Learn to defend yourself - it could save your life

[Kombucha]

Maybe there have been some drive bys, but as you said, that is several, not loads. The reason you hear so much about these shootings is because it is so uncommon.

"Contrary to public perception, the overall level of gun crime in this country is relatively low â?? less than half of 1 percent of all crime recorded by the police â?? and in the year ending 31 March 2004, there was:

a 15 per cent reduction in homicides involving firearms
a 13 per cent reduction in robberies involving firearms"


This is from the US:

"According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) in 2003, 449,150 victims of violent crimes stated that they faced an offender with a firearm.


Incidents involving a firearm represented 7% of the 4.9 million violent crimes of rape and sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault.


The FBI's Crime in the United States estimated that 67% of the 16,503 murders in 2003 were committed with firearms."

[Kombucha]

By the way, Return of the Redi, I should point out that the reason I posted here was to defend you as people kept slagging your first post off, saying "what if they have a gun, your post is crap"
It pointed out that there aren't many guns so your post makes sense, and now you are basically saying yourself that you were talking crap.

[Libertarian Toker]

"This is from the US"

Pointing at US won't help you much. We can always point at the swiss

Visitors to Switzerland are astonished to see guns and rifles being carried openly in public -- particularly when there is a "shooting festival" occurring nearby. In fact, Switzerland has more firepower per person than any other country in the world -- yet it is one of the safest places on Earth.

In 1997, there were 87 intentional homicides and 102 attempted homicides in the entire country -- with firearms involved in 91 of the 189 total cases.

Switzerland had a homicide rate of 1.2 per 100,000 population and a robbery rate of 36 per 100,000.

Almost half of those crimes were committed by non-resident foreigners -- whom locals call "criminal tourists."

By comparison, Britain -- which has strict gun control laws -- had a homicide rate in 1994 of 1.4 per 100,000 and a robbery rate of 116 per 100,000.
Although Switzerland has local shooting contests for boys and girls ages 12 to 16, there have been no school massacres in the country.

All males between the ages of 20 and 42 are required to keep rifles and pistols at home for purposes of national defense. Military historians do not doubt that this was a big reason Hitler chose to avoid Switzerland in favor of conquering countries which had strict gun control laws -- as well as registration lists which facilitated confiscation of firearms.

Source: Stephen P. Halbrook (attorney and author), "Where Kids and Guns Do Mix," Wall Street Journal, June 10, 1999.

For more on Gun Control Myths http://www.ncpa.org/pi/crime/crime51.html

[Kombucha]

That is only 17% higher murder rate. What I am saying is compared to other countries that seem to think they are safe, the UK has low gun crime.

[Return of the redi]

"By the way, Return of the Redi, I should point out that the reason I posted here was to defend you as people kept slagging your first post off, saying "what if they have a gun, your post is crap"
It pointed out that there aren't many guns so your post makes sense, and now you are basically saying yourself that you were talking crap."

But the reason I posted the article is because homeowners aren't allowed to have guns to protect themselves, not because I assumed all burglars were unarmed.
I take your point that it is still quite rare to come across an armed criminal in this country, but it is definately on the increase, and our laws as they stand are completely useless.



Gun crime figures show fresh rise


Home Office figures show a rise in gun crime
The number of firearms offences in England and Wales has risen in the last year, according to Home Office figures released on Thursday.
There has been a 3% climb in gun crime, following a 2% rise the previous year, the figures show.

The statistics also show a 35% rise in crimes involving imitation weapons.

But the figures, which cover the 12 months to June this year, also show a 15% drop in the number of shooting-related deaths.

HAVE YOUR SAY
The prospect of 20 years in prison could deter people

James Murphy, Dorset, UK


Send us your comments

Home Secretary David Blunkett said police and the government would target particular areas affected by violent crime linked to drugs.

They would tackle the problem in London, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Nottinghamshire, Mr Blunkett told a news conference in London.

"We have a situation where crack and guns go together and because crack is a dangerous drug, that stimulates violence," he said.

Training needs

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said the government had let gun crime get out of hand.

"No amount of government spin will hide the fact that violent crime is out of control," he said. "We now have record levels of gun crime, rocketing sex offences, a further 14% increase in violent crime and overall crime is nearly 750,000 higher than 1998."

Jan Berry, chairman of the Police Federation, called for more and better trained armed police to counter gun crime.

She said: "We urgently need more trained armed police officers throughout England and Wales to tackle the growing menace of gun crime, otherwise lives will increasingly be put at risk."



Click to compare figures year on year
BBC home affairs correspondent Andy Tighe said the government was interpreting the 3% rise in gun crime as "acceptable and predictable".

GUN CRIME: YEAR TO JUNE 04
Fatalities: 70 (-15%)
Serious injuries: 430 (no change)
Total firearms offences: 10,590 (+3%)
With replica/ imitation gun: 1,350 (+35%)
With handgun: 4,910 (-10%)
Source: Home Office recorded crime figures. Comparisons are with year to June 03

But he said the rise came on top of a "quite substantial increase" in firearms offences in recent years.

