Joined
·
4,133 Posts
As reported in 2003 by the Telegraph (UK):
Gun crime claims 30 victims every day
By John Steele, Crime Correspondent, and George Jones
Last Updated: 1:34am GMT 10/01/2003
Crimes involving firearms increased by 35 per cent last year to record levels, with nearly 30 incidents every day, according to new Home Office figures for recorded crime.
In nearly a quarter of the total of 9,974 offences, a rise from 7,362 in the previous year, guns were fired. Gun killings rose sharply.
The figures were condemned as "truly terrible" by Oliver Letwin, Conservative home affairs spokesman.
Gun crime has more than doubled since Labour came to power in 1997. David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, will today hold talks with police chiefs, community representatives, customs and immigration officials and crown prosecutors on ways to combat the growing use of guns by criminals.
The latest figures, which do not include air weapons, are heavily dominated by the use of handguns, either fired or used to threaten in nearly 60 per cent of cases.
Handguns were outlawed by the Government in the year after the Dunblane massacre in 1996, but the number of crimes involving handguns has more than doubled since the ban, from 2,636 in 1997-1998 to 5,871 last year.
Injuries inflicted by handguns also more than doubled, from 317 in 1997/1998 to 648 last year.
The increased use of handguns bears out criticism that the ban took weapons out of the hands of law-abiding shooting club members rather than criminals and had no impact on gun crime.
The number of firearms homicides has more than doubled since 1998-1999, while non-firearms killings rose by only 21 per cent.
The total number of gun killings in 2001-2002 was 97, an increase of 32 per cent - or 23 deaths - on the previous year. The vast majority of cases involved young men in inner city areas.
In 1977 there were 413 homicides, of which only 28 were gun-related. Last year, the 97 compared to 832 homicides overall last year, a significant increase in the proportion of killings caused by firearms.
Firearms were increasingly used in robberies, including muggings, last year. Firearms robberies leapt by a third between 2001 and 2002 and accounted for more than half of all firearms offences.
Gun violence was heavily concentrated in a small number of big city police forces, particularly the Metropolitan, Greater Manchester and West Midlands areas.
Each has suffered substantial amounts of "black-on-black" gun crime.
In the Met, gun crime leapt year on year from 2,817 incidents to 4,192; in Greater Manchester from 964 to 1,361; and in the West Midlands, where two girls were shot at a party last week, from 887 to 1,298.
Gun crime has continued to be a problem throughout 2002, though forces devoted considerable resources to fighting it.
John Denham, the Home Office Minister, said the Government was "concerned" over the significant rise in firearm offences. Efforts would now be targeted on such offences, with a new five-year minimum sentence for possession of a firearm as well as tougher laws on air weapons and replica guns.
Mr Letwin accused the Government of responding to a massive increase in gun crime and robbery with a series of gimmicks and initiatives and confused signals on sentences for burglary.
He said the increase in firearms was drug related. "The problem won't be solved until the gangs are broken up and the streets reclaimed for the honest citizen by proper neighbourhood policing." Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative leader, said the growth of a gangs and guns culture had left some inner city areas almost "lawless".
Norman Brennan, director of the Victims of Crime Trust and a serving policeman, said gun crime was now out of control. He said: "Never have officers been so powerless to combat crime. We have been shackled by political correctness, red tape and bureaucracy and act more like secretaries or social workers."
![]()
The article which has multiple referenced links there in can be found at; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/01/10/ngun10.xml
- Janq
Personal Note: This is just stunning!
Not even during the bad old days of DC in the 80s with crack were there 30 gun crime victims per day averaged. That is just alot of damn crime.
Further what the hell is going on, England banned guns in 1996 (!).
Sarah Brady...how are you and your ilk stating your 'facts' with a straight face considering the real world evidence right there in England completely counters it!?!
Gun crime claims 30 victims every day
By John Steele, Crime Correspondent, and George Jones
Last Updated: 1:34am GMT 10/01/2003
Crimes involving firearms increased by 35 per cent last year to record levels, with nearly 30 incidents every day, according to new Home Office figures for recorded crime.
In nearly a quarter of the total of 9,974 offences, a rise from 7,362 in the previous year, guns were fired. Gun killings rose sharply.
The figures were condemned as "truly terrible" by Oliver Letwin, Conservative home affairs spokesman.
Gun crime has more than doubled since Labour came to power in 1997. David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, will today hold talks with police chiefs, community representatives, customs and immigration officials and crown prosecutors on ways to combat the growing use of guns by criminals.
The latest figures, which do not include air weapons, are heavily dominated by the use of handguns, either fired or used to threaten in nearly 60 per cent of cases.
Handguns were outlawed by the Government in the year after the Dunblane massacre in 1996, but the number of crimes involving handguns has more than doubled since the ban, from 2,636 in 1997-1998 to 5,871 last year.
Injuries inflicted by handguns also more than doubled, from 317 in 1997/1998 to 648 last year.
The increased use of handguns bears out criticism that the ban took weapons out of the hands of law-abiding shooting club members rather than criminals and had no impact on gun crime.
The number of firearms homicides has more than doubled since 1998-1999, while non-firearms killings rose by only 21 per cent.
The total number of gun killings in 2001-2002 was 97, an increase of 32 per cent - or 23 deaths - on the previous year. The vast majority of cases involved young men in inner city areas.
In 1977 there were 413 homicides, of which only 28 were gun-related. Last year, the 97 compared to 832 homicides overall last year, a significant increase in the proportion of killings caused by firearms.
Firearms were increasingly used in robberies, including muggings, last year. Firearms robberies leapt by a third between 2001 and 2002 and accounted for more than half of all firearms offences.
Gun violence was heavily concentrated in a small number of big city police forces, particularly the Metropolitan, Greater Manchester and West Midlands areas.
Each has suffered substantial amounts of "black-on-black" gun crime.
In the Met, gun crime leapt year on year from 2,817 incidents to 4,192; in Greater Manchester from 964 to 1,361; and in the West Midlands, where two girls were shot at a party last week, from 887 to 1,298.
Gun crime has continued to be a problem throughout 2002, though forces devoted considerable resources to fighting it.
John Denham, the Home Office Minister, said the Government was "concerned" over the significant rise in firearm offences. Efforts would now be targeted on such offences, with a new five-year minimum sentence for possession of a firearm as well as tougher laws on air weapons and replica guns.
Mr Letwin accused the Government of responding to a massive increase in gun crime and robbery with a series of gimmicks and initiatives and confused signals on sentences for burglary.
He said the increase in firearms was drug related. "The problem won't be solved until the gangs are broken up and the streets reclaimed for the honest citizen by proper neighbourhood policing." Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative leader, said the growth of a gangs and guns culture had left some inner city areas almost "lawless".
Norman Brennan, director of the Victims of Crime Trust and a serving policeman, said gun crime was now out of control. He said: "Never have officers been so powerless to combat crime. We have been shackled by political correctness, red tape and bureaucracy and act more like secretaries or social workers."
The article which has multiple referenced links there in can be found at; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/01/10/ngun10.xml
- Janq
Personal Note: This is just stunning!
Not even during the bad old days of DC in the 80s with crack were there 30 gun crime victims per day averaged. That is just alot of damn crime.
Further what the hell is going on, England banned guns in 1996 (!).
Sarah Brady...how are you and your ilk stating your 'facts' with a straight face considering the real world evidence right there in England completely counters it!?!
