IF YOU CAN'T FIND YOUR GUN, CALL 911
Mayor, Police Commissioner Announce 30 Day Moratorium on Reporting Lost or Stolen Firearms Before Strict Enforcement Begins

 

PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey announced today that beginning at 12:01 am, Thursday July 10, 2008, gun owners have thirty days to inventory and report any lost or stolen firearms before the City begins to aggressively enforce its new ordinance requiring the reporting of lost or stolen firearms within 24 hours.

 

"Requiring the immediate reporting of lost or stolen weapons is a critical tool in our efforts to make Philadelphia safer and we will enforce this ordinance vigorously," said Nutter. "Today we say to all gun owners: If you cannot find your gun, call 911."

During the thirty day moratorium, gun owners can call 911 to report a lost or stolen gun, without facing a fine, regardless of when the gun was lost or stolen.  Following the moratorium, starting August 9th at  12:01 am, gun owners will have 24 hours after the discovery of a lost or stolen firearm to file a report with Philadelphia police.  Under the new ordinance, individuals failing to have a report filed will be fined up to $1900.00 for the first offense and either a $1900.00 fine or up to 90 days in jail for subsequent offenses.

For a lost weapon, 911 dispatchers will forward the caller to the Differential Responses Unit to file a report of all pertinent information. Reports taken from the Differential Response Unit will then be forwarded to the appropriate detective division for follow-up investigation.  For a stolen weapon, an officer would come to the owner's location and take the report.

"{If you exercise your legal right to own a firearm, you have the responsibility to know where it is, and to keep it safe," Nutter said.

On April 10, Mayor Nutter signed into law five pieces of gun legislation sponsored by Councilmembers Clarke (D-5th District) and Miller (D 8th District) includig the mandate to
report lost or stolen firearms.  The NRA immediately challenged all five and the Common Pleas Court upheld this ordinance as well as the ordinances preventing people who are subject to Protection of Abuse Orders and those who could do harm to themselves or others from owning guns.

 

The City is currently drafting the necessary regulations to enable enforcement of these two ordinances.

 

For further details please call Police Department Public Affairs Unit at 215-686-3388/3389
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Copy Provided By: Mayor's Press Office; Luke Butler, Deputy Press Secretary

Editorial Copy: DMB Communications
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