Tuesday, May 11, 2010
BY MADELEINE MATHIAS
The Express-Times

WILSON BOROUGH | Borough council on Monday joined 32 other Pennsylvania communities requiring firearms owners to report lost or stolen handguns to police.

Without discussion, council members approved a new law modeled after others spreading across Pennsylvania as municipalities try to curb gun incidents.

The new ordinance, prepared by solicitor Louis Minotti Jr., requires firearms owners to report within 72 hours the loss or theft of a handgun.

Failure to report could result in a fine of up to $1,000 and imprisonment for up to 90 days.

The ordinance takes effect July 1.

Mayor David Perruso said he received one complaint that adoption of such an ordinance would be unlawful, unenforceable and could leave the borough open to civil liabilities.

But last month, as council considered such a law, Maxwell Nacheman, Pennsylvania coordinator for Mayors against Illegal Guns, said municipalities are taking action because while they would like the state to act, it hasn't.

He said such action by the municipalities does not conflict with state law that governs the possession of firearms. He said only when the handgun is lost or stolen must the owner report it, which helps police stop illegal firearms trafficking.

Council President Leonard Feinberg said he had attended a meeting where municipal officials proposed such ordinances to stop what are called "straw" purchases. "A woman (or) man could buy a gun and then give it to someone else who uses it in a crime," he said. The law could help stem such purchases, he predicted.

"The state hasn't done anything," Feinberg said. "It's like local municipalities passing cell phone bans while driving."

Feinberg said major cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have adopted similar ordinances, as have many smaller communities throughout the state.

"This is one more tool our police can use," Feinberg said.

Councilman James McGowan said, "This could be for the good of the borough. It'll help get guns off the streets."
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