Kamala Harris suggested that police could conduct surprise visits to the homes of legal gun owners for the purpose of conducting safe storage checks.

Kamala Harris, San Francisco's district attorney, informed legal gun owners in her community that authorities could enter their homes to check if they were storing their firearms correctly under a new law she helped create.

In May 2007, Harris stated to a group of reporters that the community would demand responsible behaviors from everyone, regardless of whether they legally own a gun in their private homes. He emphasized that even if a person has a gun in a locked home, the authorities may still enter the home to check if they are acting responsibly and safely.

During a press conference for legislation that Harris assisted in drafting, which aimed to enforce penalties on gun owners who do not securely store their firearms at home, the comments were made.

The bill, introduced to the city's board of supervisors, was signed into law by then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom a few months later. It was part of a package of gun control measures, including a requirement for legal gun distributors to submit an inventory to the chief of police every six months and a ban on possessing guns – even legally – in public housing.

Newsom stated that San Francisco now has the toughest gun control measures in the county upon signing the new legislation.

In the May 2007 press conference regarding the safe-storage bill, Harris stated that the new legislation aimed to "legislate our values" and "encourage specific behavioral patterns."

"Legislating values is not just about providing an opportunity to prosecute someone for committing a crime, but more significantly, it's about promoting certain types of behavior," she stated.

In November, Harris faced criticism for her statements about her "values," which she told CNN had not changed, while simultaneously switching on long-held policies on almost every front. Since becoming the Democratic nominee for president, Harris has tried to paint a more moderate picture of herself in an attempt to distance herself from President Biden and appeal to a wider swath of voters.

"Lora Ries, a border security expert at the Heritage Foundation, stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that she believes the speaker's values have not changed, as she repeatedly said so in her CNN interview. She emphasized that the speaker is trying to reassure their base by saying this, but their values remain the same."

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., stated that Harris was abandoning her far-left policies in order to secure the election.

Earlier this month, he told NBC's "Meet The Press" that although her views differ from his, he considers her a progressive individual.

In the presidential debate last week, Harris was questioned by ABC News moderator Linsey Davis about her changing stance on mandatory gun buybacks. However, she did not address the question until former President Donald Trump pressed her on having a plan to take everyone's guns. While campaigning for president in 2019, Harris supported mandatory gun buybacks, stating that they were a good idea.

In response to Trump's criticisms, Harris stated that this business of taking everyone's guns away is not true. He clarified that he and Tim Walz, who is also a gun owner, are not taking anyone's guns away. Therefore, it is important to stop spreading false information about this matter.

A Harris campaign spokesperson, James Singer, stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that a potential Harris administration would safeguard and uphold the rights and laws of American citizens, including the Second Amendment.

"The law requiring sensible gun storage in homes was upheld by Republican appointed judges in the ninth circuit and declined to be reviewed by the Supreme Court, as Vice President Harris said on the debate stage, she is a gun owner who supports common-sense safety laws that Donald Trump opposes."

The NRA has a history of clashing with Harris over gun rights, with the NRA challenging a San Francisco law prohibiting guns in public housing in 2009 and winning. However, the Supreme Court, prior to its recent shakeup under Trump, refused to hear an appeal from the NRA and other gun rights advocates after the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals rejected their pleas to relax San Francisco's safe storage law.

The NRA and other gun rights advocates argued that law-abiding residents should keep their handguns inoperable or inaccessible when they need them most for self-defense, which is during the middle of the night when the residents are asleep and not carrying.

A ruling by a 9th circuit judge established that the law does not significantly hinder law-abiding citizens from using firearms to safeguard themselves in their homes. The appointed judge, who served during the George W. Bush administration, stated that San Francisco's implementation of the law serves a significant government interest by decreasing the number of gun-related injuries and fatalities caused by unlocked handguns in the home.