Lancaster “Lost or Stolen” Ordinance

[RugerNiner]

Vote on Lancaster “Lost or Stolen” Ordinance
Expected on Tuesday, June 9
Please Stand-Up and Make Your Voices Heard!

As we have reported, Mayor Richard Gray (D) reintroduced a proposal that would require gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm within a 72-hour period or face fines and possible imprisonment. This law not only violates Pennsylvania’s state preemption laws, but it makes innocent law-abiding victims into criminals. A vote by the City Council is expected on Tuesday, June 9.

Please make plans to attend the June 9 City Council meeting to show your support for the Second Amendment and, if possible, voice your opposition to this illegal and unwarranted proposal. The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Council’s Chambers in the Southern Market Building located at 100 South Queen St. in Lancaster.

If you are unable to attend, please contact the City Council TODAY at (717) 291-4785 and respectfully urge them to oppose the Mayor’s ordinance. Email addresses for the City Council can be found below. Also, please contact Mayor Gray by phone at (717) 291-4701 or e-mail mayorsoffice@cityoflancasterpa.com and ask him to withdraw his proposal.

Louise B. Williams, President
LBWilliams1@aol.com

Patricia A. Coller
pacoller@live.com

Joseph R. Morales
joemorales.sr@verizon.net

Nelson M. Polite, Sr., Vice-President
Politesr14@aol.com

Tim J. Roschel
Troschel@aol.com

Kendra J. Saunders
Kendrajeansaunders@yahoo.com

Jose E. Urdaneta
Jurdaneta@urdaneta.net

[ImminentDanger]

You might want to review these.....

Discussion1

Discussion2

Good Luck....

... Stay Safe ...
ID

[baker]

i just sent this out to mayor gray and everyone on city council.

Dear Mayor Gray and members of Lancaster City Council,

I am a concerned resident of Lancaster City and I'm contacting you regarding your upcoming vote on June 9th concerning administration bill No. 13-2008 also known as the Lost and Stolen Gun Ordinance. Unfortunately due to previous commitments i will not be able to attend the city council meeting for the vote on Tuesday. I'm sure the reasoning for the reintroduction of this ordinance for vote correlates with the recent rash of shootings within Lancaster and york counties. Below is a list of the most recent shootings in the city plus the shooting in york of 9 year old Ciara Savage.

4/23/09 Shooting on Manor and Pearl St in Lancaster City
5/9/09 Shooting in Lancaster City (location not reported)
5/10/09 Drive By Shooting in York City (Ciara Savage)
5/18/09 Shooting on Green St in Lancaster City
5/21/09 Shooting at Farnum St Towers in Lancaster City
5/31/09 Drive By Shooting on Chester St in Lancaster City
6/5/09 Drive By Shooting on S Prince St in Lancaster City

There have been many more incidents within the city limits this year but these are the most recent. All of these are violent and senseless acts that disregarded numerous laws and threatened the safety of many people and they should not be forgotten. I don't have complete data on each incident but i would assume that its a safe assumption that most of these crimes were not committed by responsible and LEGAL gun owners. So why is it that you would want to create a law that targets responsible gun owners. It goes without saying that legal gun owners understand the importance of reporting a lost and stolen gun and I'm certain that most of them would report if they were victimized in this fashion.

Now the ordinance being presented contains the following wording:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
LANCASTER, LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA REQUIRING
PROMPT NOTIFICATION TO AUTHORITIES OF LOST OR STOLEN
FIREARMS, AND IMPOSING PENALTIES.; PROVIDING FOR THE
REPEAL OF INCONSISTENT ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR THE
SEVERABILITY OF THE ORDINANCE; AND PROVIDING THAT THE
ORDINANCE SHALL TAKE EFFECT AS PROVIDED BY
PENNSYLVANIA LAW.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE AND IT IS HEREBY ORDAINED AND ENACTED by
the City Council of the City of Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as follows:

SECTION 1. Prohibited Conduct. Any person who is the owner of a firearm that is
lost or stolen shall report the loss or theft to the City of Lancaster Bureau of Police within 72
hours after discovery of the loss or theft.
SECTION 2. Penalties for Violation. Any person who violates this Ordinance shall
be subject to a fine of not more than $1000, or imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both.
SECTION 3. Definition of Firearm. For purposes hereof, “firearm” shall have the
definition given to it by 18 Pa. C.S.A. §6102, as may be amended from time to time.
SECTION 4. Repeal. All ordinances or resolutions or parts of ordinances or
resolutions insofar as they are inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed and rescinded.
SECTION 5. Severability. In the event any provision, section, sentence, clause or
part of this Ordinance shall be held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect or impair any of
the remaining provisions, sections, sentences, clauses or parts of this Ordinance; it being the
intent of the City of Lancaster that the remainder of the Ordinance shall be and shall remain in
full force and effect.
SECTION 6. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall become effective as provided by
the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

This ordinance is ILLEGAL because the right to pass such legislation is reserved to the State Government, and specifically denied to Counties, Municipalities, and Townships, under the Commonwealth's Uniform Firearms Act, §6120. Furthermore, the Uniform Firearms Act also has provisions that make it clear that those who actually USE firearms in the commission of crimes should be the ones held responsible for those actions. Legal gun owners should not be harassed for the actions of criminals.

If the City Council wishes to use time and resources addressing the problem of stolen guns being used for criminal activity they would be much more effective by focusing on penalizing the CRIMINALS because they DISREGARD ALL GUN LAWS. No matter how well intentioned the proponents and supporters of this ordinance might be, this type of legislation simply DOES NOTHING to prevent guns being stolen and used by criminals.

I urge you to please vote NO on this ordinance on the basis that it violates the Commonwealth's Uniform Firearms Act, §6120 and does absolutely nothing to deter the theft and illegal use of firearms within the city.

sincerely

[RugerNiner]

Thai Bill passed unanimously 30 minutes ago!

[tommy610]

Thai Bill passed unanimously 30 minutes ago!

Yes.. here is the story:
http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/238651

[dlclarkii]

How can Lancaster pass this gun law when only the state can enact gun laws?

[MEH]

Thai Bill passed unanimously 30 minutes ago!

I've been out of the loop for a few weeks (at least with PA news). This makes me MAD!!! I live a few miles outside Lancaster.

[The Unknown 1087]

So what happens exactly if someone gets charged?

They plead Not Guilty

They win.

They cannot enforce this law...legally.

[wallyone]

So this will stop the gun violance?
Lets see how this works if you come home to see a robber running out of your house with your T.V. your watch and your gun.
You call 911 to report a robbery, when the police get there you report the items that were stolen. Then ask if they will find your stuff.
They will tell you they will do there best (translates to snow ball chance in hell)
The only way they would find your gun is after a crimmal used it in a crime and that only if they were cought.
If by knowing that there is a gun out on the streets the police could stop crime, then just have them think there are a lot of guns out there.
This is just feel good make it look like I'm doing something politic pandering.

[ImminentDanger]

This Bill passed unanimously 30 minutes ago!

THIS IS A WARNING ! ! ! ! ! !

ALL IT TAKES FOR EVIL TO SUCCEED
IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING !

THIS IS PROOF OF THAT SAYING....

While it's good to send emails or letters, I saw no postings that anyone against these local regulations (from here or otherwise) were actually in attendance (and spoke against them) at Harrisburg or Lancaster when those ordinances were being discussed or voted upon.... Maybe I missed something ? ! ? !


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