Lost and Stolen Ordinance-Time to add Swarthmore

[NS145]

From The Delco Times http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2...d251572938.txt


By SUSAN L. SERBIN
Times Correspondent

SWARTHMORE — Council recently approved the drafting and advertisement of an ordinance requiring gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm.

The issue was brought before council by Mayor Richard Lowe, who has already joined Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

“This is a pro-cop measure, as those are the people who very often have to face illegal guns. This nationwide group with a strong presence is united in a common effort and has support of locally and beyond,” Lowe said.

One of the aims of legislation would be to control “straw purchases,” or guns bought legally and then passed on to others for potentially unlawful use.

Several Delaware County mayors are among the 500 who have joined nationally. Communities will be using different strategies in the effort to curb the use of illegal guns based on elements such as size, need and history. The proposed ordinance would require an owner to report a lost or stolen gun within 72 hours of discovery that it was missing. Lowe said Swarthmore Police Chief Brian Craig believed that was an appropriate time frame.

Council members wondered how often such steps would have to be taken, referring in general to the possible number of guns in the borough. Lowe said there was no way to be certain, and that the police were not permitted to obtain information on the number or specific persons owning guns in the municipality. The national statistic is that 50 percent of households contain guns.

One borough resident told council he was a gun owner and opposed the ordinance. Josh Twersky said law-abiding citizens with guns would be on the phone immediately if a gun was discovered to be missing, as opposed to those with illegal intent, he implied.

“How many of you own guns?” Twersky asked the board.

Council members considered the question inappropriate.

“This ordinance doesn’t do anything. It’s words on paper and has no meaning for Swarthmore. It’s a colossal waste of time and there are many more important issues,” said Twersky.

The ordinance will come up for a vote at council’s March meeting. Councilman Philip Jefferson said he would like to hear from other borough residents having views on the issue.

[WhiteFeather]

This is coming everwhere in PA so I HOPE everyone is stepping to do there part to fight this battle locally.

On this link is part of the long term solution to the law breakers

http://forum.pafoa.org/pennsylvania-...ption-law.html

[theshadow]

ok, strange question, Since we know it's a violation of the UFA, aka a crime, doesn't that also make the mayor guilty of soliciting others to commit crimes, and as officers of the court the country solicitor and chief of police guilty of aiding and abetting since they did not arrest him on the spot?

[anonymouse]

Ordinance:

http://www.swarthmorepa.org/governme...storstolen.pdf

Anyone know when the next meeting will be?

[WhiteFeather]

ok, strange question, Since we know it's a violation of the UFA, aka a crime, doesn't that also make the mayor guilty of soliciting others to commit crimes, and as officers of the court the country solicitor and chief of police guilty of aiding and abetting since they did not arrest him on the spot?

Not a strange question you correctly stated the facts, they should be arrested because a crime is being committed.

WHO is going to enforce this? NO ONE this is politics and politically connect people are breaking the law so they won't be prosecuted and face no consequences for their illegal actions because they are or know someone.

So they can illegal break state law section 6120 with immunity, then they will enforce their illegal ordinance on a gun owner that held to a higher standard and are expected to obey the rule of law that the criminals don’t respect and now we find the local elected councils will break existing laws they don’t like.

So what is REAL the difference between elected official breaking laws they don’t like over politics and common criminals?

A VERY dangerous precedent is being set here, where NO ONE is going to respect the rule of law.

[-JD-]

Not a strange question you correctly stated the facts, they should be arrested because a crime is being committed.

WHO is going to enforce this? NO ONE this is politics and politically connect people are breaking the law so they won't be prosecuted and face no consequences for their illegal actions because they are or know someone.

So they can illegal break state law section 6120 with immunity, then they will enforce their illegal ordinance on a gun owner that held to a higher standard and are expected to obey the rule of law that the criminals don’t respect and now we find the local elected councils will break existing laws they don’t like.

So what is REAL the difference between elected official breaking laws they don’t like over politics and common criminals?

