San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer doesn’t want the County doing business with gun dealers who are not compliant with state and federal laws. The gun procurement policy she announced today seeks to have the county purchase firearms from companies with a clean record, inspection reports, and who implement strict security measures that prevent theft and unauthorized sales. The Board of Supervisors will vote on the policy that Supervisor Lawson-Remer modeled after the City of San Diego’s recently adopted Ira Sharp Firearm Accountability Act.

“If you're a company that has violations and does not take your responsibility of being a safe firearm dealer seriously, our County government shouldn’t be doing business with you, and implementing this policy would ensure it,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer, Vice Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “Our County has supported stricter gun safety laws, banned ghost guns, and sued manufacturers of ghost guns and their products; we should not allow an unsafe gun dealer to be rewarded with a County contract.” 

United Against Gun Violence found that at least 90 California law enforcement agencies have purchased firearms from dealers that did not comply with relevant gun regulations. One vendor, LA Action Police Supply, has secured contracts with 67 California law enforcement agencies, including the County of San Diego, totaling over $18 million worth of firearms and ammunition. But the dealer had over 40 violations of federal firearm laws since 1995.

Today’s announcement had a big community presence. 

“We all know that Terra’s concern for human safety is fundamental and visionary. This ordinance uses the purchasing power of firearms for law enforcement to reward law abiding firearm dealers,” said Rose Ann Sharp, Co-Founder of Never Again CA and the wife of Ira Sharp who was a long-term gun safety advocate. “I hear local NRA leaders say repeatedly: enforce the laws.  That is exactly what this ordinance does by penalizing those firearm dealers who do not follow the law.”

Beckham Arias, a San Diego High School Senior and Member of Team Enough said, “I’m proud to say that our leaders are pushing San Diego County to lead the state by example, ensuring that taxpayer dollars do not support irresponsible gun dealers who fail to follow the law. This ordinance is about holding gun vendors accountable, which ultimately means firearms don’t end up in the wrong hands. Because of a minority of gun dealers who do not abide by state regulations, too often, dangerous and unstable individuals have been able to easily access firearms, and it has resulted in tragic consequences that we see repeated across the country again and again.”

The proposed County forearm procurement policy is modeled after the City of San Diego’s recently adopted Ira Sharp Firearm Accountability Act. City leaders instrumental in the development of the City’s Act had a positive response to Supervisor Lawson-Remer’s policy.

"We must protect our communities from needless gun violence. When the County takes action, San Diego will be the largest county in the nation to use its purchasing power to require firearms dealers to keep crimes guns off the streets in order to get government contracts. This action will set an example for other governments to follow," said San Diego City Council Public Safety Chair Marni von Wilpert. “I am grateful to Vice Chair Lawson-Remer for her a strong leadership in gun violence prevention and expanding our efforts to crack down on the prevalence of crime guns in our communities."  

“The City and County of San Diego have effectively treated gun violence prevention as a regional issue, and our communities are safer because of it. Requiring all law enforcement weapons to be purchased from responsible dealers rewards ethical behavior, reduces the number of crime guns on our streets, and ultimately protects us all from gun violence. I proudly support this initiative by Supervisor Lawson-Remer and encourage her colleagues to act swiftly,” said Mara Elliott, City Attorney, City of San Diego.

Click here to read the policy.  If the policy passes on Tuesday, October 8, it will: 

1.     Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to develop a firearm procurement ordinance for board consideration. Specifically evaluate operational and administrative impacts, including evaluation standards, related to the inclusion of the following vendor requirements in an ordinance and return to the Board in 120 days with key findings and options for Board consideration. The ordinance would include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. Proof of compliance with applicable state and federal laws, including permits, and certificates,

2. Documentation of firearm trace requests received within the past five years,

3. Documentation of thefts from the vendor’s premises withing the past five years,

4. Submission of inspection reports conducted by federal, state, or local agencies,

5. Disclosure of violations from inspections related to the purchase, transfer, manufacturing, or sales of firearms conducted by any federal, state, or local agencies,

6. Documentation of policies and practices concerning the following:

   1. Preventing, detecting, and screening for the transfer or sale of firearms to firearm traffickers,

   2. Preventing sales to individuals prohibited by federal, state, and local law, or court order,

   3. Preventing theft of firearms,

   4. Training employees to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations,

   5. Assisting law enforcement agencies in the investigation and prevention of criminal access to firearms, and

   6. Operation of digital video surveillance systems.