PA Bill Number: HR541
Title: Recognizing the month of October 2024 as "Domestic Violence Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
Description: A Resolution recognizing the month of October 2024 as "Domestic Violence Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
Last Action:
Last Action Date: Sep 27, 2024
Philadelphia hopes to strengthen gun ordinance :: 08/03/2016
The mayor and board of alderman are hoping to strengthen an ordinance addressing the penalties for discharging a firearm in the city.
The current ordinance sets a fine of up to $500 and 30 days in jail at the discretion of a judge. Mayor Young says it needs to be more effective and to do that a minimum fine and jail sentence needs to be set.
"If you get caught and found guilty, there's a certain amount you're going to pay and there's a certain amount of time you're going to spend no matter what. There won't be no bonding out."
The circumstances could change if it's found that a person shot out of protection.
"In the ordinance, it clearly states that if you're protecting lives and property nobody is going to be penalize you for doing that," says Young. "When it's proven that that is what you were doing there's no penalty."
The discretion comes from a judge or law enforcement officers who respond to a "shots fired" call.
"We're not trying to tell people not to have guns. We know it's legal to have them, but we are telling you to use them for their proper purpose and keep your community safe," says Young.
Mayor Young says he and the board of alderman will follow the state attorney general's opinion on the matter.
"If he tells us to leave it like it is, we will have to leave it like it is, but we hope he will give us some minimums that we can set some teeth in."
http://www.wtok.com/content/news/Philadelphia-hopes-to-strengthen-gun-ordinance--388981752.html
