Santa Cruz County law enforcement agencies conduct firearm recovery operation

Law enforcement agencies in Santa Cruz County teamed up with agents from the California Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Firearms to locate people in possession of guns illegally.

The two-day operation began on January 16. Officers from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Cruz Police and Watsonville Police worked with the DOJ to check on 47 addresses, investigate and close 31 cases and recover one semi-automatic handgun leading to the arrest of one south county man.

“Ownership or possession of a firearm by a person who is prohibited from such ownership or possession is a criminal violation. The Armed and Prohibited Persons System (APPS) is a state database that crossreferences firearms owners across the state against criminal history records, mental health records, and restraining orders to identify those individuals who have become prohibited from possessing a firearm subsequent to the legal acquisition or registration of a firearm or assault
weapon. APPS records were relied upon for information leading to compliance checks.”