People in the City of Richmond will now be required to report lost or stolen firearms to police.
Richmond City Council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance Tuesday night. It was introduced by Mayor Levar Stoney last month. The new ordinance will require Richmond residents whose guns are lost or stolen to report it to the police within 24 hours. Similar state-wide reporting standards were proposed in the General Assembly earlier this year, but it was never voted on.
Kristin DuMont, a member of the pro-gun control group Moms Demand Action, thanked City Council for acting when the state would not.
“In the face of unconscionable inaction at the state and federal legislative levels, it is a bold and welcome move that Richmond City would take whatever steps we can to protect our citizens from gun violence,” DuMont said.
No one spoke in opposition to the ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting.
Under the new law, anyone who doesn’t report a lost or stolen firearm to Richmond Police can be fined up to $125 for a first offense and $250 for a subsequent offense.
At a press conference last month, Police Chief Will Smith said the ordinance could help reduce illegal firearm sales. More than 350 guns have been reported lost or stolen in Richmond so far this year.
“We continue to seize firearms that have never been reported stolen, that are involved in illegal activity, that are involved in illegal possession,” Smith said last month. “It’s those guns that we really need to address.”