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From the Radio Free Michigan archives ftp://141.209.3.26/pub/patriot If you have any other files you'd like to contribute, e-mail them to bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu. ------------------------------------------------ Firearms Facts, Statistics and Studies: collected by CESA compiled by Tom McNeill, Kurt Amesbury, Mark Richards, Bill Keys and Peter Lake (includes excerpts from \NRA Firearms Facts for 1993\) ** FIREARMS FACTS GENERAL ** NUMBER OF GUNS IN U.S: Approx. 200 million firearms. 65-70 million handguns GUN OWNERS IN US: 60-65 million, 30-35 million own handguns FIREARMS USED FOR PROTECTION: 11% of firearms owners 13% of handgun owners CRIMINAL MISUSE OF FIREARMS YEARLY: Less than 0.2% of firearms Less than 0.4% of handguns Over 99.8% of U.S. firearms and 99.6% of U.S. handguns will not be involved in criminal activity in any given year. Survey research suggests that about 650,000 Americans every year use handguns for protection from burglars, robbers, rapists, assailants, would-be murders, etc. *************************************************************** ** WHY AMERICANS OWN FIREARMS ** Based on 1978 Decision Making Information surveys, with handgun data confirmed by 1978 Caddell survey; abuse data from U.S. Public Health Service and F.B.I. data. Primary Reasons Own/Use Firearms: % of Owners, Projected Number of Americans (Approx, 65 million owners of 200,000,000 guns) HUNTING: 51%; 33,000,000 Americans PROTECTION: 32% 21,000,000 "" Used Gun For Protection: 11% 7,200,000 "" TARGET SHOOTING: 13% 8,500,000 "" COLLECTING: 4% 2,600,000 "" Primary Reasons Own/Use Handguns: % of Owners, Projected Number of Americans (30-35 million owners of 65,000,000 handguns) HUNTING: 10%; 3,500,000 Americans PROTECTION: 58%; 21,000,000 "" Used Gun For Protection: 13%; 4,600,000 "" TARGET SHOOTING: 18%; 6,300,000 "" COLLECTING: 14%; 5,000,000 "" *************************************************************** 12 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH IN U.S. Source: National Center for Health Statistics (1991, latest official estimates) ALL CAUSES......................................2,165,000 Heart Disease.....................................718,090 Cancers...........................................514,310 Strokes...........................................144,070 ACCIDENTS......................................... 91,700 Motor Vehicle*.....................................47,575 Falls*.............................................12,151 Poisoning (solid, liquid, gas)*.....................6,524 Fires and Flames* ..................................4,716 Drowning (incl. water transport drownings)'.........4,716 Suffocation (mechanical, ingestion)* ...............4,491 Surgical/Medical misadventures** ...................2,850 Other Transportation (excl. drownings)* ............2,160 Natural/Environmental factors* .....................1,816 Firearms ...........................................1,489 (includes estimated 500 handgun and 200 hunting accidents) Chronic pulmonary diseases ........................89,130 Pneumonia and influenza ...........................74,980 Diabetes ..........................................49,980 Diseases of the arteries ..........................41,970 Suicide*** ........................................30,200 HIV Infections (AIDS) .............................28,850 Homicide and legal intervention *** ..............27,440 Cirrhosis and other liver diseases ................24,740 *1989, latest official figures **A Harvard University study suggests 93,000 deaths related to medical negligence--excluding tens of thousands more deaths from non-hospital medical office/lab mistakes and thousands of hospital caused infections. ***Approximately 60% involve firearms. Criminologist Gary Kleck estimates 1500-2,000 self-defense and justifiable homicides by civilians and 300-600 by police annually. About 13% of the "homicide and legal intervention" category involves the killing of criminals by police (3%) or civilians (10%) (Rushforth, et al., 1977). Handguns are involved in 1/2 % of deaths among children under 14, including both accidental and criminal homicides, ranking handguns the 17th leading "cause". 