Chicago mayor pushes plan requiring all gun sales to be videotaped

Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff, announced his candidacy for Chicago mayor on Nov. 13. (AP)

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced a proposal Wednesday that would require all gun sales in the city to be videotaped, as part of a plan to allow gun stores back in Chicago under very tight restrictions.

The measure, which would also ban gun stores near schools and parks, was introduced Wednesday at a city council meeting without discussion. It was then referred to the council’s Public Safety Committee.

A vote on the proposal has not been scheduled.

The move comes in response to a January federal court ruling that deemed Chicago’s longtime ban on gun stores unconstitutional. The court gave the city six months to approve store restrictions while lifting the ban, setting a deadline of July 14 for the new plan.

The Democratic mayor's plan, which is likely to be controversial, would aim to significantly limit any gun dealer who wishes to operate in the city. Emanuel’s proposal would also require a 72-hour waiting period for purchasing handguns and a 24-hour waiting period for rifles and shotguns.

Dealers would then be able to sell only one handgun per month, per buyer. Store records would also be subject to quarterly audits.

The stores also must have a police-approved security plan before they could open. The plan would have to include exterior lighting, surveillance cameras, alarm systems and gun and ammunition storage. Store employees would also be forced to “undergo fingerprinting, background checks and training on identifying potential gun traffickers.”

Stores could not reopen at the same location for three years if the city revoked its business license for ordinance violations.

On Tuesday, Emanuel, who was speaking at the Chicago police department’s annual awards ceremony, pushed the merits of his plan.

He called the new rules “a smart, tough and enforceable way to prevent illegal guns in the city of Chicago,” the Chicago Tribune reported.

Janey Rountree, the mayor’s deputy chief of staff for public safety, echoed the sentiment.

“There is no question it will be the smartest, toughest regulation on gun stores in the country,” she said. “It’s designed to prevent gun trafficking and illegal sales in these stores.”

Calls to the National Rifle Association and local dealers were not immediately returned.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.