San Diego City Wire

As a member of the California State Legislature, Todd Gloria fought for gun safety reform, an effort he continues to take up as the mayor of San Diego.

Following through on a campaign promise to champion gun safety reform, Gloria said in a release that he joined the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition.

The bipartisan group is made up of more than 1,000 current and former mayors in almost every state. They are working together to advance gun safety reform at all levels of government. As an arm of the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, membership is working toward several common goals.

Mayors are working together in a joint effort to advance policies and practices that reduce firearm suicides. They are looking to make an investment in victim services and neighborhood-level violence intervention programs. Implementation of strategies to minimize police shootings is a goal as well as a comprehensive tracing of crime guns.

The final two goals are to embrace the courts to advance gun safety and use government agencies' purchasing powers as leverage to improve gun safety.

Gloria has advanced several bills improving gun safety as a member of the assembly, including prohibiting the sale of guns and ammo at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and legislation regulating concealed carry weapons and strengthened requirements for securing a CCW permit.

"This nation continues to grapple with an epidemic of gun violence, and too many San Diego families have been torn apart by it," Gloria said. "Joining this coalition reaffirms my commitment to advance policies that will curb gun violence, promote gun safety, and make our neighborhoods safer."

Approximately 35,000 Americans are killed every year by gun suicide and gun homicide. Another 90,000 Americans are injured every year in gun assaults, accidental shootings, attempted gun suicides and shootings by law enforcement.