Here in California, cities are barred from creating a gun registry. So San Francisco Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier has figured out a novel solution: Create a bullet registry.
The move comes at a sensitive time. Recent gun violence has made headlines with multiple late-night shootings. In one of the worst recent cases, a German tourist was killed when a bullet from a nearby argument hit her in the head. The SFPD arrested an 18-year-old but dropped charges due to lack of evidence.
The bullet registry will likely trigger a repeat of previous battles between gun groups and the City. Last year, the argument centered around requirements that the guns be stored in locked containers. The year before that, a lawsuit was filed over prohibitions on guns on City propery.
Mayor Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation that would make it easier for the Entertainment Commission to close violence-plagued nightclubs.
The state is currently considering a new law that would prevent the government from tracking ammo purchases.
For now, Alioto-Pier is continuing to work with the city attorney's office to craft an ammo-tracking ordinance. Whether such a measure can actually be implemented remains to be seen -- but it's clear that the City's gun violence problem is getting out of hand.
