NEW ORLEANS — Reinforcing the City’s commitment to increased public safety, Mayor LaToya Cantrell today signed a gun safety law that will demand accountability and promote responsible storage of deadly weapons.
This groundbreaking law will create a penalty of six months in jail and a fine of $500 for any adult who carelessly stores a firearm that a minor obtains and uses to harm themselves or others. Additionally, this law adds careless storage of a firearm to the list of exemptions for “Summons by officer instead of arrest and booking,” allowing police to arrest any adult for this violation onsite instead of issuing a summons.
“Far too often, our children pay the price for irresponsible adults who fail to protect them from violent, deadly weapons,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “Children should not possess firearms or lose their life due to carelessness demonstrated by adults. It is crucial that every member of this community encourages safe gun storage to keep our families and our communities safe. My administration will continue to take the steps necessary to hold all gun owners accountable, and this legislation places us on the path towards the common gun safety measures the country demands.”
With effective partnerships and collaboration between federal and local public safety agencies, the Cantrell Administration has aggressively taken on the nationwide gun violence epidemic here in New Orleans. The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) routinely seizes illegal guns and, in 2022, seized nearly 2,500 illegal guns off our streets, representing a 26.5 percent increase from 2021. In addition, the Administration continues to promote responsible gun storage by distributing gun safety locks at community events, gatherings and meetings, as well as conducting free gun safety classes for dozens of residents seeking to be more responsible in their storage of these deadly weapons.
“Our children are our greatest assets, and keeping them safe is our duty as a society,” said Interim NOPD Superintendent Michelle Woodfork. “I wholeheartedly support this ordinance as it ensures accountability for firearm owners by penalizing the practice of unsafe and careless storage. Our detectives assigned to the Special Victims Section who work tirelessly to keep our children safe are appreciative of this effort.”
“This legislation is important because no responsible adult wants to be the reason a minor falls victim of access to a weapon that wasn’t stored properly,” said Councilman Oliver Thomas.
“The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) has long supported gun safety legislation, including the safe storage of firearms, and we have urged mayors to take the kind of action Mayor Cantrell is taking today,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of USCM. “We commend the Mayor’s ordinance and the critical steps she is taking to further protect her city.”
“Mayor Cantrell joins African American Mayors Association (AAMA) mayors from across the country who are enacting proactive measures to prevent gun violence and keep our cities safe,” said Frank Scott, Jr. Little Rock Mayor and AAMA President. “With firearms as the No. 1 cause of death for children in the U. S., we must do everything we can to keep guns out of the hands of kids.”
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