Listen to this note:
The supervisors of the San Mateo County agreed to join a coalition of cities and counties in support of a nationwide legal effort to reduce often untraceable ghost guns.
In a unanimous vote, the supervisors authorized the filing of an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a challenge to the Biden administration's regulation of kits that can be assembled to make homemade firearms.
Such weapons are called “ghost guns” because they lack serial numbers and are used by criminals to evade background checks.
"Regulations are urgently needed to stop the dangerous proliferation of ghost guns and protect public safety," according to a report presented to supervisors.
“If someone cannot pass a background check to legally possess a firearm, they should not possess a firearm,” said Warren Slocum, chairman of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
Thus, the supervisors authorized participation in a legal case that began in 2022, when the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) expanded the bureau's definition of a firearm to include the main components.
That meant manufacturers and distributors of ghost gun parts would have to be federally licensed; precursor pieces would have to be marked with serial numbers; and buyers would have to pass a background check before purchasing ghost gun parts.
Notably, opponents won two lower court rulings that said the ATF exceeded its authority. The federal government appealed, and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case during its 2024-2025 term.
Local officials say ghost guns pose a threat to public safety. Since 2019, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office has found ghost guns in the hands of people convicted of domestic violence and other serious crimes, according to a presentation at last week's Tuesday meeting.
District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe has told the media that up to 40 percent of guns seized by police are "ghost guns."
Guns that, in some cases, can be made with 3D printers, are showing up in anonymous gun buybacks organized by the sheriff's office.
A buyback in May 2024 yielded four ghost guns.
You may be interested in: They present an initiative to increase support for domestic violence calls
