I have promising news to share about the progress we’re making in the fight to reduce gun violence here in San Diego County! 

Thanks to the work we are doing together — combining smart policies, community action, tough enforcement, and targeted prevention — we are seeing real, measurable results. 

Here’s the great news: last year we saw significant drops in ghost gun seizures.  This data, coupled with decreases in homicides and decreases in firearm-related suicides, demonstrates that fewer ghost guns are in circulation because of our County’s efforts.

These numbers represent more than statistics. Each gun and each life not in this report reflects a person saved, a family protected, and a neighborhood not gripped by fear. 

Here are the tremendous results:

• Ghost gun recoveries are down 39 percent in 2024 — the steepest drop in five years

• Firearm-related suicides are down 19 percent in 2024, and 5 percent since the first year of the pandemic in 2020

• Firearm-related homicides are down 21 percent since 2020

• More than 2,600 guns have been voluntarily turned in since 2021

• 368 criminal charges were filed in 2024 tied to ghost gun activity

These encouraging trends are a product of the bold, data-driven strategy that we have implemented. A blend of tough enforcement, legal action, and community-driven prevention measures have resulted in a San Diego County ban on ghost guns, new County safe storage laws, and taking to court the companies that flood our communities with untraceable weapons. 

And we aren’t finished there. San Diego County is expanding prevention efforts with hospital-based interventions, outreach in communities like Spring Valley and Vista (which have higher rates of gun violence than the County as a whole), and suicide prevention campaigns.

We’re building a foundation for lasting change, and I look forward to working with you to keep fighting against senseless gun violence.