The audit says 29 of 34 surveyed courts didn’t even know they were required to report people deemed mentally unfit to own guns to the California Department of Justice.
Republican Assembly member Katcho Achadjian says public safety is “in jeopardy.”
He says it’s unacceptable that some 2,300 mentally ill gun owners were never reported.
“As we have seen in many cases that people who use guns to kill are people who are mentally disturbed,” says Achadjian.
He will introduce legislation next year to improve the reporting system.
The Courts say recent budget cutbacks have left courts without any electronic filing capability.
“That technology would streamline and make the reporting much simpler and much faster to do,” says Cory Jasperson with the Administrative Office of the Courts.
The audit also criticizes the Department of Justice for not reminding the courts of their obligations. The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment.