Title
Amending Section 10-800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Safety," by adding a new Section 10-821a, entitled "Contraband Weapons, Accessories and Ammunition," providing for the prohibition and registration of certain assault weapons and imposing penalties.
Body
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
Section 1. Chapter 10-800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Safety," is amended to add a new Section 10-821a to read as follows:
ยง10-821a. Contraband Weapons, Accessories and Ammunition.
(1) Legislative Findings.
(a) The Council finds that the use of offensive weapons as implements of serious crime in Philadelphia represents an increasing danger to the lives and safety of all the residents thereof. In particular, certain paramilitary assault weapons have become the weapons of choice of those engaged in drug trafficking and other enterprises of organized crime. The threat to the lives of Philadelphia police officers has become particularly acute as a result of this on-going trend.
(b) The Council finds that it would be useful for law enforcement purposes to enhance prohibitions of certain offensive weapons by making possession, manufacture, transfer, delivery, sale and use of such weapons a violation of The Philadelphia Code, subject to certain exceptions. In so doing the Council finds that it would be useful to specifically include within the ban a variety of weapons and devices that are expressly recognized as offensive weapons. And that they should include, but not be limited to, paramilitary assault weapons, and the ammunition and accessories for such weapons, as well as a variety of other devices that have created special problems for local law enforcement.
(c) The statutory limitations of municipalities to regulate the possession, sale and transfer of firearms, as upheld by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, has been duly considered and incorporated within the body of this legislation. And, we take into accou...
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