California Department of Justice Releases 2019 Armed and Prohibited Persons System Program Annual Report

Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today released the 2019 Armed and Prohibited Persons System (APPS) program annual report. In 2006, the State of California became the first and only state in the nation to establish a system for tracking firearm owners who fall into a prohibited status. The APPS database works to identify individuals who procured firearms and later became prohibited from legally owning them. In general, prohibited persons in APPS include individuals who were convicted of a felony or violent misdemeanor, were placed under a domestic violence or other restraining order, or suffer from serious mental illness. In addition to an analysis of the APPS database, the 2019 annual report highlights recommendations for improving coordination across agencies and the need for funding to modernize the state’s firearms database systems.

“Our Special Agents at the California Department of Justice work tirelessly to protect public safety,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Even during these challenging times, we remain committed to maintaining critical operations and keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous and violent individuals. Keeping our neighborhoods safe is always a top priority. We look forward to working with the Governor’s Office, Legislature, and our local partners to ensure we have the tools and resources necessary to tackle dynamic firearms challenges head on.”

Every day, California Department of Justice Special Agents work across the state to protect public safety by tracking down armed and prohibited individuals and confiscating firearms illegally in their possession. Special Agents partner with Crime Analysts at the California Department of Justice who currently have to navigate a complex, outdated system of nearly a dozen different firearms databases in order to locate critical information used in APPS case investigations. The California Department of Justice is currently seeking to modernize this existing system and has requested resources to begin those efforts.

Some key statistics from the 2019 report include:

  • Last year, special agents made more than 20,000 contacts with prohibited individuals while working on APPS case investigations.
  • In 2019, the California Department of Justice recovered 2,130 firearms during enforcement actions. Of those firearms, 1,007 were not previously known to be associated with a prohibited individual in APPS.
  • As of January 1, 2020, there were 7,747 active APPS case investigations of armed and prohibited individuals.

The California Department of Justice’s APPS efforts are spearheaded by its Division of Law Enforcement’s Bureau of Firearms, which serves the people of California through education, regulation, and enforcement actions regarding the manufacture, sale, ownership, safety training, and transfer of firearms and ammunition. Bureau of Firearms staff are leaders in providing firearms expertise and information to law enforcement, legislators, and the general public in a comprehensive program to promote legitimate and responsible firearms possession and use by California residents. The Bureau of Firearms is looking to hire additional Special Agents and more information on assessments for relevant job openings can be found on the California Department of Justice website here: https://oag.ca.gov/careers/exams

A video highlighting the Bureau of Firearm’s APPS work is available here.

A copy of the 2019 APPS report is available here.

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