PA: Allentown passes lost-gun law

[308Mike]

Linkarooni

Allentown passes lost-gun law
Council unfazed by the DA's warnings.

By Jarrett Renshaw | Of The Morning Call
October 2, 2008

Allentown City Council passed legislation Wednesday requiring residents to report lost or stolen guns, joining Philadelphia to become the second city in the state to pass such a law.

''Violence plagues all our cities across Pennsylvania and the use of lost and stolen weapons has been linked back to many of the crimes,'' Pawlowski told council.

City Council unanimously approved the ordinance despite stern warnings this week from Lehigh County's highest-ranking law enforcement official.

Residents must report their lost or stolen guns to police within 24 hours or face up to a $500 fine for the first offense and up to $1,000 for the second. The law also carries a penalty of up to 90 days in jail.

More..............

[HTRN]

And they'll shortly find that any attempted prosecutions will wind up getting them sued.

When are these asshat small town councils going to learn that Harrisburg get's the real say in gun laws, and they'll ream you a new one when you try to usurp them?


HTRN

[George guy]

And what about guns you thought you lost but found again behind that pile of junk in the attic next to that broken old chair you swore you were going to fix last year? Should you have reported them just to CYA?

[mekender]

Pawlowski met in Reading earlier this month with seven other mayors -- including Easton's Sal Panto Jr. and Bethlehem's John Callahan -- to announce that they were introducing the legislation, which they consider to be least in conflict with current state laws.

so you admit that your laws are in conflict with state laws and thus illegal?

does this not constitute knowingly breaking state law? can we get impeachment proceedings started?

[308Mike]

And what about guns you thought you lost but found again behind that pile of junk in the attic next to that broken old chair you swore you were going to fix last year? Should you have reported them just to CYA?

Oh, ABSOLUTELY!! The more paperwork, the better, then pretty soon they'll realize what an incredibly stoopid law it is and stop responding or they'll take it off the books.

I encourage EVERYONE in areas requiring the reporting of losing or stolen guns to do so on a weekly basis. But MAKE SURE you call back and cancel the report a couple of weeks later when you find it again!

[randy]

Well, there was the M-1 Carbine in 9mm modified to take BHP mags I lost in San Antonio in 1984 because I didn't have the cash when I visited the gunshop and it was gone a few months later when I went back...

Then there was the 9mm Colt Carbine I lost in Hawaii in 1990 when CINCHOUSE would not approve a loan from the house checking account...

And then there was the one...

[Bill Heinbach]

I encourage EVERYONE in areas requiring the reporting of losing or stolen guns to do so on a weekly basis. But MAKE SURE you call back and cancel the report a couple of weeks later when you find it again!

I'd send a registered letter, return receipt requested, to cancel - them dumbasses might arrest you sometime in the future for possession of (your own) stolen firearm.

Hmmm, this also gives them a start on registration. Does it require you to know the serial number of the gun that was lost or stolen? If it's found/returned, they got you and the number.

Allentown and Phila are probably big enough to have their own lawyers. We need a smaller town to do this, so the NRA can drown them in legal fees; call it the Reverse-Bloomberg Maneuver.

[308Mike]

I'd only do this in places where you need an FOID or they already have gun registrations of some sort. I wouldn't do it on any of my guns that're not papered.

[HTRN]

Allentown and Phila are probably big enough to have their own lawyers. We need a smaller town to do this, so the NRA can drown them in legal fees; call it the Reverse-Bloomberg Maneuver.

Any incorporated area of any size generally has some form of legal representation, either on retainer, or a paid employee.

Philly is a city with a population of 1.5 million, Allentown has a population of 107,000. I'd wager both have lawyers on staff to represent the government, especially if they have the ability to prosecute.


HTRN

[mekender]

Allentown and Phila are probably big enough to have their own lawyers. We need a smaller town to do this, so the NRA can drown them in legal fees; call it the Reverse-Bloomberg Maneuver.

Any incorporated area of any size generally has some form of legal representation, either on retainer, or a paid employee.

Philly is a city with a population of 1.5 million, Allentown has a population of 107,000. I'd wager both have lawyers on staff to represent the government, especially if they have the ability to prosecute.


HTRN

no bet... but anyone with a legitimate challenge would have the NRA, the GOA and the PAFOA backing them... and i would bet that the challenger could come up with better lawyers with that backing