City Council approves first readings for fingerprint rule and ban on concealable "pocket rockets"

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday voted to advance two related public-safety measures: a city ordinance requiring a purchaser's thumbprint for handgun sales and a separate ordinance banning the retail sale of easily concealable compact handguns (often described in testimony as "pocket rockets"). Councilmember Mike Feuer introduced the fingerprint requirement, and the council approved the ordinance on first reading 10-1; a related budget request to fund fingerprint-processing capacity cleared 8-3. The compact-handgun sale ban passed on first reading 9-2.

Supporters said the measures give law enforcement tools to deter and prosecute people who try to buy guns illegally; opponents warned the rules would not stop criminals and could harm lawful owners, including some elderly and disabled residents. The council and staff repeatedly noted that because fewer than 12 members were present, both ordinances will be carried over for a second reading next week under city rules for ordinance adoption.

Feuer framed the thumbprint measure as an enforcement tool. "I rise to urge a unanimous vote of the city council in support of an ordinance that was itself unanimously backed by the police commission, strongly backed by police chief Parks and the LAPD guns unit," Feuer said, arguing the step would help prosecutors pursue people who lie on background-check forms. He cited state statistics, saying that in 1999 "nearly 5,000 criminals including murderers, rapists, robbers, and others tried illegally to buy guns in California." Feuer said the thumbprint requirement would not by itself change substantive state eligibility rules but would make prosecutions more feasible.

Police testimony and task-force presentations underpinned the proposal. Lieutenant Don Farrell of the LAPD's guns unit told the council the thumbprint is primarily an investigative tool: "We're not seeking this fingerprint to for use as part of the AFIS system. We're seeking this as an investigative tool for our detectives to use once the Department of Justice has denied a transfer of the firearm or sale of a firearm." Farrell and task-force member Whit Collins also demonstrated several firearms during the hearing to show which models would remain permissible under the compact-sale ban and which would be excluded as "easily concealable."

Councilmember Hal Burnson said he supported the ordinance but urged follow-up to address an operational gap. Burnson pressed the police department about delays in the city's automated fingerprint identification (APhIS/AFIS) processing and warned that without faster processing, a person could legally receive a firearm during the state's 15-day waiting period even if later identified as ineligible. "All you're gonna get is the department to have a fingerprint on file somewhere that they can follow-up afterwards to try to apprehend somebody who was a criminal and shouldn't have bought it. But in the meantime, that individual is gonna have that firearm," Burnson said. He moved a separate instruction asking the mayor and police chief to place funds in the police budget so fingerprints tied to gun sales can be processed rapidly; the council approved that amendment 8-3.

Public comment was extensive and sharply divided. Dozens of speakers supported the measures, including representatives of Million Mom March and Handgun Control, who described the ordinances as practical steps to reduce gun violence and help prosecutors. Louis Tolley of Handgun Control said the fingerprint law "will allow stronger enforcement of our gun laws so that we can prosecute criminals who lie on their background check forms and try to sneak through the system." Ria Nagel of Million Mom March said "fingerprints are absolutely essential in identification before you can sell a firearm."

Opponents included the NRA's Disabled Shooting Services Division and individual gun owners who said the sales ban would remove compact options used for lawful self-defense by elderly or disabled residents. "By disarming disabled people who are potential victims and doing nothing to prevent criminals from obtaining firearms, this ordinance will increase, not decrease injury and death," said Merrill Gibson of the NRA Disabled Shooting Services Division. Several speakers said common small-frame revolvers and other models suitable for people with small hands would remain legal under the proposed size-based ban, a point police task-force members demonstrated during the hearing.

Council debate reflected both concerns. Some members stressed that the measures do not criminalize possession and that the compact-sale ban targets weapons marketed and used for covert street carrying; others pressed for state-level changes to background-check law. Feuer also asked that the city attorney's work on a separate state-law change be referred to the intergovernmental relations committee.

Formal actions recorded on the council floor included two ordinance first readings and a budget instruction: - Fingerprint ordinance (agenda item 59): motion for first reading approved 10 ayes, 1 no. A separate amendment asking the mayor and police chief to include funds in the police budget to speed fingerprint processing passed 8 ayes, 3 noes. Because the council lacked 12 members, the ordinance must come back for second reading next week under city rules. - Compact-handgun retail-sale ban (agenda item 13): motion for first reading approved 9 ayes, 2 noes; it also will return for second reading due to the council's 12-member ordinance rule.

The council directed follow-up work: the budget instruction (approved 8-3) requests the mayor and police chief to provide budgetary options to clear fingerprint-processing backlogs and to enable more rapid checks tied to firearm purchases; the council also agreed to refer a request to seek state-law changes on background checks to the intergovernmental relations committee.

Both measures now move to a second reading and final vote next week if the procedural thresholds are met; the newly adopted budget instruction and committee referral formalize the council's request for operational and state-law follow-up.

Notes: testimony and discussion are taken from the council transcript for the March 21 meeting; public commenters included representatives of Million Mom March and Handgun Control, LAPD officers, and members of the NRA's Disabled Shooting Services Division.