Attorney General Bonta Releases New Firearms Data to Increase Transparency and Information Sharing

Releases 2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal through DOJ’s OpenJustice Platform 
SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General today announced new and updated firearms data available through the California Department of Justice (DOJ)’s 2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal. The dashboard is accessible though DOJ’s OpenJustice Data Platform. The announcement will improve transparency and information sharing for firearms-related data and includes broad enhancements to the platform to help the public access data on firearms in California, including information about the issuance of Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) permits and Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs).
“Transparency is key to increasing public trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As news of tragic mass shootings continue to dominate the news cycle, leaving many with feelings of fear and uncertainty, we must do everything we can to prevent gun violence. One of my continued priorities is to better provide information needed to help advance efforts that strengthen California’s commonsense gun laws. Today’s announcement puts power and information into the hands of our communities by helping them better understand the role and potential dangers of firearms within our state.” 
DOJ seeks to balance its duties to provide gun violence and firearms data to support research efforts while protecting the personal identifying information in the data the Department collects and maintains. Data-driven research plays a critical role in keeping Californians safe by informing and shaping our commonsense gun laws. With today’s announcement, Attorney General Bonta is improving accessibility and functionality of the existing firearms database with expanded information in a comprehensive data dashboard. The dashboard includes data from the past decade when available on the following subjects:

• Dealer Record of Sales
• Gun Violence Restraining Orders
• Carry Concealed Weapons Permits
• Firearms Safety Certificates
• Assault Weapons 
• Roster of Certified Handguns

Among the changes are more in-depth analysis of GVROs, which are now displayed at both the state and county level. According to the dashboard, GVROs issued in California over the past five years have increased from 104 issued statewide in 2017 to 1,384 issued statewide in 2021 — a 1,231% increase over a five-year period. Attorney General Bonta is a proponent of GVROs as a key tool in helping to prevent gun violence. The research supports this strategy. This year, University of California Davis published a report indicating that GVROs prevented approximately 58 mass shootings in California between 2016 and 2018.
The dashboard also provides links to a variety of supplemental resources such as reports, applications, legal information, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), among other resources. The release of the expanded data and information continues Attorney General Bonta’s commitment to make the data more accessible to the public. In April 2021, Attorney General Bonta announced that his office would begin sharing additional data with gun violence researchers to help better inform policy choices within California.
California continues its efforts to advance laws and policies that save lives and prevent gun deaths. In 2021, California saw a 37% lower gun death rate than the national average. According to the CDC, California’s gun death rate was the 44th lowest in the nation, with 8.5 gun deaths per 100,000 people – compared to 13.7 deaths per 100,000 nationally, 28.6 in Mississippi, 20.7 in Oklahoma, and 14.2 in Texas. California’s gun death rate for children is also lower than other states, and is 58% lower than the national average.
Attorney General Bonta stands with partners throughout the state to continue preventing gun violence strategically and aggressively by:

• Advocating for commonsense gun laws including by sponsoring Assembly Bill 1594 to increase accountability for the firearm industry, working to strengthen federal laws to protect the public from ghost guns, and successfully defending California’s laws to prevent gun violence;
• Seizing guns from prohibited persons in the Armed and Prohibited Persons System, and through multiagency sweeps in the Bay Area and Los Angeles County, conducting operations targeting individuals attempting to illegally purchase guns, and collaborating with local law enforcement partners;
• Ending the sale of illegal firearms through litigation against ghost gun retailers, and by putting a stop to the sale of illegal assault weapons in Orange County; and
• Improving transparency by expanding gun violence-related data the California Department of Justice releases to researchers.  

The 2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal can be viewed here.

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