Area Lawmen Divided Over Gun Legislation

Ventura County’s top law enforcement officials split over legislation passed Thursday by the state Assembly that would ban the manufacture and sale of handguns known as Saturday night specials.

Reflecting the ambivalence in society as a whole, some felt it was time California cracked down on the weapons, while others feared that disarming law-abiding citizens will embolden the thugs.

“I think it is long overdue,” Oxnard Police Chief Art Lopez said. “The legislation is taking a step in the right direction. These [Saturday night specials] are probably not worth the metal they are made out of. They are cheaply made, easily attainable and they end up on the streets where they are used sometimes to injure and sometimes to kill.”

Countered Sheriff Bob Brooks: “All laws in society will not prevent criminals from getting guns.”

The Assembly vote was taken in the wake of last week’s shooting spree at the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills. In that attack, white supremacist Buford O. Furrow Jr. allegedly entered the center and shot three children, a receptionist and a camp counselor. He also is accused of later shooting and killing a postman. Authorities recovered five assault rifles, two handguns and 7,000 rounds of ammunition from Furrow’s van.

The shooting prompted Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks to urge legislators to toughen current gun laws, specifically calling for a ban on every assault rifle and Saturday night special handgun in America.

Part of Parks’ agenda has already been accomplished. Beginning Jan. 1, California will ban the sale, manufacture and import of assault weapons under a law signed by Gov. Gray Davis last month.

Several law enforcement leaders in Ventura County said such restrictions are the only way to reduce the number of firearms in communities.

“As far as I’m concerned, the fewer number of weapons we produce and put on the street the safer we’ll all be,” said Lopez, who worked for Parks as a chief deputy before becoming chief in Oxnard.

Simi Valley Police Chief Randy Adams, calling himself “no advocate of gun control,” said he finds himself in favor of the new legislation, which still requires approval from the state Senate and the governor before it becomes law.

“I don’t think these guns serve any useful purpose,” Adams said. “Anyone responsible, I feel, will make sure any weapon they purchase is well manufactured and safe, and then they will get the proper training and so forth. So any cheap specials, I’m against.”

But Brooks said the issue is so complex that more gun-control laws won’t have much impact. Existing laws are already proving to be ineffective, he said.

“In all incidents we’re used to responding to--instances of workplace violence, the Granada Hills shooting, the shootout in North Hollywood--in almost every case the shooter violated existing gun laws.”

Furrow, for example, was already ineligible to purchase guns because he had a history of mental illness and a criminal background, Brooks said.

Brooks said he is also concerned that banning the cheaper weapons will make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens who want to protect themselves.

“If I’m somebody of modest means,” Brooks said, “and I live in an area where I want protection but I can’t afford an expensive weapon, then having a gun for protection becomes something for the elite. That’s a valid argument on the other side.”

Officials are also mixed on what impact new gun-control laws will have on the crime rate in Ventura County. Brooks said most shootings in Ventura do not involve Saturday night specials or assault weapons.

“Our local experience doesn’t indicate that it will make any noticeable difference in our county,” Brooks said. “We don’t have much history with these problems.”

He said that the bulk of guns used to commit crimes is stolen, rather than purchased at a gun store that requires background checks and registration.

Many criminals get their guns through black market gun shops that are common in Los Angeles County, Brooks said.

Brooks thinks longer sentences for criminals who use guns are a better deterrent. One is the recently enacted “10-20-life” law that adds years to a prison sentence if a gun is used to commit a crime or injure someone.

Lopez agrees that Ventura County does not see many shootings involving assault weapons or Saturday night specials, but notes that because Los Angeles is so close, it may just be a matter of time.

“I think we are talking about the potential for those guns to come into this county,” Lopez said. “It seems we are behind what happens in Los Angeles and other areas where there is a lot more violence. But there is always a potential for it happening here.”

* HANDGUN BAN

Assembly narrowly approves legislation. A1