WHEREAS, “Ghost Guns” are untraceable firearms that are assembled from parts bought online; and
WHEREAS, Individuals can buy kits that contain all or almost all of the parts needed to assemble a gun. These kits come with directions on how to finish the gun or links to online tutorials. Usually, the only tool needed is a drill and a working weapon can be put together in as little as 30 minutes; and
WHEREAS, These “buy, build, shoot” kits may not be considered firearms and are being made and sold without serial numbers and background checks; and
WHEREAS, “Ghost gun” kits have been sold since the 1990s, but there has been a substantial rise in sales since 2016; and
WHEREAS, According to the Justice Department, from 2016 to 2020, U.S. law enforcement officers have recovered more than 23,000 firearms without serial numbers from potential crime scenes; and
WHEREAS, In 2019, Pennsylvania Attorney General Shapiro issued a legal opinion wherein he stated that “ghost guns” must be treated the same as fully-functioning firearms under Pennsylvania law; and
WHEREAS, On December 10, 2020, City Council passed Bill 200593 which added prohibitions on the possession, use, transfer, or manufacture of “ghost guns”; and
WHEREAS, On May 7, 2021, the Department of Justice proposed a rule that would expand the definition of a firearm and close a loophole that has allowed the sale of unregulated “ghost guns”; and
WHEREAS, This proposed rule would require gun retailers to conduct background checks before selling kits that contain the parts necessary to make a gun; and a gun kit maker would be required to include a serial number for certain parts found within the firearm kit; and
WHEREAS, As of October 4, 2021, 436 “ghost guns” have been recovered in the City of Philadelphia during criminal investigations. This is a significant increase from previous years: in 2019, 99 “ghost guns” were recovered and 250 were recovered in 2020; and
WHEREAS, As of December 11, 2021, 524 Philadelphians have become victims of homicide; and
WHEREAS, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has stated that the U.S. government has an obligation to keep families and neighborhoods safe from gun violence; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Council urges the Biden Administration and the United States Department of Justice to close a regulatory loophole and require “ghost gun” kit makers to include serial numbers in firearm kits and federally licensed firearms dealers to conduct background checks prior to selling these firearm kits.
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