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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Mike Gerber |
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Gerber lauds municipalities for passing lost and stolen handgun ordinances
HARRISBURG, June 4 – State Rep. Mike Gerber, D-Montgomery, said he is pleased that three municipalities he represents are the latest to enact responsible municipal gun regulations.
Plymouth and Whitemarsh townships, along with Conshohocken, all have enacted "Lost and Stolen" ordinances that will assist law enforcement in their effort to crack down on illegal trafficking of guns.
Gerber hosted a private workshop in April with Mayors Against Illegal Guns and CeaseFire Pa to bring local police and elected officials together to discuss adopting lost and stolen handgun ordinances.
He said it is incumbent on local governments to combat gun violence because state lawmakers have yet to pass legislation that would address the issue.
"In the last seven years, 19 Pennsylvania law enforcement officers have been shot and killed in the line of duty, more than half of whom were murdered by felons using illegal handguns," Gerber said.
"Statistics show that illegal weapons play a role in an overwhelming majority of violent crimes," he said. "It is a problem that simply will not go away and rather than wait for the state to do something about it, local municipalities must act now. That’s why I hosted the roundtable discussion, and I am so proud of these municipalities."
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