As District Attorney, Dan McElhatton will fight to reduce the gun violence that has affected so many of Philadelphia's communities.
Dan has long been an advocate for sensible gun laws aimed at having a direct impact on reducing our City's homicide rate. As a member of Philadelphia City Council, Dan supported a variety of important initiatives to help make Philadelphia safer, like casting the deciding vote to create the Police Advisory Board. As District Attorney, Dan will:
- Prosecute those who murder, injure or seek to harm police officers to the full extent of the law. Dan will work hard to ensure that these criminals are sentenced using the Commonwealth's twenty year mandatory minimum guidelines for anyone found guilty of assaulting a police officer with a firearm. And Dan will stand firm and work tirelessly to limit parole opportunities for these violent and senseless criminals.
- Work aggressively to prosecute anyone violating firearm laws and will seek the minimum five year sentence whenever appropriate.
- Prosecute straw purchasers who legally buy handguns with the express intent to illegally resell or pass them on to felons and others who intend to use these weapons in crimes. Dan is committed to using every resource at his disposal to trace the source of crime guns and to prosecute those straw purchasers who deal in them.
- Work aggressively to improve coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement officials and prosecutors through expansion of the Gun Violence Task Force. This communications and coordinating tool enables law enforcement to ensure better that those who violate gun laws are caught so that they may be fully prosecuted under the statute.
- Raise public awareness through words and examples that those who violate our gun laws and those who profit from the illegal trade in guns will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
- Make more effective use of technology to identify trends in gun violence and to trace illegal weapons such as crime guns.
- Serve as a leading voice in support of legislation that reduces the flow of illegal guns in Philadelphia. Dan strongly supports the proposed one handgun per month legislation that would reduce the opportunity for straw purchasing. Dan also strongly supports the lost or stolen handgun reporting legislation that would require owners of handguns to responsibly report their guns lost or stolen when they know or reasonably should know of the loss or theft.
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