Chapter 7
WEAPONS
Sections:
4-7.03 Sales of certain knives.
4-7.04 Possession of certain knives.
4-7.05 Firearm locking device requirements.
4-7.01 Discharge of firearms.
It shall be unlawful for any person to fire or discharge within the limits of the City, or in any of the City parks, any cannon, rifle, gun, air gun, slingshot, pistol, or other firearm, except that this section shall not apply to peace officers using reasonable care in the discharge of their official duties, or to persons using firearms in necessary self defense, or to persons to whom a special permit shall be granted by the Chief of Police.
(Ord. 42 C-M, as amended by § 1, Ord. 527-81 C-M, eff. May 27, 1981)
4-7.02 Confiscation.
It shall be the duty of any peace officer to take from the possession of any person any instrument, weapon, or device being used or which has been used in violation of the provisions of Section 4-7.01 of this chapter and to dispose of the same in accordance with instructions from the Chief of Police.
(Ord. 42 C-M)
4-7.03 Sales of certain knives.
No person, whether as principal, agent, or otherwise, shall sell, offer for sale, exchange, give, or loan to another person or to the general public, or cause or permit to be sold, offered for sale, exchanged, given, or loaned to another person or to the general public, any type of spring-blade or push-button knife, regardless of the length of the blade.
(§ l, Ord. 558 N.C.S.)
4-7.04 Possession of certain knives.
It shall be unlawful for any person to have in his possession, care, custody, or control, whether concealed upon his person or not, any type of spring-blade or push-button knife, regardless of the length of the blade.
(§ 2, Ord. 558 N.C.S.)
4-7.05 Firearm locking device requirements.
All Dealers as defined in Penal Code Section 12071 and employees of Dealers are prohibited from the following:
(a) Selling, giving, lending, or transferring ownership of any firearm without equipping that firearm with an effective trigger lock. “Effective” means a device, which has been approved by the Watsonville Chief of Police as being adequate to prevent the unintentional discharge of the firearm.
(b) Selling, giving, lending, or transferring ownership of any firearm without providing to the person to whom the firearm is transferred printed material that advises the user on safe storage practices.
(c) The expense of the trigger lock shall be borne by the person selling, giving, lending, or transferring the firearm.
(§ 1, Ord. 1104-01 C-M, eff. June 7, 2001)
4-7.06 Safe firearm storage.
(a) No person shall keep a firearm within any residence unless the firearm is stored in a locked container or disabled with a trigger lock.
(1) For purposes of this section, “firearm” shall mean any gun, rifle, pistol, or any other firearm as defined in California Penal Code Section 16520, as amended from time to time.
(2) For purposes of this section, “locked container” shall mean a locked container as defined in California Penal Code Section 16850, as amended from time to time, and is listed on the California Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms roster of approved firearm safety devices.
(3) For purposes of this section, “trigger lock” shall mean a trigger lock that is listed on the California Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms’s roster of approved firearms safety devices and that is identified as appropriate for that firearm by reference to either the manufacturer and model of the firearm or to the physical characteristics of the firearm that match those listed on the roster for use with the device under California Penal Code Section 23635.
(4) For purposes of this section, “residence” shall mean any structure intended or used for human habitation, including but not limited to tents, tent-like structures, houses, apartments, condominiums, rooms, in-law units, accessory dwelling units, motels, hotels, single-room occupancy units (SROs), time-shares, mobile homes, and recreational and other vehicles where human habitation occurs.
(b) The requirements of subsection (a) of this section do not apply when a firearm is carried on the person of, or is otherwise in the immediate control and possession of, an individual in accordance with applicable local, State, or Federal laws.
(c) This section does not apply when a firearm is carried on the person of, or is otherwise in the immediate control and possession of, a peace officer (as defined in California Penal Code Section 830 et seq., as may be amended from time to time).
(d) It is not the intention of this chapter to regulate any conduct if the regulation of such conduct has been preempted by State or Federal law.
(e) Every violation of this chapter shall constitute an infraction and shall be punished in accordance with Section 1-2.01 et seq.
(f) Any person who owns or possesses a firearm shall report the theft or loss of the firearm to the City of Watsonville Police Department within forty-eight (48) hours of the time the person suspected or knew that the firearm had been stolen or lost, if:
(1) The person who owns or possessed the stolen or lost firearm resides in the City; or
(2) The theft or loss of the firearm occurred in the City.
(§ 2, Ord. 1463-24 (CM), eff. April 18, 2024)