Dear City Council, I just learned that the Safe Storage of Firearms Ordinance (No. 1067) was removed from consideration before final passage because a single resident threatened to sue the City if it was approved. I understand that Menlo Park is in a severe budget crisis due to the Coronavirus shutdowns and that defending lawsuits, even frivolous ones, can be expensive. However, I have also learned that Everytown For Gun Safety has agreed to defend any potential lawsuit for free. I therefore urge the City to return this matter to the agenda ASAP and pass it into law. This is even more imperative now: gun sales have soared since the institution of Shelter in Place orders ( https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/us-sales-guns-ammunition-soar-amid-coronavirus-panic-buying ) and unintentional shootings by children, not coincidentally, rose by 43% in March and April ( https://www.cbsnews.com/news/unintentional-shootings-guns-kids-sales-coronavirus-lockdowns/ ). Right now children are out of school and spending more time at home, sometimes without adult supervision. There is clearly an increased danger of high risk persons gaining access to unsecured firearms. Thank you for your consideration, Nogah Shmeltzer 1121 St. Francis street Redwood City, CA 96061 Received on Sat Jun 27 2020 - 21:21:09 PDT
