Ghost guns — or privately made, unserialized firearms that are nearly impossible to track — are a concern for Long Beach, officials said at their April 12 City Council meeting.
Last year, the Long Beach Police Department seized 1,068 firearms — 17% of which were later identified as ghost guns, according to LBPD data as of Feb 22. Nationwide, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recovered approximately 20,000 ghost guns from criminal investigations last year.
The Long Beach Public Safety Committee moved to support new legislation that would enforce stringent regulations on ghost guns on Feb 25, citing concerns about “the increase of ghost guns in the city,” — and the City Council did the same on April 12.
Ghost guns — as opposed to traditionally manufactured and distributed firearms — are often sold in-stores and online via “build buy shoot” kits without a background check. Ghost guns can be assembled in 30 minutes using only at-home equipment, according to the White House.
They’re unserialized, meaning they lack distinctive and unique markers, making them nearly impossible to trace.
“I think this is a huge problem, anyone can get their hands on these kits,” said Councilmember Cindy Allen at the April 12 meeting. “From a person who comes from a law enforcement background, these are really dangerous.”
Under existing state law, ghost guns aren’t considered firearms — and aren’t regulated as such.
Assembly Bill 1621, introduced by Assemblymember Mike Gipson, would reclassify ghost guns in order to regulate them in accordance with pre-existing gun control mandates.
AB 1621 would prohibit the manufacturing or assembly of an unserialized firearm — and would require any individual currently in possession of a ghost gun to have it uniquely marked and identified by the Department of Justice before July 1, 2023.
And the bill would explicitly prohibit the sale or ownership of a ghost gun or individual firearm manufacturing equipment — and would require California to maintain a statewide registry of the firearms.
President Joe Biden announced April 11 a new federal ban on the manufacturing and distribution of ghost gun kits, and will similarly require currently unregistered ghost guns to be serialized.
“The federal rule would apply to the ATF, whereas the state rule — if it were passed — would apply to state-level local law enforcement as well,” said Long Beach’s manager of government affairs Tyler Bonanno-Curley. “At this point, they are complimentary in terms of the policy approach in addressing the issue of ghost guns.”
Long Beach will also work to determine whether the city’s municipal code can be amended to further regulate ghost guns, officials said.