Mayor Healy on Gun Control
As a former judge, Mayor Jerramiah Healy is well aware and respectful of the 2nd Amendment rights of lawful gun owners. However, as a Mayor and former prosecutor, he is equally aware of the tragic consequences that result from the influx of illegal guns into our city.
To combat this problem, Mayor Healy has pursued a number of initiatives to limit the supply of illegal guns and to better equip local law enforcement with the information it needs to fight this scourge, including a gun buyback program funded through private donations, the city’s first anti-gang unit, and through advocating for local and statewide legislation that would prevent straw purchasers from buying guns for criminals. 
Operation Lifesaver
In 2005, Mayor Healy instituted Operation Lifesaver, a gun buy back program in conjunction with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Jersey City Police Department, Ward F Councilwoman Viola Richardson, and leaders of the religious com- munity. The program, which was funded by private donations and at no cost to the taxpayer, took place on three consecutive weekends in seven loca- tions. For each surrendered handgun, rifle, or shot- gun, participants received a $150 cash reward. For each surrendered automatic weapon, participants received $250. Weapons were accepted anony- mously and quickly, with no questions asked by police personnel. The program removed a total of 897 potentially dangerous guns from our streets.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns
In April 2006, a group of 15 mayors held a summit at Gracie Mansion in New York City to discuss strategies for stopping the flow of illegal guns into America's cities. Out of this summit came the coalition Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Mayor Healy was one of the founding members, along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York and Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston. Since its founding, 320 mayors from over 40 states have joined the coalition and supported its goals:
- Punish to the maximum extent of the law criminals who possess, use, and traffic in illegal guns.
- Target and hold accountable irresponsible gun dealers who break the law by knowingly selling guns to straw purchasers.
- Oppose all federal efforts to restrict cities' right to access, use, and share trace data that is so essential to effective enforcement, or to interfere with the ability of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to combat illegal gun trafficking.
- Work to develop and use technologies that aid in the detection and tracing of illegal guns.
- Support all local state and federal legislation that targets illegal guns; coordinate legislative, enforcement, and litigation strategies; and share information and best practices.
Jersey City Handgun Ordinance Is Signed Into State Law
At 12 p.m. on August 6, 2009, Governor Jon Corzine signed into law the One Handgun A Month legislation which was passed by the State Senate in June of this year. Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy, who first introduced 
the law as a Jersey City city ordinance in June 2006, and whose administration vigorously defended the ordinance in the State’s courts, was in attendance.
"This is a step in the right direction toward staunching the havoc created by handguns in cities and towns throughout the state," said Mayor Healy. "Thanks to the efforts of our Assembly- woman Joan Quigley and State Senator Sandra Cunningham, who worked in concert with my office to help advance this legislation, Jersey City's One Gun A Month ordinance is now the law of the State of New Jersey."
The new law, which grew out of the Jersey City ordinance, will prohibit any individual from buying more than one handgun within a 30 day period. Because of wording and timing, that means citizens across the state are free to purchase up to13 handguns a year. This makes New Jersey, which already has some of the toughest gun and background check laws in the country, only the fourth state in the nation to pass a One Handgun A Month law.
The new law makes it a fourth degree felony charge for any gun dealer convicted of “knowingly delivering” more than one gun within a 30 day period. The charge carries with it a $10,000 fine.
History of the Jersey City Handgun Ordinances
In June 2006, Mayor Healy introduced and the City Council passed an ordinance requiring gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm within 48 hours of noticing its disappearance. The ordinance, which was modeled into State legislation in Trenton, is aimed at preventing straw purchasers from providing guns to criminals. A second ordinance, the City's "One Handgun a Month" ordinance, was also introduced by Mayor Healy and adopted by the City Council in June 2006. It sought to limit the number of handguns an individual could purchase. With National Rifle Association support and financial backing, a local gun dealer challenged the ordinance in Superior Court and the ordinance was struck down. The judge ruled that Jersey City was pre-empted by state law from enacting such an ordinance and that the ordinance unreasonably discriminated against Jersey City gun dealers. On appeal, the judge upheld the lower court's decision. The City recently received notification, however, that the New Jersey Supreme Court has agreed to hear Jersey City's appeal to have a "One Handgun a Month" ordinance. The appeal is predicated on the Mayor's position that Jersey City has the right to legislate in the interest of public safety.
Mayor Healy Talks About Gun Control
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Press Releases
2008 12 08 - One Handgun a Month Legislation
2008 09 29 - Appellate Decision - One Handgun A Month
2007 12 17 - Mayor Healy Testifies Before State Senate in Support of Tightening Gun Laws
2007 06 11 - 1 Gun a Month Bill
2007 07 13 - Tiahrt Amendment
2007 06 08 - Breakthrough on gun data
2007 04 18 - Mayors Against Illegal Guns