A Los Angeles City Council committee Tuesday approved a measure aimed at keeping handguns stored in homes out of the reach of children.
Handguns must be disabled, locked in a container, kept on the person or placed within the firearm owner’s reach under draft language advanced by the Public Safety Committee to the full City Council.
The measure, authored by Councilman Paul Krekorian, is aimed at keeping firearms away from children or others who may unintentionally harm themselves or others with the weapons.
The panel also supported exempting retired police officers and reserve officers from a recently approved ban on possessing ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds. That law was OK’d by the City Council and signed into law by Mayor Eric Garcetti in July.
Members of Women Against Gun Violence, which supports gun control, have said the exemptions chip away at the adopted ban, and until they see evidence that the exemptions are warranted, they will continue to oppose them.
But police union and department officials pushed to include the exemptions, saying retired police officers are able to handle high-capacity magazines and should be allowed to use their training if they ever find themselves needing to defend others in a life-threatening situation.
The panel voted 3-1 in favor of the exemptions, with Councilwoman Nury Martinez dissenting.
The two gun measures are expected to go to a full City Council vote in the coming weeks.
—Staff and wire reports