Operation Dual Force uses automated database to confiscate illegally possessed firearms

LOS ANGELES (KUSI) – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell Tuesday announced a joint operation designed to remove illegally possessed weapons and ammunition from individuals registered in the Armed Prohibited Persons System database.

Dubbed Operation Dual Force, the enforcement effort uses the state’s APPS database, an automated system for tracking firearm owners who fall into a “prohibited status.”

Such individuals had previously obtained firearms but were later barred from legal ownership due to a felony, violent misdemeanor, an incident of domestic violence, a restraining order or a “serious” mental illness.

Authorities displayed confiscated weapons and ammunition at a news conference Tuesday morning at the Ronald Reagan State Building in downtown Los Angeles.

“This operation is a prime example of how law enforcement comes together to fight crime and keep our neighborhoods safe by removing illegally possessed guns from our communities,” Becerra said. “Thanks to the partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, we can now hold these individuals accountable.”

The joint operation, which is expected to be completed in December, has successfully closed 227 “APPS” cases, 35 of which resulted in arrests, according to Becerra’s office.

Investigators have seized 111 firearms, including seven assault weapons, 56 handguns, 21 shotguns, and 24 rifles. They also seized nearly 28,000 rounds of ammunition, 50 high-capacity magazines and 106 standard- capacity magazines.

“The partnership between the Los Angeles County Sheriff*s Department and the California State Attorney General will more effectively fight gun violence by preventing unqualified people from obtaining weapons,” McDonnell said.

California is the first — and only — state in the nation to have established an automated system for tracking firearm owners who fall into a prohibited status, authorities said.