Hello, A number of you asked for more information about CeaseFirePA. Please take a look at this brochure and/or go to the website at: www.ceasefirepa.org. If you are concerned and interested, please join us on Tuesday evening, 9/23 at 7:00 p.m. BE PART OF THE SOLUTION! CeasefirePA is devoted to protecting your community from gun violence: As the largest organization in Pennsylvania working to reduce gun violence, CeaseFirePA seeks: enactment of sensible gun regulations and public policies through grassroots activism; to elect public officials in favor of gun violence prevention; and to increase public awareness about how to avoid becoming a victim of gun violence. CeaseFirePA Goals: Reduction of illegal handgun trafficking by requiring gun owners to report lost & stolen firearms & limiting handgun purchases to one per month. Closure of the gun show loophole at the federal level. Creating public access to federal crime gun tracing data. Effective product safety standards for firearms. Eradication of needless gun violence. Facts about the Lost or Stolen Handgun Reporting Requirement: It applies to handguns only, not to rifles, shotguns, or long guns. It has nothing to do with hunting or sportsmen. It will help law enforcement track down & stop the flow of illegal handguns from straw purchasers who give or sell them to criminals who cannot legally possess firearms. This law will make straw purchasers responsible for their criminal actions. Once a handgun owner discovers his/her handgun has been lost or stolen, s/he has 3 days to report it missing to the local police department. For this law to apply, the lost or stolen handgun must be discovered in the course of a criminal investigation. This reform is about illegal handgun trafficking, not responsible handgun owners. Violators of this law will be subject to the following penalties: A summary offense for the first violation; A misdemeanor offense for the second violation; & A felony-third degree offense for the third violation. Pennsylvania Citizens Want Safer Neighborhoods & a Lost or Stolen Handgun Reporting Law: In a recent poll in 6 legislative districts across the state, 96% of citizens said they supported a lost or stolen handgun reporting law. 92% of PA gun owners also said they supported a lost or stolen handgun reporting law. The poll was done by the firm of by Greenburg, Quinlan, Rosner, a national group that has worked on this issue for many bipartisan groups including Mayors Against Illegal Guns, headed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, R-New York. Both Republicans and Democrats are concerned about handgun violence. Why is Law Enforcement Asking for a Lost or Stolen Handgun Reporting Law? When police investigators discover a handgun that has been used in a crime, they are required to trace it back to the original owner. Too often, the original owner tells police the gun was lost or stolen. The investigation then hits a dead end. Having a lost or stolen reporting law can help reduce gun crime. When a gun owner reports a gun lost or stolen, police can initiate an investigation to recover the weapon before it ends up in the wrong hands & is used to commit a crime. This Law has Overwhelming Support from PA Law Enforcement and Police: Police & law enforcement across the state strongly support a lost or stolen handgun reporting requirement, including the following groups: Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association State Fraternal Order of Police Pennsylvania State Police International Association of Chiefs of Police Pittsburgh Bureau of Police & Police Chief Nathan Harper Philadelphia Police Department & Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey Local FOP Chapters: Fort Pitt Lodge No. 1 & FOP Lodge No. 5 Allegheny County D.A. Stephen Zappala & Philadelphia D.A. Lynne Abraham Handgun Violence is a Public Health Crisis: Handgun violence not only devastates families physically & emotionally, but also results in astronomic health care costs. Pennsylvania Hospitals spend more than $130 million dollars annually treating gun violence victims, most of whom are uninsured. Taxpayers are footing the bill for this treatment. Getting illegal handguns off the streets will reduce spiraling health care costs. Also, if you have a child, you should ask if there are handguns in the homes where your child plays. PA’s Mayors Support the Lost or Stolen Handgun Reporting Requirement: Pennsylvania’s Mayors—of Reading, Allentown, Bethlehem, Lancaster, York, Pottsville, Erie & Philadelphia—are on the front lines of the state’s handgun violence epidemic & they support this simple reform. Between 2005-2006, robberies with firearms were up 77% in Erie, 57% in Allentown, 36% in Williamsport, 28% in Reading, & 12% in Allegheny County. According to the Uniform Crime Report, there were 158 more homicides by firearm in PA in 2006 than in 2000—a 36% increase. 27 counties saw increased homicide rates. This fall, a number of PA mayors are working with their city councils to pass lost/stolen handgun reporting ordinances for their cities. City Councils Support the Lost or Stolen Handgun Reporting Pittsburgh City Council unanimously approved a resolution noting Allegheny County’s gun violence epidemic, supporting lost or stolen handgun reporting, & urging the state Assembly to take action by passing this bill. Philadelphia City Council approved a similar resolution. Harrisburg’s City Council President also supports this reform. What Can You Do To Help CeaseFirePA Get Illegal Handguns Out of Our Neighborhoods? Join CeaseFirePA’s growing coalition of supporters by signing up at www.ceasefirepa.org or contacting Jana Finder, Western PA Coordinator at: jana.finder@ceasefirepa.org or by calling (412) 370-3778. Ask your friends, professional contacts, and organizations to join CeaseFirePA. Invite Jana Finder to your next community group meeting to talk about CeaseFirePA. Talk to your state representatives & senators and urge them to support stronger handgun laws like the lost or stolen reporting bill & the one handgun per month bill. Join us for phone banking activities & visits to local offices & the state capitol to educate our legislators about the need for sensible handgun regulations. If you know someone who has acquired an illegal handgun or purchased a handgun for someone with a criminal record, report it to the police. You could prevent a murder and save lives. Contact CVVC below for advice on reporting. Contact the Center for Victims of Violence & Crime at www.cvvc.org or (412) 482-3240 about bringing their education programs to the children in your community to teach them to resolve conflict without violence. Use this link to sign up for CVVC’s educational programming services: http://www.cvvc.org/PeaceItTogether/edu_programs.php 111 South Independence Mall East, Suite 572 Philadelphia, PA 19106 Office: (215) 923-3151 Fax: (215) 923-3385 Email: jana.finder@ceasefirepa.org website: www.CeaseFirePA.org