L.A. mayor and police chief back federal ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Police Chief Charlie Beck and other top officials voiced their support Wednesday for federal legislation that would ban large-capacity ammunition magazines such as the one used by the alleged gunman in the Tucson shooting rampage.

“It boils down to simple math: It’s 20 lives,” said Beck, describing the difference between a 10- and 30-round magazine attached to a weapon.

The pending federal law — H.R. 308, sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) — would ban magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Chances of its passage are considered slim amid strong opposition from gun-rights advocates.

A large-capacity magazine was used in the January rampage in Tucson that left six dead and 13 wounded.

Displayed on a table beside Beck at a City Hall news conference Wednesday was an array of seized semi-automatic weapons. Such seizures have risen dramatically since a federal assault weapons ban expired in 2004, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said.

Also among those expressing support for the ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines were several mothers who have lost children to shootings.

“We have to do something about these weapons,” said Sheri Barnett, 67, whose 27-year-old son was shot and killed in Los Angeles in 1998 in what police called a gang-related incident.

The City Council last month approved a resolution co-sponsored by Council President Eric Garcetti and Councilman Paul Koretz expressing support for the proposed federal law targeting large-capacity magazines.

City lawmakers are considering a separate proposal, authored by Garcetti, to ban the so-called open carry of handguns within the city limits. That provision would outlaw the carrying of legally owned handguns that are unloaded and kept in a visible place.

Under current state law, carrying such unloaded weapons is generally legal, though proposed state legislation would prohibit the practice. Gun rights advocates oppose the effort to restrict open carry of handguns as a violation of their constitutional rights.

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-- Patrick J. McDonnell

Comments

[uncle_sax]

These are already illegal in Calif. These stupid politicians are just grandstanding.

A legal 10 round magazine takes only fractions of a second to change.
This is a useless law anyway.

[thecanimal]

All firearms should be banned...except for wealthy politicians and their taxpayer funded bodyguards, police officials, athletes and celebrities.

[American]

Because only the government should have high-cap magazines

[DangerMouse]

Probably be a good idea too - to ban the birth of people who are unstable.

Ban bad parents. Put a ban on gang bangers, criminals and illegal aliens.

THEN you can start taking stuff away from law biding citizens.

jerkoffs.....

[West Valley Dave]

Great idea... that will mean only the criminals will get access to them! What do these civic "leaders" think? That we're stupid??? Oh, sorry. I already know they do. My bad.

[John Harrell]

There is no reason for a person to carry a gun with a 30 round magazine. Unless you are a Marine, or Navy SEAL on active duty going into a fire fight.

[Steven M.]

Chief Beck says- "It boils down to simple math: It’s 20 lives,” when describing the difference between a 10- and 30-round magazine attached to a weapon.

I say- Charlie, I've been through two earthquakes, two fires and three riots. In every case, where's LAPD? Where's the National Guard? Where's law enforcement?

I did the math. It's easier to have a policy of, you loot, we the citizens shoot. It's also a lot easier on my family when I am earning money through my ard labors, than having six people carrying me to my grave, because I was one round shy.

Yeah Charlie, you do the math.

Now, onto this bimbo, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.).

This moron has the same legislation in her pocket, since her husband was killed on the Long Island Railroad, a nuumber of years ago. She lives to campaign on his death. The bottom-line is that if it wasn't for the respressive firearms control, he and a lot of others would be alive today.

I am not a "gun rights activist," just the victim of a violent crime and know how to deal with miscreants in an expeditious manner.

Check the stats, LAT. Places where the citizens have Carry Concealed Weapons Permits, have a substantially lower violent crime rate. Compare DC and Maryland to Virginia.

[Logical]

"Chances of it passage are considered slim"...perhaps because reasonably thinking people know these feel good measures do nothing to reduce crime. And to any mother of a gang/gun violence victim, whom I have empathy for, please understand gun laws will not solve our societal problems creating an atmosphere where gangs exist. We already have the ten round magazine limit in California resulting in the only people possessing high capacity magazines being criminals. Do you honestly think some criminal already carrying a gun illegally cares about magazine capacity laws?

[MJ Turnbow]

Another "politician"police chief. I have 15 rounds magazines for my handguns and 30 round mags for my rifles (not clips)for the same reasons as the police do. Stuff happens!!! The police react to calls for help but rarely are in a position to prevent an attack from happening.It is over by the time they get there!! Police are "supposedly" trained in marksmanship but hit their intended target less than 50% of the time.NIJ stats by the way. That is who I am supposed to depend upon to protect me??

