HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-05-28; Ghost Guns (Districts - All); Williams, MickeyTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
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May 28, 2021
Council Memorandum
To:
From:
Honorable Mayor Hall and rmbr rs of the City Council
Mickey Williams, Acting Poli( . ' i f
Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Ghost Guns (Districts -All)
Via:
Re:
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID #2021110
This memorandum provides information on ghost guns and the police department's handling of
them.
Background
Privately made firearms (PMFs), also commonly referred to as "ghost guns", or "unserialized
firearms," are weapons that are not commercially manufactured and do not have serial numbers.
They can be assembled from precursor parts produced through various methods, including 3D
printing, cast molding, or the acquisition of factory-produced parts. The manufacturing of ghost
guns for personal use is not illegal as long as they are produced in accordance with state and
federal laws.
Discussion
In April 2021, the Carlsbad Police Department's Senior Management Analyst worked with the San
Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center (SD-LECC) to collect and review 380 cases where a
PMF was seized within the county. Of the 380 cases, the SD-LECC found that 175 of them were
associated with various weapons violations, such as carrying a concealed firearm, negligent
discharge of a firearm, and seizures from prohibited persons.
Since January 2020, the Carlsbad Police Department has confiscated eight ghost guns. When
police officers encounter a ghost gun, they confiscate the firearm, document it in a police report,
and photograph it. The firearm is then logged into the Police Department's property and
evidence system and booked into evidence. The property and evidence technicians then contact
the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to obtain a Firearm Manufactured by Unlicensed
Subject (FM BUS) serial number. This number is subsequently entered into the Automated
Firearms System for DOJ tracking, and the firearm is held until it is needed for a criminal trial, or
it is destroyed. Ghost guns that are confiscated are not returned to the individual it was
confiscated from.
According to the SD-LECC, individuals will likely continue to manufacture, sell, and purchase
PMFs, and some may be used to facilitate criminal activities. State legislators have introduced
several Assembly Bills to regulate and prohibit the sale of ghost guns by requiring PMF
Police Department
Administration
2560 Orion Way I Carlsbad, CA 92010 I 760-931-210
Council Memo -Ghost Guns (Districts -All)
May 28, 2021 .
Page 2
manufacturers to receive unique serial numbers from the DOJ and imprinting them onto the
manufactured firearm (AB857), requiring manufacturers to obtain a state business license,
maintain sales records, and requiring background checks for purchases (AB879), and closing the
loop on Gun Violence Restraining Orders (AB1057). Additionally, several federal acts have been
introduced to subject all firearm manufacturers to the same regulations, including manufacturers
of PMFs and completed firearms.
Next Steps
The Police Department will continue to investigate and track any crimes involving ghost guns and
will work with the SD-LECC to provide data that is relevant to their study.
cc: Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager
Celia Brewer, City Attorney
Cindy Anderson, Senior Management Analyst
Source: San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center Intelligence Bulletin, May 13, 2021: San Diego County Law
Enforcement Seizures of Privately Made Firearms, "Ghost Guns," in 2020 Indicate Handguns Likely Favored for
Criminal Activity. {Unclassified/Law Enforcement Sensitive)