WHEREAS
, According to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine and various articles in the
Philadelphia Inquirer
and
Philadelphia Daily News
, the City’s homicide rate in 2006 was up 7 percent over the previous year and the 2005 homicide rate was a 15 percent increase over 2004; and
WHEREAS
, According to the Uniform Crime Report, robberies with handguns were up 12 percent in Allegheny County between 2005 and 2006, and homicides by firearm were up 36 percent in the Commonwealth between 2000 and 2006; and
WHEREAS,
Federal statistics show that most handguns used in crimes in Pennsylvania come from within the state, and that Pennsylvania - which Governor Rendell has called a "haven for straw purchasers" - has become a source for illegal handguns in nearby states; and
WHEREAS
, Law enforcement officials view a lost or stolen reporting requirement as an important tool enabling investigators to track illegal handguns used in crimes back to their original owner as well as to create more accountability; and
WHEREAS
, Police officials believe lost or stolen reporting requirements will help crack down on illegal straw purchases of handguns by individuals without a criminal background who buy handguns in bulk and then sell them to persons with criminal records; and
WHEREAS
, A lost or stolen handgun reporting requirement law would greatly assist police investigators in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and other Pennsylvania jurisdictions as they trace illegal handguns and seek to prevent straw purchases; and
WHEREAS
, The Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities, led by a Task Force of Pennsylvania mayors concerned about rising gun violence in their communities, is in favor of a lost or stolen firearm reporting law; and
WHEREAS
, Law enforcement officials and agencies across Pennsylvania and the United States have come out in favor of a mandatory lost or stolen handgun reporting law including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, and the Pennsylvania District Attorney's Association; and
WHEREAS
, Seven states have already passed legislation to stem the rising tide of gun violence by stopping straw purchasers from being able to buy handguns in bulk by making it mandatory for handgun owners to report their lost or stolen weapons to their local police department; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED
,
BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
, That we hereby urge the Philadelphia Delegation to the Pennsylvania General Assembly to support all efforts or organize around the efforts to follow the example of seven other states by writing and passing legislation making lost or stolen handgun reporting mandatory in Pennsylvania.
FURTHER RESOLVED
, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor and all members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
End