Cities Draw a Bead on Handguns : Welcome moves in L.A., Indianapolis, Kansas City; a wise vote in Stockton

As some congressional Republicans plan attacks on the tough new federal gun control laws, a few cities are showing signs of a welcome new resolve to curb firearms.

After a heated debate that generated national attention, the Stockton City Council last Monday rejected a measure that would have allowed any “law-abiding” city resident to carry a concealed pistol. The council agreed that the proposed ordinance would escalate street violence, not reduce it as supporters insisted.

However, the Stockton vote can only be seen as a victory in holding the line against today’s reality, which is that society is awash in firearms. By contrast, Indianapolis and Kansas City, Mo., are using existing law to curb illegal gun possession. Their experimental efforts, while raising a host of questions, may offer lessons for other cities.

Police in those two cities now focus on guns the way they once did on drugs and drunk drivers. Concentrating on neighborhoods with a high incidence of gun violence, officers--with the support of community groups--stop cars for traffic violations such as an expired license plate or a broken headlight that permit them to lawfully peer inside for illegal firearms, which they have the authority to confiscate. Early results from this program, according to Kansas City officials, include a 50% drop in gun-related crimes in that area.

Is this approach worth a try here? A forthcoming U.S. Justice Department evaluation may provide some answers. In the meantime, the Los Angeles City Council seems to be on the brink of important changes. Last Monday the council’s public safety committee approved a proposal to keep firearms dealers out of residential areas and require them to operate from fixed addresses. If adopted by the full council, the measure could aid law enforcement officials in stopping illegal sales. Several other worthy proposals, including plans to restrict the sale of ammunition, also are on the agenda.

Local action in California will be all the more important come January. With a Republican majority in the Assembly, local officials across the state can count on little help from the Legislature in addressing escalating gun violence.

Assemblyman Louis Caldera (D-Los Angeles), chairman of the Assembly Select Committee on Gun Violence, tried hard last year to rescind the law that gives the state power to preempt local gun laws. He will try again this year, though the climate in Sacramento surely will be less hospitable. In addition to reviving his bill lifting state preemption, Caldera plans to introduce a measure, similar to one in Maryland, banning the manufacture and sale of cheap handguns.

No less necessary are proposals to require handgun trigger locks and locked storage of firearms. All these changes are more than warranted.