New Gun Control Fights Starts In Pa. :: 10/03/2010

A report naming Pennsylvania as one of the main sources of guns used in crimes in other states has triggered calls for a law requiring lost or stolen handguns to be reported.

Gun rights supporters, however, say the study is only aimed at masking declining violent crime rates, and existing laws should be enforced.

The survey by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, an association of more than 500 mayors, said nearly half of the guns connected to crimes in other states last year were sold in just 10 states, including Pennsylvania. The other states were Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Texas, Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, California or Arizona.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg says the list includes some of the country's most populous states and is based on raw figures. The paper says Pennsylvania ranked 30th in the number of exported guns per 100,000 people.

But gun control advocates say the findings highlight a need for stricter gun laws, especially a statewide law requiring reporting of lost or stolen handguns. Such a proposal made it to the state House floor in 2008 but was struck down.

Joe Grace, the executive director of CeasefirePA, says 46 municipalities in the commonwealth have reporting laws. He says states that have such laws are two-thirds less likely to have a gun exported and used in a crime.

"If the (state) General Assembly will heed the call of these 46 municipalities and pass a simple lost or stolen handgun reporting requirement, I think you will see few crime guns being exported," Grace said. "It clearly would be a step in the right direction to reducing gun violence."

But Kim Stolfer, chairman of the gun rights lobbying firm Firearm Owners Against Crime, called the release an effort to offset a recent FBI report showing a decrease in all violent crime last year. He also pointed to a December story in The Philadelphia Inquirer citing flaws in the prosecution of gun crimes.

"It's simple: Prosecute the criminals for violating the firearms laws we have now," Stolfer said. "If you don't do it, you're part of the problem and not the solution."

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/17548765/new-gun-control-fights-starts-in-pa