Westchester County gun stores may soon be required to post images showing the potential dangers of firearms to drive home the written warnings they already display for customers.
A newly passed county bill instructs Westchester’s 39 licensed gun sellers and 22 gunsmiths to put these visual warnings next to each of the two signs they must post under a 2022 county law. The signs warn that having firearms at home “increases the risk of suicide, homicide, death during domestic disputes and unintentional deaths to children, household members and others.”
The county would now add a visual element to reinforce that message under the bill unanimously approved on Monday, June 1, by the Board of Legislators and awaiting the signature of County Executive Ken Jenkins.
Why Westchester passed bill requiring visual warnings for gun sellers
The requirement is similar to one set to take effect in New York City in July after being approved by the City Council last fall. The city hasn’t released yet its image to be disseminated to gun stores; a sample it created last year and shared with Westchester officials shows a child opening a drawer with a gun inside.
Proponents say images like those may make a greater impact than words alone and are especially important for customers with limited or no English-speaking ability.
“This is a tremendous step forward, because people must acknowledge and understand that gun violence is a public health problem in this country, and we must treat it as a public health problem,” David Imamura, the county legislator who initiated the legislation, said during the April 13 committee when it was taken up.
Imamura said Westchester will be the second U.S. jurisdiction after New York City to mandate warning images in gun shops.
In addition to enhancing the warning displays in gun shops, the bill requires the Westchester County Clerk’s Office to distribute the same images to people when they get pistol permits from the office.
Asked if Jenkins plans to sign the bill, a county spokeswoman said he “supports legislation aimed at curbing gun violence and keeping our communities safe” and will review the bill details.
Will NY pass similar gun warning legislation?
A statewide proposal similar to Westchester’s and New York City’s is pending in Albany with just a few voting days left in this year’s legislative session. It was introduced in March by Sen. Erik Bottcher, the Manhattan Democrat who sponsored New York City’s warning mandate last year as a city councilman before he won his Senate seat.
The 2022 Westchester law requiring gun dealers to post two written warnings sets a maximum $250 fine for a first violation. For subsequent offenses, a seller may be fined up to $500 and charged with a misdemeanor.
Rockland County gun sellers must post similar warning signs under a law that county enacted in 2024.
According to data from the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, just over 1,000 New Yorkers die from gunshots in an average year, making it the state’s third leading cause of death among children and teens. New York averages 5 gun-related deaths per 100,000 people, the nation’s fifth lowest rate. In stark contrast, Mississippi leads the U.S. with almost 30 gun-related deaths per 100,000 people.
Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA TODAY Network. Reach him at CMcKenna@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester set to mandate warning images in gun shops about dangers
Reporting by Chris McKenna, New York State Team / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
