Here’s a timeline of important events in the relationship between the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and Yardarm Technologies, the maker of a sensor that records when a gun is unholstered or fired.
Matt Drange
Business Reporter
Matt Drange is a reporter for Reveal, covering the business of guns. He previously reported on Silicon Valley and the intersection of technology and the environment. He won a James Madison Freedom of Information Award from the Society of Professional Journalists' Northern California chapter for his work on the Toxic Trail investigation, which exposed how mismanagement of Superfund cleanup sites often leads to substantially more harm than good. Prior to joining Reveal, Drange worked for the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, where he wrote about malfeasance in state government and the influence of money in politics. Drange started his career covering police and courts for the Eureka Times-Standard in California. He earned a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and did his undergraduate work at Humboldt State University. Drange is based in Reveal's Emeryville, California, office.
Posted inGuns
Ex-sheriff’s new gig with smart gun startup triggers ethics concerns
The county sheriff’s office in Santa Cruz, California, was the first law enforcement agency to test a new sensor that records when a deputy’s gun is fired. And now, the recently retired sheriff is a paid adviser for the company.
Posted inGuns, Guns and Society, Immigration
Gunshot victim struggles to collect payment from imprisoned gun maker
A plaintiff who scored a rare legal win in a lawsuit against a gun manufacturer might be down to his last chance to collect more of his multimillion-dollar judgment.
Posted inGuns, Guns and Society
Bill seeks to shift concealed gun permit decisions to police chiefs
The California bill, which is expected to sail through the state Senate, would allow sheriffs to legally pass the responsibility of issuing concealed handgun permits to city police chiefs.
Posted inGuns, Guns and Society
These dangerous weapons require special permits in California
Fully automatic machine guns, short-barreled shotguns, grenades, rocket launchers and tear gas: All are deemed so destructive by the state of California that you need a special permit to possess or sell them.
Posted inGuns, Guns and Society
Unlikely group fought to keep concealed gun permit information public
A California lawmaker withdrew a bill that would have shielded the personal information of concealed carry permit holders after a gun rights group, the Calguns Foundation, pushed back, saying it needs the access to the data in order to monitor whether permits are issued legally and equitably.
Posted inGuns, Guns and Society
Gun store owner vows creative response if forced to remove handgun ads
A Sacramento, California, federal judge denied Tracy Rifle and Pistol owner Michael Baryla’s request for a preliminary injunction so that he could continue advertising handguns on the outside of his store. But Baryla said he would find a way to cover up the ads until the case is decided.
Posted inGuns, Guns and Society, Immigration
San Francisco killing highlights issue of stolen government-owned guns
The recovery of the gun purportedly used in a fatal shooting on San Francisco’s Embarcadero has dredged up a debate over a persistent problem: the theft of guns from law enforcement vehicles.
Posted inGuns, Guns and Society
California begins first phase of lead ammunition ban for hunters
In spite of pushback from gun owners and hunters, California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials say its plan to eliminate the use of lead ammunition over the next four years won’t cost the state millions in revenue.
Posted inGuns, Guns and Society
Gun transfers among family members remain largely unregulated
In most states, giving a gun to a family member such as a son or granddaughter is easier than giving him or her a car. Such transfers are among the le