The City Council Of Philadelphia Calls Upon The Responsible Merchants Of Philadelphia - During These Troubling Times, With Gun Violence At An All Time High -To Implement A Voluntary Moratorium On The Sale of Toys Guns In The Philadelphia Stores.

WHEREAS, As of September 18, 2007, the murder rate in Philadelphia was 298 murders; and

WHEREAS, To date, the murder rate in Philadelphia has increased by 23 murders from last year; and

WHEREAS, Handguns play a very big part in Philadelphia’s murders; 336 out of the 407 murders in 2006 were committed by a handgun and 244 of the 296 murders in 2007 were committed by a handgun; and

WHEREAS, Violence is becoming a part of Philadelphia and over one murder is being committed per day; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia had the highest murder rate among the nation's 10 largest cities last year, and violent crime and property crime grew at a rate that exceeded the national average, according to FBI statistics released yesterday.; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia's 406 murders last year represented a 7.7 percent increase over 2005; and

WHEREAS, Nationally, in 1999, 3,385 kids ages 0-19 years were killed with a gun. This includes homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries; and

WHEREAS, Every year, kids are killed by real guns they thought were toys. And police officers have mistaken toy guns for real weapons; and

WHEREAS, The issue as to whether toy guns promote violence in children is a controversial one and because studies go both ways…we ask for voluntary assistance.

WHEREAS, Responsible citizens are urged to do their part in stopping the violence and pulling toy guns off store shelves would send clear message to our children that guns even as toys are dangerous; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the City Council Of Philadelphia

Calls Upon

The Responsible Merchants In Philadelphia During These Troubling Times – With Gun Violence At An All Time High –To Implement A Voluntary Moratorium On The Sale of Toys Guns In The Philadelphia Stores.

End