WHEREAS, Firearms account for over 70% of the homicides in Pennsylvania each year, and of those firearms, the vast majority are handguns; and
WHEREAS, There are more handgun homicides in Pennsylvania each year than there are in Canada, Great Britain, Germany and Japan combined; and
WHEREAS, Handguns used in crimes are typically purchased legally in the first instance by stand-ins for illegal traffickers, called straw purchasers, and soon thereafter move to the illegal market, where they then fall into the hands of criminals, youth, and the mentally ill; and
WHEREAS, Straw purchasers often buy multiple handguns at one time or make several individual handgun purchases in short time frames which are then distributed to the illegal market; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's handgun trafficking problem is so severe that, according to the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), in Philadelphia, 76% of crime guns recovered in Philadelphia and successfully traced, and 81% in Pittsburgh, were originally legally purchased within the state; and
WHEREAS, ATF reports that nearly 87% of these traced crime guns in Philadelphia and over 91% in Pittsburgh were not in the possession of the original, legal purchaser when used in crime; and
WHEREAS, Virginia (1993), Maryland (1997) and California (1997) have state laws limiting handgun purchases by individuals to no more than one per month; and
WHEREAS, Substantial evidence shows these laws advance public safety by effectively reducing illegal handgun trafficking without negative impact on lawful gun commerce; and
WHEREAS, A recent survey demonstrated most Pennsylvanians (76%) and even most Pennsylvania gun owners (61%) support enactment of a one-handgun-per-month law; and
WHEREAS, Handgun trafficking problems in Pennsylvania reasonably call for a state-based solution such as the enactment of a state law limiting handgun purchases by individuals to one per month, like Senate Bill No. 1002, introduced by State Senator Leanna Washington and House Bill 871, introduced by State Representative John Myers; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council endorses the public safety campaign of Pennsylvanians Against Trafficking Handguns and joins their efforts to gather support in urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to enact a statewide One Handgun Per Month Law in the 2005-2006 legislative session.
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