Punishment For Stolen Gun In California Depends On Firearm's Value
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The punishment for possessing a stolen gun in California depends on the value of the gun, and a single dollar can mean the difference between a felony, and a misdemeanor.
San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr explained the rules on KPIX 5 Sunday morning.
"Since Prop 47 in November of last year, it has to be over $950," Suhr said. If the gun is worth over $950 it counts as a felony, but anything under is considered a misdemeanor.
Police say stolen guns were used in three recent high profile Bay Area murders, including three "drifters" accused of killing two people using a gun stolen from a car near San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf.
Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed a new gun control ballot measure requiring anyone whose gun has been lost or stolen to report it to police, but Governor Brown vetoed a similar proposal in 2013.
Suhr says his department seizes about 1,000 guns per year, and only a small percentage of those lead to prosecution. Suhr says that's because the District Attorney requires DNA evidence from the gun itself.
