A $1 million pledge made by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday aims to help law enforcement officials enforce laws that take firearms out of the hands of individuals prohibited from having them, such as those convicted of a violent crime, or those subjected to a domestic violence or workplace restraining order, according to County officials.
“The law is clear that certain individuals have forfeited their rights to own or possess firearms,” said Mike Callagy, the county manager. “This funding approved by the Board will help our local law enforcement officials enforce those laws in what can be a lengthy and dangerous mission to get the guns out of the hands of these individuals.”
The funds come from Measure K, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax that provides local funds for local needs, the County said.
“The local push to fund efforts to remove firearms from those prohibited from possessing them has grown following recent mass shootings in Sacramento and San Jose a recent forum on preventing gun violence,” officials said.
That forum was hosted by San Mateo County Board President Don Horsley and Vice President Dave Pine in partnership with the Giffords Law Center and drew participation from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the County said. Having Bonta there “was exceedingly helpful in boosting the profile of the County’s efforts, resulting in the funding and implementation of carefully thought-out remedies for the difficult problems presented by the use of prohibited guns,” Horsley said.
“When someone is convicted of a serious crime or is the subject of certain restraining orders, a series of policies and laws enable law enforcement to ensure that gun owners relinquish their firearms,” Pine said. “The focus of our recent forum was finding ways to improve that system and this funding will go a long way to make better use of existing tools to keep those guns off the street.”
