Safe Firearm Storage Ordinance lead by Santa Barbara Youth Council goes into effect April 4

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Students with the Santa Barbara Unified School District are excited about a new ordinance to increase safety in the community.

The Safe Firearm Storage Ordinance is a Youth Council drafted ordinance created with the safety of teens and the Santa Barbara community in mind.

“When we heard that youth in our community, really care about being safe and bringing awareness to the issue of gun violence, so we decided we would work with the city attorney office to draft a safe, firearm storage ordinance," said student Tiago Eckstein of Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta.

The new ordinance requires firearms to be stored in a locked container and disabled with a trigger lock. 

“This is a really big issue among youth because kids will get their hands on a firearm if it’s unsecured at home … and could hurt themselves or others," said Eckstein.

The Youth Council presented the ordinance to the Parks and Recreation Commission, Ordinance Committee, and full City Council, all while listening to community feedback.

“It’s a really personal issue for a lot of people here. I think everyone either has had their own experience with it or knows someone who has had experience with gun violence. And shootings at ucsb there were some false bomb threats … at a couple local high schools in the last few years," said student Amelia Vander May of Dos Pueblos High School.

Now that the ordinance is in effect, students hope this will increase community awareness and safety around them.

“People don’t really wanna talk about the storage of firearms enough, and how that affects you and I think with this, I hope that that really gets amplified in our voice gets amplified," said Eckstein.

The Youth Council plans to continue educating the Santa Barbara community on the ordinance while working alongside the Police Department and a group called "Moms Demand Action" to host free gun lock giveaways.

“My hope is that people are able to stay alive, uninjured come to school without being afraid of a shooter," said Vander May.

Moms Demand Action was a key organization in providing support and information along the process.

The desire to write an ordinance to add specifications for safe storage or firearms grew out of concerns heard from teens attending the 2023 Youth Speak Out, hosted by the Youth Council.

This event featured local government officials and leaders who met with teens to discuss important issues. 

The Youth Council is hosting the 2024 Youth Speak Out on Saturday, April 13th at the Palm Park Beach House.

The event is intended to continue the efforts from past Youth Speak Outs by bringing together community leaders and teens in the community.

The Ordinance was voted and passed on March 5, 2024.

30 days after its passing is when it goes into effect, meaning that April 4 is day 30.

The ordinance aims to protect public health and safety by preventing unintended access to firearms.