Philly shooting a ‘wake-up call’
Intelligencer Journal
Published: Sep 24, 2008

By PATRICK BURNS, Staff

Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray at a City Council meeting Tuesday night said the shooting death of a 30-year-old Philadelphia police officer should be a wake-up call to city residents.

The mayor focused on the tragedy and the wounding of another officer in Tuesday's shooting as he restated his intention to submit an ordinance cracking down on people who buy guns legally, then illegally sell them.

He met last week in Reading with other concerned mayors from Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, York, Reading, Pottsville and Philadelphia.

Gray said the mayors discussed ways to try to overcome "the inertia on the state level" against provisions for the safe use, possession and transfer of firearms.

"We need to find ways to protect the public from those who abuse handguns," Gray said.

The mayor asked the city's attorney to draft an ordinance to provide penalties of up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail for gun owners who fail to quickly report that a handgun was lost or stolen.

Gray said the gun ordinance will be submitted at City Council's public-safety committee meeting Oct. 6.

The mayor said police Chief Keith Sadler worked in Philadelphia with the 35-year-old officer who was shot in the leg Tuesday.

Gray said a Philadelphia resident, speaking about the police shootings in a news interview Tuesday, summed up the frustration felt by many Philadelphia residents.

"(He) said, 'If police officers aren't safe, how can we consider ourselves safe?' " Gray said.

In other news, Councilman Tim Roschel submitted a resolution in support of a state House bill designed to strengthen regulations governing the treatment of breeder dogs living in the state's commercial breeding kennels.

Council voted 6-0 in favor of the resolution…