California Democratic Rep. Mark DeSaulnier is a fan of increasing gun regulations, to include those used by federal agents. (Photo: Rep. Mark DeSaulnier / Facebook)
With a spate of weapons stolen from federal agents in California, some leading to deaths, one lawmaker is seeking to mandate stronger gun control – for the government.
The measure to be introduced in the U.S. House would establish guidelines for federal officers and agents to secure their weapons against theft and loss.
“Locking a firearm when it is not in use should be a no-brainer,” said U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., in a statement. “Yet, there are almost 80 federal law enforcement agencies and none are required to have standards for officers to safely store and lock their guns when they are not in use.”
DeSaulnier’s proposal, the Federal Law Enforcement and Public Protection Act, would both require standards for armed federal agents to secure their guns and institute better reporting practices for when a weapon is lost or stolen.
The move comes after a number of guns have gravitated from the hands of federal law enforcement agents to criminals, especially in California.
Just this week, lawsuits have been filed by the parents of Kathryn Steinle, killed as she was walking along San Francisco’s iconic Pier 14 with a gun stolen from the car of a Bureau of Land Management ranger; and muralist Antonio Ramos, killed with a Glock left in an unattended vehicle by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
Earlier this week, a vehicle operated by an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was broken into in San Francisco’s popular Alamo Square that resulted in the agent’s Glock along with his badge and credentials. Though the gun was later recovered, the Congressman held up the incident as a further sign that something has to change.
“This is just one example of a concerning trend involving a stolen weapon from federal law enforcement in the San Francisco area,” noted the release from DeSaulnier’s office on the missing FBI gun.
He is expected to file the legislation in the coming days.
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