Wilkinsburg Passes Lost/Stolen Gun Law

**Ed in PA** · June 4th, 2009, 05:50 PM

Wilkinsburg passes stolen gun law
Thursday, June 04, 2009
By Deborah M. Todd, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Wilkinsburg has joined a growing list of communities that have drawn the ire of the National Rifle Association by approving legislation requiring residents to tell police if their handguns are lost or stolen.

Wilkinsburg council last night unanimously approved the ordinance. It requires handgun owners to report lost or stolen weapons within 24 hours of their disappearance. Violators would pay a fine of up to $500 plus court costs and must take gun safety courses for the first offense and could face up to $1,000 per offense, court costs and up to 30 days imprisonment for additional violations.

Violators who default on payments would automatically face up to 30 days in jail.

The borough becomes the seventh community in the state to pass laws requiring stolen handguns to be reported to the police. Pittsburgh passed its ordinance in December without the signature of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who said the ordinance was unenforceable under state law.

Of the six communities with stolen handgun laws -- Reading, Allentown, Pottsville, Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh -- Phiadelphia and Pittsburgh have been sued by the National Rifle Association. The NRA suit against Pittsburgh argues that the city ordinance violates residents' Second Amendment rights as well as the State Uniform Firearms Act, which permits "counties, municipalities and townships" from regulating gun ownership.

Wilkinsburg Mayor John Thompson said he was aware of lawsuits but will sign the ordinance anyway.

"I know the NRA has that lawsuit against Pittsburgh, but at some point in time we have to take a stand, especially in a community like ours where gunshots can be an everyday occurrence," he said.

This version corrects an earlier story that said the ordinance had not received final approval.
Deborah M. Todd can be reached at dtodd@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1652.
First published on June 4, 2009 at 2:35 pm

Read more: "Wilkinsburg passes stolen gun law" - http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09155/...xzz0HV67ylGQ&A

When is this shit gonna end?

**jsatt4** · June 4th, 2009, 10:52 PM

This nonsense will only end when: a) we elect honorable people who put honorable, law-abiding citizens FIRST, and b) when we hold bad law makers personally accountable for their ill-advised actions.

Just LOOK at the list of communities that have passed this illegal act... Not a single one is a success by any measure.

Promote, advance, and reward good citizens, and, a community can flourish. Anything less dishonors the work and sacrifices of those that built and paid for our communities.