Louisville ordinance to curb stolen gun problem not possible under state law

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As Louisville Metro Police push for awareness about recent gun thefts, some citizens say laws should be strengthened to punish gun owners who are negligent with storage.

Since June 1, LMPD says around 100 guns have been stolen from cars. Of those, 90% have come from cars that were left unlocked.

Charmae Cuff has the idea to punish gun owners if their gun is stolen due to negligence on their part, like, for example, leaving it in an unlocked car.

"I look at the charts, and I look at the dots and see a lot of preventable things," she said. "I want adults who own firearms to be accountable for what happens with those firearms."

LMPD map showing gun theft from vehicles from June 1, 2019 to July 10, 2019 — Source: Louisville Metro Police Department

She wants lawmakers to consider a new ordinance or civil penalty that would issue fines to gun owners, should their gun be stolen because it was an easy target. Making that happen won't be easy though. Metro Louisville has no authority to invoke laws or ordinances when to comes to firearms, according to Metro Council President David James.

Seattle instituted a similar civil penalty in January. That law says that if a firearm is stolen from a person that was negligent with its storage and used in a violent crime, the gun owner could be fined up to $10,000. The National Rifle Association sued to challenge the constitutionality of the law, but the suit was thrown out initially.

A statewide measure is also unlikely in Kentucky, as many legislators in Frankfort are often hesitant to create tighter restriction of gun rights. Currently, if a gun is stolen in Kentucky, the owner is under no legal obligation to report it as such.

Nonetheless, Cuff hopes this at least starts a conversation.

"These are the same guns that are being used in crimes, and it's heartbreaking," she said. "There comes a time where you have to say, 'Well, what can we do about this?'"

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