HARRISBURG, December 10, 2007 – As dozens of police officers from across Pennsylvania joined lawmakers to call for legislative action to protect them from the rising tide of handgun violence, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today introduced a pair of bills to support the effort. “I realize that opponents to gun laws are entrenched behind a powerful lobby,” Tartaglione said. “But doing nothing is not an option. Sensible regulation of dangerous weapons is not a threat to our commonwealth’s traditions or rights. We have to acknowledge that guns, like any other dangerous equipment, need to be regulated to protect families.” The first measure introduced by Tartaglione would require gun owners immediately report the loss or theft of a firearm. “Too often police cannot tell the difference between a legitimately lost on stolen gun and one that was sold to criminals with dangerous intent. “With the plague of straw purchasing and a flood of illegal guns on the streets across Pennsylvania, it’s not too much to ask gun owners to tell police when their weapons are not accounted for,” Tartaglione said. The bill requires the owner of a lost or stolen gun to notify local police within 24 hours of discovering the weapon missing. The report must include the make, model and manufacturer of the gun, along with the serial number. A companion bill would require registration of all guns sold or transferred in the City of Philadelphia. The bill would require the state police to keep a confidential registry of pertinent information on the weapon. “These bills are intended to work in conjunction with other measures being considered by the legislature,” Tartaglione said. “The recent rise in police officer shootings is a cold reminder that the status quo is no longer acceptable.” As Tartaglione was introducing the bills, police officers from cities large and small across Pennsylvania joined Gov. Ed Rendell at the Capitol today to urge the legislature to put pending gun legislation to a vote. On hand were several recently wounded police officers and relatives of many who lost their lives to gun violence.
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