San José will require insurance for those who carry firearms

SAN JOSE – After a man attacked and killed eight of his co-workers and then took his own life in the city of San José, California, authorities will require that everyone with a firearm have damage insurance.

In recent days, the San José City Council unanimously approved a series of control measures for all those who have a firearm, among them is paying an insurance and annual fee that will cover the costs of taxpayers related to armed violence .

The measures indicate that if these requirements are not met, the weapons will be confiscated from their owners.

The prosecutor’s office is currently fine-tuning details on this issue and is expected to return to the council in the fall with an ordinance for final approval and if this happens, San José will become the first city in the country to pass these types of laws.

The mayor of San José, Sam Liccardo, said that he is in favor of this decision, because although it will not end the violence caused by firearms, it will achieve that the city and its inhabitants generate expenses that are caused by using improperly those artifacts.

He commented that “while the Second Amendment protects the right of all citizens to own a gun, it does not oblige taxpayers to subsidize that right.

The mayor has been in favor of gun control, after a shooting occurred in 2019 at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, but efforts did not continue during 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But this gained momentum after the shooting that occurred on May 26 of this year, after a man angry about his work situation shot his co-workers.

Regarding insurance, so far the authorities have not given information on what the cost of the fee will be, since an analysis of different charges must be made, but the proceeds will serve to cover the direct costs of firearm violence.

In this way, the insurance will provide financial coverage for the costs of police response, ambulance transport and medical treatment of bullet victims.

Through a preliminary report, which was given before the vote on this measure, it was determined that homicides, suicides and other incidents with firearms cost the city of San José an amount of approximately US $ 63 million per year.

Jaime Bellemare, who is a member of Brady United Against Gun Violence, a non-profit group that combats violence with firearms, commented that if this is achieved, San José will be the first city to get those who carry a firearm have to pay damage insurance.

For Miguel Arteaga, a resident of the San José area, measures like these are a great relief, since no one is exempt from suffering an attack.

He commented that a relative suffered an assault where he was wounded by a bullet and medical services were so high that they had to sell some belongings to cover the expenses.

Although the ideal for him is that the use of weapons is not allowed, these modifications are already an advance.