New lost-gun law takes effect today

Philadelphia is ready to put the squeeze on irresponsible gun owners.

Beginning today, citizens who fail to report a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours can expect to be fined up to $1,900, city officials said.

If they fail to report missing weapons again in the future, residents will either face another steep fine or 90 days in jail.

The strict penalties are part of the Lost or Stolen Firearm Ordinance, one of the three surviving pieces of gun legislation that Mayor Nutter signed into law in April.

Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan blocked two more aggressive laws Nutter signed that would have instituted a one-gun-per-month limit and an assault-weapons ban.

Greenspan ruled in favor of the Lost or Stolen Firearm Ordinance - as well as a law that allows cops to confiscate guns from people considered a danger to themselves or others and another law that prohibits gun possession by people who have been served protection-from-abuse orders - in spite of passionate protests from the National Rifle Association.

Under the ordinance, anyone who loses a gun or has it stolen is expected to call 911. Operators will either send a police officer out to take a report or forward callers to the Differential Responses Unit, officials said.

In a statement, Nutter said "effective gun legislation is a priority for this city."

Coincidentally, police found a massive haul of weapons yesterday morning when they responded to a neighborhood dispute in Northeast Philadelphia.

Investigators said Ernest Aguilera, 51, had 74 rifles, 35 handguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his home on Shelbourne Street near Levick.

Aguilera was arrested for pointing a laser scope from a rifle at a neighbor during an argument, police said. He could face additional charges if members of the state attorney general's office and Northeast Detectives determine that any of his weapons were stolen. *