A proposal in San Francisco would require that all firearm and ammunition sales in the city be videotaped. The gun control package, put forward by Supervisor Mark Farrell, also stipulates that all spaces in which firearms are stored or carried must be under video surveillance, and that ammunition retailers should retain records for five years and transmit data to the San Francisco Police Department on a weekly basis.
The National Rifle Association released the following statement in response to Farrell’s onerous proposal: “In California, firearm dealers already fingerprint and ID every person to whom they sell a gun. Forcing gun stores to provide videotapes of all lawful firearm transactions to the local police department will only serve to harass and deter law-abiding citizens from exercising their constitutional right to self-protection. Additionally, it creates an unnecessary burden on the police department that could detract from real law-enforcement priorities.”