"Main cities such as Manchester, London, Birmingham and Nottingham do have special units targeting gun crime and the drugs trade, and they are having a significant amount of success."

Reassurance

Separate quarterly crime figures compiled for the Home Office in the British Crime Survey on Thursday showed that general crime was down by 7%, according to householders interviewed for the study. Crime figures recorded by police also showed a 5% fall.

The government was keen to stress that the risk of being a victim of violent crime is at its lowest for nearly 25 years.


The recent murder in Nottingham of 14-year-old Danielle Beccan has stirred fresh concerns about levels of gun crime.

She was killed in a drive-by shooting on her way home from a funfair almost a fortnight ago.




Second Danielle suspect in court

A 20-year-old Nottingham man, Mark Kelly, has been charged with her murder, while a second man aged 23 has also been charged with murder. He was due to appear in court on Thursday.

A gun amnesty is being planned for the city and a campaign to reassure the public is being brought forward.

Earlier in the month, six people were shot in the space of an hour during incidents in London and Bristol. Two people were killed in the London incident.

Smaller rises

But the Home Office figures show firearms-related deaths are comparatively rare.

Last year the number fell to 81 from 97 in the previous 12 months.

The small rises in gun crime for the last two years compare with a 34% increase recorded in 2002.

In 2003, the Home Office introduced a mandatory five-year minimum prison sentence for anyone caught in possession of an illegal firearm.

Government officials claimed there was anecdotal evidence from the police that the move is having a deterrent effect, but that it was too early for this to be reflected in Thursday's figures.

The statistics on imitation weapons come a day after figures emerged from a survey by police in Manchester which showed that more than 70% of callouts from the city's armed response units dealt with fake guns.


The government has previously ruled out a wholesale ban on imitation firearms, saying it was too difficult to find a legal definition for replicas.

[Button Basher]

Yo. Just wanna apologise for my retarded outburst near the beginning of the thread, was having a bad day, sorry y'all. You know what it's like.

[mr chinnery]

Details of the information for the period 1995 -1999 on crime recorded by police in 32 countries is given below:

Total recorded crime fell by 1% in the EU Member States and by 10% in England and Wales.

England and Wales had one of the lowest homicide rates in Western Europe for 1997-1999.

Violent crime rose by 11% on average in the EU but by 20% in England and Wales.

Domestic Burglaries fell on average by 14 % in the EU but by 31% in England and Wales.

Theft from motor vehicles rose on average by 7% in the EU but fell by 27% in England and Wales.

Drug Trafficking offences rose on average by 31% in the EU but fell by 6% in England and Wales.

England and Wales (at 125 prisoners per 100,000 general population in 1999) had one of the highest per capita rates in Western Europe.

Kombucha, are you serious when you say there are no gunfights in Britain? You're completely ill informed. From http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime/guncrime/

The current situation
In some areas, gun crime is a major cause of fear and distress.

Most worrying is the rise in the number of young people carrying real or imitation firearms, either to boost their image, or from a misguided idea about self-protection. Some of this is linked to gang activity, which itself is linked to the illegal drug trade.

Contrary to public perception, the overall level of gun crime in this country is relatively low â?? less than half of 1 percent of all crime recorded by the police â?? and in the year ending 31 March 2004, there was:

a 15 per cent reduction in homicides involving firearms
a 13 per cent reduction in robberies involving firearms
Even so, we have seen an unacceptable rise in gun crime over recent years, and are doing everything we can to tackle it.

Didn't you hear about the gang killing the two girls in Birmingham? A friend of mine who was studying in leeds heard gunshots at night! Get your facts right.

[pisshead]

2004 gun control fact sheet.

governments don't take away guns because they care so deeply about the safety of its citizens...

http://www.gunowners.org/fs0404.htm

[braindead]

I would rather live in a place with lots of burglaries over a place with lots of gun crime. The swiss might have guns but i bet its illegal to shoot an intruder there. Gun control reduces shootings, thats all that matters. You all hear americans whine "criminals will always be able to get guns". Bullshit. When was the last bazooka or granade launcher used by a street criminal? Never because they are illegal and kept out of the country. And who cares if there is the occasional crook who gets hold of a gun? That one armed guy doesnt justify a nation of gun toting vigalantes ready to go postal as soon as they cath their wife cheating on them. Whoever siad guns are easy to get in england, well i bet you cant afford one can you? Because they illegal they are less accesible and hence more expensive. And way out of the price range of the avergae burgalar.

[mr chinnery]

Whoever siad guns are easy to get in england, well i bet you cant afford one can you? Because they illegal they are less accesible and hence more expensive. And way out of the price range of the avergae burgalar.

It's not that hard to buy a blank firing pistol, or deactivated weapon and convert it to fire live rounds. So yeah, I probably could afford one if I knew the right people.