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6.H. - Page 9 of 12 to a felony conviction with state prison time. In the event a firearm is improperly stored but has not been accessed, violations are classified as a misdemeanor. Individuals convicted of improper storage of a firearm are also prohibited from owning a firearm for 10 years from the date of conviction. This penal code section is enforceable throughout the state. Having a loaded or unlocked gun in the home can increase the risk of gun -related injury and death. According to a 2008 report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, living in a home where guns are kept increased an individual's risk of death by homicide by between 40 percent and 170 percent. Similarly, a 2004 national study determined that the presence of guns in the home increased an individual's risk of death by homicide by 90 percent. Firearm injuries have a significant public health impact. According to a 2015 study, researchers conservatively estimate that gun violence costs the American economy at least $229 billion every year, including $8.6 billion in direct expenses such as those for emergency and medical care. In California, the direct costs of hospital use for firearm assault injuries alone was estimated at $87.4 million in 2010. Sixty- five percent of these costs were borne by taxpayers. Children are particularly at risk of injury and death from firearms when firearms are not safely secured in their own homes or in homes they visit. According to national data, children and young adults (24 years of age and under) constitute 38 percent of all firearm deaths and non-fatal injuries. More than 75 percent of guns used in suicide attempts and unintentional injuries of children and young adults (0-19 years of age) were stored in the residence of the victim, a relative, or a friend. Eighty-nine percent of accidental shooting deaths among children occur in the home, and most of these deaths occur when children are playing with an unsecured loaded gun in their parents' absence. In San Mateo County, there have been 301 gun -related deaths over the past 10 years. According to data collected in 2018 by the Citizens for a San Mateo County Gun Buy Back from participants at two separate gun buy back events, a majority of respondents reported "hiding [the gun] in a discrete location" and/or "keeping it unloaded" as a safety measure, even though these methods are not generally considered safe storage. A significant number of respondents (27 percent in May 2018 and 60 percent in December 2018) reported that they surrendered the firearms for "safety reasons," and nearly half of respondents indicated that they did not know how to properly store an inherited firearm. ANALYSIS Requiring firearms to be stored in the home in a safe manner, through either trigger locks or locking storage boxes, can reduce the risk of firearm injury and death and prevent access and use by others without the owner's knowledge or permission. These measures can decrease the risk that the gun will be used to commit suicide, homicide, or inflict injury, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Safe storage measures have a demonstrated protective effect in homes with children and teenagers where guns are stored. As of January 1, 2020, the City will have an expanded means of deterring and punishing unsafe firearm storage practices under state law. If the proposed ordinance is enacted, it would cover similar ground as state law, but would be more easily prosecuted than the state statute due to its broader scope and fewer exceptions. The City ordinance has one narrow exception and no defenses, while the state law has several Page 2 of 5 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.ore 239