[John Williams]

"Simple math" can be too simple. But taking advantage of mourning mothers apparently is simple enough.

Both Loughner and the even more malicious Hasan (Ft. Hood) reloaded during their rampages. So, how did magazine size make any difference? With lower-capacity magazines, they simply would have carried more of them and reloaded sooner. Practiced reloading more.

Even worse, if they had been limited to purchase of weapons capable only of 10-round magazines, isn't it likely that they would have bought larger-calibre guns, say .45 calibre, which can not accept large-capacity agazines and would have greatly increased the death rate among their victims?

Maybe more important was that, in the case of Hasan, the attacker could not be stopped until someone else, ARMED, showed up and shot him. This speaks for permitting citizens to carry concealed weapons into a Federal facility without restriction, for defense of themselves or others, and it says nothing about magazine size. Similarly, the heroic actions of unarmed citizens were what stopped Loughner; but, had these heroes been armed, he would have been stopped much sooner -- or maybe would never have started. Nothing strikes more fear into an attacker than the prospect of being shot by a potential victim.

Definitely most importantly, restricting magazine size would appear to be an infringement of our fundamental right to keep and bear arms, an infringement forbidden by the supreme Federal law, the U. S. Constitution. The Second Amendment does not forbid REFUSAL to permit the keeping or bearing of arms; it forbids infringement -- the shading away of any aspect of this right. Any Federal law regulating magazine size would be, just the same as any such State law, itself illegal under the Constitution.

Mr. Beck would be better advised to counsel his officers to stop enforcing illegal State and Federal laws, than to advocate putting more of them into the already overloaded U. S. Code. The law should be credible, and it should mean what it says; it should not be smirkingly ignored by crackpot legislators or law enforcement officers just to avenge the death of a spouse, the crippling of a White House aide -- or to seek some other excuse as a path to political notariety.

[Jazz]

It does not surprise me that the Mayor and Chief would support this resolution, the police carry 20 and 30 round Magazine for their weapons. I just don't feel comfortable when its OK for Law Enforcement and not the Citizen. Law enforcement is conducted differently on the West side then it is on the South and East side. As it relates to Garcetti and his proposal, he only says this because he has Law enforcement backing him and he is more than likely carrying himself. I would rather be tried by 12 then to be carried by 6; I'M JUST SAYING.

[Sean Chen]

If we make all guns and magazines and parts illegal...

the VIOLENT CRIMINALS will HAVE to turn theirs in too!

When seconds count... the cops are only minutes away.
(if you can even reach your phone)

Why do you call the police? Because they have guns.

[Sean Chen]

Criminals have guns. Always will. We smuggle drugs and people into the U.S. everyday. Guns would be even easier.

Why are politicians and police chiefs working to prevent law abiding citizens from owning and carrying them?

Why do politicians have concealed carry permits? Bodyguards? Gated homes?

Both CA senators are anti-gun in every way. Yet they both have concealed carry permits.

Why?

When Chief Beck is not on duty, why does he still carry a gun? He can pick up the phone and call 911 like the rest of us.

It's just as effective... RIGHT?

[max healey]

I live in Australia. Assault weapons in private owner ship in Australia were banned after Tasmania's Port Arther Massacre. These weapons were purchased from their owners under a 'buy back' scheme. Large capacity magazines were also banned and bought back. Excellent prices were paid for these weapons . Gun shops did very good business as then shooters promptly bought new legal replacement fire arms. I clearly understand the NEED for the carrying of fire arms for self protection in the USA. You have some very dangerous two legged 'wild life'. You do not need large capacity magazines to do so.

[I'm 413 from Las Vegas]

The last time I checked, a firearm can't jump up out of a safe and kill people on their own. Then we should ban cars to prevent drunk driving. Get real. This is one of many reasons why I left the Peoples Republic of California many years ago. The state is nothing more than a bunch of tree hugging, pro illegal allien liberals that couldn't balance their budget to save their lives. Liberlism is a mental disorder. This ban on magazines over 10 rounds will do nothing to save lives.

[Steven Flagg]

Same ole, same ole from that hack Villaraigosa and the politician/policechief Beck. With all of the problems facing this city, why do they insist on wasting their time grandstanding on issues that the vast majority of the public do not consider to even be relevent?