Color Coded CA gun law Map

[Quickbeam]

I just had an idea... it may not be original, but it would be cool if someone created a layer on google earth that included every k-12 school and a 1000 foot radius around it in red or something like that. It could also include wilderness areas that are debatable, like BLM vs private property, etc. It would provide a good reference for those who open carry, or want to drive out to the desert to shoot. It might be a painstaking task though.

[Librarian]

I just had an idea... it may not be original, but it would be cool if someone created a layer on google earth that included every k-12 school and a 1000 foot radius around it in red or something like that. It could also include wilderness areas that are debatable, like BLM vs private property, etc. It would provide a good reference for those who open carry, or want to drive out to the desert to shoot. It might be a painstaking task though.

Little problem here - who takes the fall for an innocent using the map and the map being wrong?

Until and unless the school districts produce their own maps - apparently San Francisco has at least made an attempt - that task is both too big for any outside group and probably incurs too much risk.

That said, I believe at least two different groups with members here at Calguns have something like that in progress. Don't know how they're doing.

[Falconis]

and the charter schools that pop up every once in a while? good idea though

[wazdat]

For a taste of how massive this effort would be try this "Beta" map.
(Be patient while the map updates 11,847 locations...)

Oh, and it doesn't represent 1000' from the edge of the property, just 1000' from the GPS coordinate of the school.

Beta - Gun Free School Zone

[CHS]

That said, I believe at least two different groups with members here at Calguns have something like that in progress. Don't know how they're doing.

I was working on this for a little while with another friend of mine, and the task was basically impossible. The problem is that Google Maps/Earth is just not a good tool for this.

You can't just determine the center of a school grounds and then draw a 1000 foot circle around it. You have to draw a polygon around the edge of the actual property.

What's required is thousands of man-hours and quality GIS software to pull it off.

[tiki]

A better solution would be to get rid of the stupid law.

[nicki]

That is why "School zones" present an "Undo burden".

Unlike say a "Porn Shop", the 1000 foot school zone presents a problem for gun owners because we don't have to just deal with school zones in one geographical area, we have to deal with them everywhere we travel.

I hope that the SCOTUS will address this issue and come up with some guidelines of what constitutes a "Sensitive zone".

Hopefully the SCOTUS will throw out the "school zone" garbage.

The reality is in densely populated areas, it is almost impossible not to stumble into a "school zone".

Nicki

[dantodd]

Also, the Cal. department of education doesn't put schools with fewer than 6 or 10 (can't remember which) into the database. One of the primary methods for parents to legally home school in CA is to register themselves as a private school. Since CA GFSZ law includes private schools there is no way to create an accurate and inclusive map.

[Quser.619]

Better yet get one of our legislators to propose a law requiring the state to provide an online map or resource. Just give a pro-anti2A title like CA Citizen Gun Free Safety Zone Map & make sure that it requires a state union to perform the work & 3 separate politically appointed committees. It would pass, over-run in costs by several 100's of millions & be completed somewhere around 2020.

[Tripper]

Isnt there the verbiage that says
"knows or reasonably should have known"
I'd think having a database at your fingertips would give the prosecution the ability to assert that you reasonably should have known since you have said database
Whereas they would have to prove that I know orherwise, then for fed law to apply they have to show interstate something
We are better off without a db if zones

[Dutch3]

Also, the Cal. department of education doesn't put schools with fewer than 6 or 10 (can't remember which) into the database. One of the primary methods for parents to legally home school in CA is to register themselves as a private school. Since CA GFSZ law includes private schools there is no way to create an accurate and inclusive map.

Interesting. The school that is 997' feet away from one corner of my property is a public school. Grades K-2, 1 teacher and there are times when she has fewer than 10 students. The average enrollment for the past 5 years or so has been about 12.

[ldsnet]

School grounds might pass muster as a sensitive place, but no way a 1000' barrier from an unmarked building could pass constitutional muster. I hope this goes away soon. I have 2 private church schools within blocks of my house.

[dantodd]

Interesting. The school that is 997' feet away from one corner of my property is a public school. Grades K-2, 1 teacher and there are times when she has fewer than 10 students. The average enrollment for the past 5 years or so has been about 12.

Being a public school may well make a difference. I was not terribly concerned with tiny public schools when I was doing research into this a couple years ago.

[Rock6.3]

Microsoft MapPoint might be an easier tool for this task.

[lhecker51]

I have been informed that the law applies to a 1000' zone as measured from the borders. That means the zones will not be a circle, but extensions of the actual property lines out to 1000' to represented the zone. Is this the case or is it 1000' from the center of the property.