DA Morganelli to AG Corbett: Let's Do Something About Lost and Stolen Guns

Unlike AG Tom Corbett, who operates from the plush surroundings of Strawberry Square, DA John Morganelli is a front-line prosecutor who sees the face of crime every day. He knows, as few do, what damage is done by guns.

That's why this AG hopeful has proposed that something be done now, instead of waiting for his eventual election. He is asking Corbett to adopt a regulation requiring that police be informed when someone loses his handgun

In a news release sent out last night, Morganelli characterizes death by gunfire as a serious public safety issue that "has been all but ignored by the current Attorney General."

"While thousands of Pennsylvanians, including police officers and children die each year because of a proliferation of handguns into the hands of criminals, young children and the mentally ill, Tom Corbett remains silent. The statistics are staggering.

" * Pennsylvania ranks #6 in the nation for hand-gun homicides involving children.* Nearly 500 children and teens each year are killed in the US in gun related accidents.
* Pennsylvania consistently leads the nation in African-American homicide victims. Approximately 80% of those homicides are committed with handguns.
* Pennsylvania is the #1 source state for recovered crime guns in Camden and Trenton, New Jersey, and is a bigger source for crime guns recovered in New York City than the State of New York itself.
* In Pennsylvania, death by gunfire is responsible for the deaths of approximately 1200 people each year. *There are about 34,000 gun related deaths each year in the US.
* Over 80% of the killings in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are committed with handguns, most often by people with criminal records who are unable to purchase handguns from a licensed dealer—they instead buy them illegally.
* In Pennsylvania in 2006, guns were used in 563 homicides, 5981 aggravated assaults, and 8,907 robberies- most by people who could not lawfully purchase a gun.
*And, this is not just a problem in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In all our cities, from Erie to Butler, to Harrisburg, to Lancaster, Reading, the Lehigh Valley, Doylestown, Norristown, Chester and Media and more, too many guns are in the hands of criminals, the young, and those with mental illness."

Morganelli notes that Corbett sat silently when the state legislature tried, and failed, to pass a law requiring that lost or stolen handguns be reported, but claims the AG could easily adopt this requirement as a consumer protection regulation. "One of the problems is that we have had absolutely no leadership from the Pennsylvania Attorney General. For 28 years, Republicans have controlled the OAG and have remained silent, passively supporting the blocking of any real action on gun violence. Attorney General Corbett takes his marching orders from the NRA who contributes thousands of dollars to his campaign. We need an AG who will provide leadership to advance an agenda that will assist law enforcement in the investigation of gun crime, and hamper criminals, the mentally disturbed, and children from obtaining firearms, and protect our police officers who are becoming more and more the targets of guns wrongfully in the hands of criminals."

Morganelli will present more details this afternoon about this common-sense gun control initiative. Unfortunately, he'll be doing it from Philly, so I'll miss it.

You like John? Visit his webpage and give him some money. Corbett is raking it in from all the bluebloods, but there's moire of us. Even $10 will help.