A VERY dangerous precedent is being set here, where NO ONE is going to respect the rule of law.

Are you or Kim aware of any DA's who would actually pursue the matter if a private criminal complaint would be filed?

Also, has anyone investigated if the state ethics board could be used as a venue?

[GetTheDavis]

If report a stolen gun what does that do, besides let the LEOs know 1 more on the street? do they drop every thing and look for it, like a stolen bike? This "rule" does nothing but victimize the victim

[NikeBauer21]

If report a stolen gun what does that do, besides let the LEOs know 1 more on the street? do they drop every thing and look for it, like a stolen bike? This "rule" does nothing but victimize the victim

Most honest citizens will report all stolen property regardless anyway. I would report my gun stolen as soon as I found out in hopes of possibly getting it back in the future. Putting a time limit in which I must report it, is the dumbest thing ever.

You are correct... only victimizing the victims further.

[WhiteFeather]

Are you or Kim aware of any DA's who would actually pursue the matter if a private criminal complaint would be filed?

Also, has anyone investigated if the state ethics board could be used as a venue?

Short answer NO, still Lots of valid options are being explored.

DA are elected to office, all politics is local, would you fall on the political sword and stick your neck out, when most gun owners that could, won’t do their part to loudly speak up, if most gun owners won’t, why should they?

Un like CeaseFirePA that has deep pocket filled with cash from sources such as the anti-gun Joyce foundation, Kim Stolfer and the groups he (FOAC & ACSL etc) works with don’t have any sugar daddies, we are all just un paid volunteers that operate on meager donations, membership dues or from our own pockets.

There is lots of back channel stuff going on over L&S in Harrisburg (which i can't post), the big picture goal of all this local activity as it has always been.. Its ONLY to force the state legislators to pass a statewide mandatory Lost and Stolen firearm law. Simple as that......

That is why I predict no one local is going to charge anyone for violating these illegal ordinances in any of these local communities that illegally enact L&S they are using the local elected people as throw away useful idiots puppets.. It’s a cruel joke that is being play out for political theater drama for the larger goal.

IT will not achieve the stated purpose of stopping straw purchases as the anti-gunner claim to be champion of the noble cause all in the name of so called public safety. You would think the anti-gunners would be screaming about the lack of enforcement of existing firearm laws, that's right only all the firearm owners against crime is doing that task.

read detail here with the fact that existing laws are not being enforced .

PA Firearms Laws & PA Commission on Sentencing Reports
http://acslpa.org/n-legislative/pa_firearms_laws.htm

After mandatory reporting of Lost and Stolen doesn’t do anything to achieve its stated purpose for enactment it won’t be that it was a stupid “feel good” do nothing spray and pray, lets hope it does something law that was a failed flawed concept that was the problem, NO...... Next it will be that people can buy more than one gun a month, when that nice sounding "feel good" law fails, it will be on to the next one……… ON and ON till to the ultimate goal of a death by 20,000+ small slices reasonable, common sense laws ends our rights by so many restrictions and conditions uses that its dead for the common person to exercise.

That is why gun control always fails in its stated intend, gun control does not equal criminal control.

All laws only effect the people that obey them, criminals don't care or ever bother to read the gun control laws, so they have no real effect on criminals.

[NS145]

I would love to see how the DA/ADA will prove beyond a resonable doubt when someone discovers there guns were stolen.

I do not keep my EDC gun with my collections. I also keep my work issued weapons either at work or in my work provided vehicle. (which has a safe in the back that stores weapons and ammo along with some tactical gear)

I have a hunting collection (30.06 and a few shotguns) in a safe which I maybe go into 6 times a year.

I also have a small safe that has some pistols that are circa 1900-1919 which I enter 3-4 times a year.

If someone was to steal a handgun from that safe or a shotgun from the other it could be 2-3 months before I notice it missing. (I know I should play with my toys more but have not had the chance the past couple of years)\