HomeMy WebLinkAbout75-39 - Relating to Control of FirearmsRESOLUTION NO. 75-39
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, RELATING TO THE CONTROL
OF FIREARMS; OPPOSING A COMPLETE BAN OF HAND-
GUNS, AND SUGGESTING ALTERNATES THERETO.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COSTA MESA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS
FOLLOWS:
THAT, WHEREAS, legislation has been proposed in the National
Congress from time to time urging a complete ban on the sale of hand-
guns; and
WHEREAS, said legislation was motivated by an interest in reducing
the number of crimes of violence committed with the use of handguns; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Costa Mesa is wholly in
accord with the desire to reduce the number of crimes of violence, but
feels that more realistic methods are available than the outright ban of
the sale of handguns; and
WHEREAS, the State of California, through interested Senators and
Assemblymen, has from time to time introduced legislation as an alterna-
tive to the ban of the sale of handguns, said legislation being Senate
Bill 301, introduced in 1972, and Assembly Bill 95, introduced in 1973;
and
WHEREAS, said legislation, as proposed to be adopted in the State
of California, increases the penalty to be imposed by the court in the
conviction of any felony committed while using handguns or other deadly
weapons; and
WHEREAS, the real priority of concern to the National and State
Legislation, if its intent be to save lives, should be directed toward
the more potent killers, among them narcotics users; and
WHEREAS, if the ban on firearms is adopted, the crime becomes one
of possession and is a victimless crime in the face of the National and
local interest in abolishing victimless crimes; and
WHEREAS, the total ban of handguns would constitute an unreason-
able burden in record-keeping and administration on law enforcement
agencies, and indirectly an unreasonable burden upon the taxpayers of
the community;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
Costa Mesa urges the National Congress and the State Legislature to give
serious consideration to the enactment of legislation which would impose
a greater and more severe penalty upon those felons convicted of crimes
of violence where handguns were used; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Congress of the United States and
the Legislature of the State of California, in the interest of saving
lives, concentrate more heavily on the real evils, such as the traffic
and use of narcotics; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Congress and the State
Legislature be urged to forego the adoption of any legislation creating
one more category of victimless crimes; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Congress and State Legis-
lature be urged to carefully consider the administrative and tax burden
upon the citizens of these United States because of the unreasonable and
unrealistic administrative costs in policing a total ban on handguns;
and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be forwarded
to the Resolution Committee of the United States Conference of Mayors
for their consideration at the annual conference, and to the National
Senators and Representatives for Orange County, and to the State Legis-
lative Senators and Assemblymen from this jurisdiction urging their
careful consideration.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 1st day of April, 1975.
z'eo, '".9 /
yor of the City o Costa Mesa
ATTEST:
pp
City Clerk of the City of Cos Mesa
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) SS
CITY OF COSTA MESA )
I, EILEEN P. PHINNEY, City Clerk and ex -officio Clerk of the City
Council of the City of Costa Mesa hereby certify that the above and
foregoing Resolution No. 75-39 was duly and regularly passed and adopted
by the said City Council at a regular meeting thereof, held on the 1st
day of April, 1975.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal
of the City of Costa Mesa this 2nd day of April, 1975.
City Clerk and ex -officio Clerkthe
City Council of the City of Cos Mesa