Riverside council hears police, law director warn against city-run voluntary gun storage program

At its Feb. 18 meeting, the Riverside City Council heard from Police Chief Josh Robinson and the city law director about a proposed voluntary gun storage program for residents who want police to hold firearms temporarily.

The chief said the department has reviewed the program and ran practical tests of evidence-room capacity and handling. “We cannot fire that weapon,” Robinson told council, describing a limitation he said comes from federal guidance and the department’s evidence policy. He and staff said the department’s property room is small — a 6-by-9-foot caged area with about 17 handgun boxes and 29 long-gun boxes currently in evidence — and that storing privately surrendered firearms for months raises questions about safe storage, insurance, evidence integrity and the risk that weapons tied to possible crimes could be unavailable…