LA City Council votes to track ammunition sales electronically

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles City Council tentatively approved a measure to require electronic tracking of ammunition sales, and considered a second gun control measure on Tuesday.

In an effort to keep tabs on who is buying bullets in the city of Los Angeles, the city council approved an ordinance that requires gun stores and dealers to automatically email the LAPD after each sale of ammunition.

"The logs that each of the gun stores in the city are required to maintain -- so this just causes them to email the logs to the city, to the department," said LAPD Captain Charles Hearn.

The LAPD says the system is ready to put in place citywide. L.A. City Councilman Paul Krekorian says the ordinance will keep bullets out of the hands of people who are not allowed to have them.

"A felon, someone who has a mental illness that prohibits them, someone who has a domestic violence restraining order," said Krekorian.

According to Krekorian's office, once the mayor signs the ammo sales ordinance, it's expected to go into effect in January.

The city is also considering another controversial gun law. This one would require gun owners to store their guns in a locked container or disable it with a trigger lock.

"My niece was killed at Sandy Hook in her classroom," said San Pedro resident Sarah Wirtz.

Supporters who went before the city council have been touched by gun violence.

"Every week there are examples of guns deaths that occurred simply and only because firearms were not secured," said Wirtz.

The Gun Owners of California organization denounced the proposed ordinance in a statement: "Each and every time that a law-abiding citizen loses his life or the life of a family member because they could not get to their guns in time to protect themselves in their own home, that loss of life or even injury should be laid squarely at the feet of the LA City Council members who passed it."