Our schools, courthouses and other public buildings should not be subject to a criminal smuggling an undetectable knife into a building with the intent to injure innocent people. This new law adds another layer of protection to keep these public buildings safe from violent offenders, stated Runner. Assembly Bill 1188 requires all knives manufactured, sold or imported into the state that are undetectable, to be detectable by a metal detector.
Current law allows the manufacture and sale of knives that are undetectable.
This bill was introduced at the request of a Los Angeles County bailiff, who became concerned after a recent incident in a Los Angeles courtroom, where a convicted sexual molester smuggled a plastic, undetectable knife into the courtroom and stabbed two deputies. Runner continued, Many of these stealth knife manufacturers openly advertise that these weapons can easily be smuggled through security checks without detection. This new law will correct this problem. AB 1188 is sponsored by the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs and Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca. It was signed into law October 10th by Governor Gray Davis and will go into effect January 1, 2000.