Plymouth Township Public Meeting On Lost & Stolen Tonight (5/10)

[Devrbd]

Heads up to any Plymouth Township residents. Meeting tonight at 7:00PM with Lost & Stolen on the agenda.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Plymouth Township Council will hold a public meeting on May 10, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Plymouth Township Municipal Building, 700 Belvoir Road, Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania 19462, to consider the enactment of the following Ordinance summarized below: AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE PROMPT NOTIFICATION TO THE PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT OF LOST OR STOLEN FIREARMS The Council of Plymouth Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, does hereby enact and ordain the following: Section 1. Required Conduct Any person who is the owner of a firearm that is lost or stolen within Plymouth Township shall report the loss or theft of the firearm to the Plymouth Township Police Department within 72 hours after discovery of the loss or theft of the firearm. Failure to so report a lost or stolen firearm is a violation subject to the penalties set forth under this chapter. Section 2. Definition of 'Firearm' For purposes of this chapter, the term 'firearm' shall mean any pistol or revolver with a barrel length less than 15 inches, any shotgun with a barrel length less than 18 inches or any rifle with a barrel length less than 16 inches, or any pistol, revolver, rifle or shotgun with an overall length of less than 26 inches. The barrel length of a firearm shall be determined by measuring from the muzzle of the barrel to the face of the closed action, bolt or cylinder, whichever is applicable. This Ordinance shall be deemed automatically amended at any time that the definition of 'firearm' provided under 18 Pa.C.S.A. §6102 is amended after the effective date of this Ordinance, and the definition of 'firearm' set forth under 18 Pa.C.S.A. §6201 shall be deemed the definition controlling the enforcement of this Ordinance. Section 3. Maintenance of Administrative Record of Stolen Firearm The Plymouth Township Police Department shall maintain a record of all reports of firearms reported as stolen in accordance with the terms of this chapter, and shall provide a report of same to Township Council on not less than an annual basis. Section 4. Penalties for Violation Any person who shall violate any provision of this Ordinance shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000.00 plus costs and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days. Section 5. Severability The terms, conditions and provisions of this Ordinance are hereby declared to be severable, and, should any portion, part or provision of this Ordinance be found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unenforceable or unconstitutional, Township Council hereby declares its intent that the Ordinance shall have been enacted without regard to the invalid, unenforceable, or unconstitutional portion, part or provision of this Ordinance.

[Dannytheman]

Are you in Plymouth and can you attend?

Home Rule Towns are specifically banned from adopting this law.

Plymouth Township adopted a Home Rule Charter in 1972. Government under a Home Rule Charter allows a municipality to take any governmental or administrative actions it requires, unless such actions are prohibited by general laws of the Commonwealth. With this charter in place, citizens and their elected officials are given more governing power, and there is more of an opportunity for public involvement in governing procedures and decisions.

Send this to the board NOW. I am doing it when I find some e mails.
Look up other info on Lost and Stolen here, plenty of info.

[Devrbd]

I'm only about 2 miles from the township building, but I don't live in Plymouth Township. My township already passed this thing months ago.

If I recall there are members that live practically across the street from the township building.

[Dannytheman]

Just sent following e mail.

Dear Chairman Gillen and Fellow Board Members

I was notified that Plymouth Township was entertaining discussing a Lost and Stolen Ordinance related to handguns this evening.
I must bring to your attention that Plymouth is a Home Rule township and in being so are barred from passing this law. This was discovered in Radnor Township and various other townships around the Commonwealth.
The State of PA gun laws are set by the legislators of the State, local ordinances are not permitted to govern gun laws.

That being said, I represent the Firearms Owners Against Crime. I also served 9 years as a Commissioner of a township of the First Class. I would like you to review the linked web site for a correct reflections of the law you are looking to pass.

Lost and Stolen

I am sure, if your solicitor is worth his fees, he will advise you that this is an illegal position for any Pennsylvania township to pass.
The Attorney General, and possibly next Governor, has said as much.
I of course have a wealth of information, but I will not over load you with it, unless you need it.
I, unfortunately, can not attend this evenings meeting to present the truth to you and your other elected officials. Please let me know if I can supply you an honest picture in the future.

Please let me know if I can help educate you or the other elected officials on the illegality of this ordinance.
Lastly, about 30 towns have passed this ordinance, Philly, Pittsburgh, Lancaster, York and some others. Some have had it on the books for 18 months.(Philly and Pittsburgh). Not one prosecution has occurred using this law in any area of PA.
It is a feel good law that possibly could place a law abiding victim of a crime in harms way.

Best To You,

[Devrbd]

Just sent following e mail.

Very nice!

Since I don't live in Plymouth Township, would I be allowed to attend/observe this meeting? If I hustle through work this afternoon, I should be able to make it.

[Dannytheman]

It is indeed a public meeting, so you can attend if you wish. The township might not allow you to speak as a non resident, but the previous towns we lobbied were nice enough to let us have our say. They sure let CeasefirePA have theirs.

So attend, and I hope others see this posting and can attend.

[Dannytheman]

Dan,

The ordinance was adopted. It will be effective after 30 days, i.e., June 10th. Karen



Karen B. Weiss

Township Manager

Plymouth Township

700 Belvoir Road

Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

Phone: 610-277-4100 x4108

Fax: 610-277-1452

Email: kweiss@plymouthtownship.org

From: plymouth
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 3:57 PM
To: Weiss, Karen
Subject: FW: Lost and Stolen Ordinance







Len Hess MCSA, MCP, NET+, A+
Information Technology Manager
Plymouth Township
P: (610) 313-8686

P: (610) 277-4100 Ext. 4343

F: (610) 233-0563

E: lhess@plymouthtownship.org



From: Dan McMonigle [mailto:dmcmon@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 1:04 PM
To: plymouth
Subject: Fwd: Lost and Stolen Ordinance



Hello Karen,

Could you please let me know what was decided on the Lost and Stolen ordinance discussed last night?
Was it tabled? Will it be discussed again?

Dan McMonigle
Firearms Owners Against Crime, 5A Rep.

[Devrbd]

Unbelievable. Thanks for the follow-up. This thing seems to be spreading pretty rapidly, unfortunately.

[Dannytheman]

We need people to get involved and show up. We have won everywhere we have been!

[Devrbd]

We need people to get involved and show up. We have won everywhere we have been!

That's great to know and very encouraging! I wasn't aware.