Almost two months after filing a lawsuit against top gun manufacturers, Mayor John Street announced Friday that he was dropping the suit against the nation's largest gun manufacturer in exchange for significant reforms within the company.
The settlement between the city and Smith & Wesson requires that the company make changes in safety, design, sales, distribution and oversight.
"Gun manufacturers must acknowledge their responsibilities to protect the public health and welfare from the illegal or inappropriate uses of their products," Street said in Friday's press conference, held in front of a mural depicting gun violence at 50th Street and Woodland Avenue.
U.S. Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo joined Street for the announcement, applauding the decision of Smith & Wesson to implement these changes.
"The partnership that we celebrate today will help save lives across this city," he said. "This agreement will help to heal our communities and provide a bridge for more firearm reforms."
The new reforms require that all Smith & Wesson handguns have second, hidden serial numbers for identification purposes, new external and internal locking systems and safety warnings on their packaging. The Springfield, Mass., gun manufacturer must also equip guns with "smart gun" technology in the next three years.
Sales and distribution reforms will be implemented to reduce gun sales likely to lead to firearm possession by minors and criminals.
An oversight commission will also be established to monitor the implementation of the agrreement.
Street filed a lawsuit against 13 gun manufacturers -- part of a package of crime fighting iniatiatives -- last April.
Among other things, the lawsuit claims that manufacturers failed to install sufficent built-in safety devices in firearms and knowlingly supplied disreputable dealers with guns. The suit looks to recover costs incurred by medical care, police protection, emergency care and imprisonment related to gun violence.
Philadelphia is now the 18th city to drop a lawsuit against Smith & Wesson as the company pledges to change.
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