San Diego County Supervisor Plans Gun Violence Reduction Summit

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer Friday will host a Gun Violence Reduction Summit, featuring a keynote address from California Attorney General Rob Bonta and four speaking panels.

"I want other people's children and my daughter, who was born right before I became supervisor, to live in a safer San Diego and I made policies to reduce gun violence one of my highest priorities," Lawson-Remer said. "The people sitting in this seat did not always have the same priorities."

The event -- on the third floor of the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway from noon to 2 p.m. -- is open to the public, but RSVPs are required. Both the RSVP and streaming option can be found at linktr.ee/SupLawsonRemer.

Bonta will underscore the significance of the county's efforts in combating gun violence at the end of the summit.

"There have been more mass shootings than days in 2023; gun violence is now the leading cause of death for American children," Bonta said. "Enough has long-been enough. Gun safety laws work, and yet time and time again, they've been stopped or delayed from being implemented by the gun lobby and the politicians in their pockets.

"Whether by seizing firearms from potentially dangerous individuals, taking the gun industry to court, or seeking a constitutional amendment, California is committed to ending gun violence and keeping our people safe," Bonta said.

The Attorney General also praised San Diego County's efforts to invest in violence intervention programs.

The four panels include Suicide Prevention, Community-Driven Peace Work, Protecting Children and Holding the Firearms Industry Accountable, with elected representatives, mental health experts and nonprofit leaders slated to speak at each one.

"If we want to eradicate gun violence, we must start with addressing the meaning of community policing, an approach that must be rooted in treating every person with compassion, dignity, and respect," said San Diego Council President pro Tem Monica Montgomery Steppe, who is a panelist on the Community- Driven Peace Work panel. "I want San Diegans to feel safe on every block and in every community. This summit presents the opportunity for many stakeholders and community members to work together to bring solutions, take action to mitigate this violence and foster unity and healing."

Videos from Reps. Mike Levin, D-Dana Point, and Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego will also be played during the event.

Lawson-Remer said county efforts -- such as making ghost guns illegal in the county, training county social workers to know the signs of potential gun violence in a home, requiring all firearms in unincorporated areas to be safely stored with a trigger lock, or using a container, and authorizing the county law department to join and pursue lawsuits against gun manufacturers -- have made the region safer, but there is more to do.

"The outcome I hope we achieve from this summit is for our community to become better informed about what is being done to help keep their families and children safe," she said. "I also want us to use this summit as a launch- pad for like-minded individuals to come together, and figure out how they can work together to protect more people in San Diego from gun violence."

— City News Service