohibited persons.  

AB 962 by Assembly Member Kevin DeLeon (D-Los Angeles) 

had the support of law enforcement officials from across the state 

and was modeled after successful city ordinances, including the 

cities of Sacramento and Los Angeles.  AB 962 was the 

Brady Campaign’s top priority bill in this year’s legislature.

The law requires maintenance of purchaser records by handgun 

ammunition vendors.  Local law enforcement can use these

 records to find illegal guns.  

“The purchase records will provide our police officers with 

yet another tool to track down and apprehend armed and 

dangerous criminals,” said Paul Helmke, President of the 

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. 

The new law also requires the safe storage of handgun 

ammunition in stores and that all handgun ammunition 

sales be completed in face-to-face transactions.  Sacramento 

and Los Angeles have had great success over the last few years

 with similar city ordinances.  “Law enforcement officials in both

 cities have had great success in tracking down violent criminals 

who purchased ammunition in Sacramento and Los Angeles,” 

said Ellen Boneparth, President of the California Brady Campaign 

Chapters.  “Our California Brady Chapters were instrumental in 

urging cities to pass the local ordinances and getting strong 

support statewide for AB 962.”

A 2006 study by the Rand Corporation on Los Angeles’ city 

ordinance showed 10,050 rounds of ammunition were purchased

 by prohibited persons in a period of just two months.  The study 

concluded “…monitoring ammunition transactions may help 

reduce the supply of ammunition to criminals and the frequency 

of injuries from felonious gun assaults.  Such a record can also 

provide information for generating leads on illegal firearm possession.”

The results of the Sacramento ammunition ordinance were also striking.

  From January 16, 2008 to August 31, 2009, 229 prohibited people 

purchased ammunition of which 173 had previous felony convictions, 

including gang members.   From the matching of ammunition purchase 

records to the California prohibited persons file, the Sacramento DA 

was able to charge 181 of the purchasers with felonies.  In addition, 

160 illegal firearms were seized from the prohibited persons, as well 

as cash, drugs, and explosive devices.  

As the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading 

the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, with its 

dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, works to 

enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations and public 

policies. The Brady Campaign is devoted to creating an America

 free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, 

at school, at work, and in our communities.

For continuing insight and comment on the gun issue, read 

Paul Helmke's blog atwww.bradycampaign.org/blog/. 

Visit the Brady Campaign websites at www.bradycampaign.org or

www.bradycampaign.org/CA.