3% of gun-related deaths involve accidents or murders by persons without prior histories of violence, 70% of "victims" were suicides or criminals. *************************************************************** COMPARISON OF ROBBERY AND HOMICIDE RATES BETWEEN SELECTED U.S. CITIES WITH RESTRICTIVE AND NONRESTRICTIVE FIREARMS LAWS/ENFORCEMENT Based on 1988 F.B.I. Uniform Crime Reports no gun law, in any city, state, or nation, has ever reduced violent crime, or slowed its rate of growth, compared to similar jurisdictions without such laws. Indeed, most such laws are defended with citations of the number of persons denied lawful access to handguns, while crime trends are ignored. With a virtual handgun ban, enforced with federal aid, violent crime rose in Washington, D.C., over twice as fast (48% vs. 22%,1976-1982) as the rest of the nation, until adopting NRA-backed mandatory penalty, since which robbery has halved, although the homicide rate 26.9 per 100,000 in 1976 has continued to escalate, with a rate of 70 projected for 1989. Chicago's (1982-1988) violent crime rate rose 160% while rising just 15% nationally; homicide was stable while falling nationally. With 3% of the population, New York City accounts for 15% of the nation's gun-related robberies and more homicides than the total of 24 states. The two crimes most feared by Americans are murder in the course of another crime (50%) and robber (43%)(1978 DMI poll); robbery and robber-murder rates are consistently higher in cities with restrictive firearms laws and/or hostile enforcement of such laws. The following chart integrates a comparison of per capita homicide and robbery rates of various American cities, divided between those with restrictive guns laws/enforcement and lenient gun laws/enforcement. *************************************************************** Homicide Robbery United States 7.90 205.40 CITIES: RESTRICTIVE GUN LAWS/ENFORCEMENT Rates per 100,000 Homicide Robbery Newark, NJ 36.0 1386.0 population: 275,221 (1990 census) Detroit, MI 57.9 1194.2 population: 1,027,974 (metropolitan area: 4,382,297) (1990 census) New York City, NY 25.8 1178.5 population: 7,322,564 (1990 census) Baltimore, MD 30.6 968.2 population: 736,014 (metropolitan area: 2,382,172) (1990 census) Chicago, IL 22.0 967.7 population: 2,783,726 (1990 census) Washington, D.C. 59.5 917.6 population: 606,900 (metropolitan area, 3,923,574) (1990 census) Boston, MA 16.0 902.4 population: 574,283 (1990 census) CITIES: LENIENT GUN LAWS/ENFORCEMENT Rates per 100,000 Homicide Robbery Austin, TX 9.2 217.8 population: 465,622 (metropolitan area: 781,572) (1990 census) El Paso, TX 6.2 216.9 population: 515,342 (1990 census) Wichita, KS 5.1 214.5 population: 304,011 (metropolitan area: 485,270) (1990 census) Tucson, AZ 8.1 200.4 population: 405,390 (metropolitan area: 666,880) (1990 census) Corpus Christi, TX 9.9 194.7 population: 257,453 (1990 census Omaha, NE 7.4 187.9 population: 335,795 (metropolitan area: 618,262) (1990 census) Colorado Springs, CO 3.6 120.8 population: 281,140 (metropolitan area: 397,014) (1990 census) *************************************************************** CAREER CRIMINALS, JUSTICE SYSTEM FAILURES AND ARMED VICTIM SUCCESSES. (Based on Department of Justice (DOJ) victimization surveys, felon surveys, NACP law enforcement survey, PROMIS studies, research by the Rand Corp., James D. Wright et al., and Gary Kleck.) 75-80% of U.S. violent crimes are committed by career criminals, many on some form of conditional or early release (30-35% of career criminals are rearrested with previous criminal charges still pending). Career convicted felons out of prison commit an average of 187 crimes per year, costing society 430,000. More than 90% of police chiefs and sheriffs agree that criminals are not affected by a ban on any type of firearm, while more than 70% oppose "waiting periods" for the same reason. Only half of violent crimes are reported to the police, and less than half of those (46%) are cleared by arrest of criminals. A prisoner survey by Wright et al., finds that criminals are more afraid of being shot by victims than by police; of career "handgun predators" 53% did not commit a specific crime for fear victim was armed, 57% were scared off or shot by armed victims; 88% think criminals will always be able to get handguns; absent handguns, 75% would use sawed-off shotguns. Unarmed felons listed tougher penalties for using a gun as an important reason for not arming. Kleck estimated that a burglar runs twice the chance of being shot by a victim as by the police. He also found that using a gun for protection from violent crime -- rape, robbery, assault -- reduces the likelihood crime will be completed and reduces the likelihood intended victims will be injured. *************************************************************** COMPARISONS BETWEEN CIVILIAN AND POLICE USE OF FIREARMS (Source: Civil Rights Attorney Don Kates, St. Louis University School of Law, in \Restricting Handguns: The Liberal Skeptics Speak Out,\ \Firearms and Violence\, and "Gun Control and the Subway Class." The first two are books; the last is an article in the January 10, 1985 Wall Street Journal.) Percentage of privately owned handguns used in crime: .004% Number of times a year private handguns successfully used in defense: 600,000 Percentage of times armed police have succeeded in wounding or driving off criminals: 68% Percentage of times armed private citizens have succeeded in wounding or driving off criminals: 83% Percentage of armed police officers wounded or killed by guns: 21% Percentage of armed private citizens wounded or killed by guns: 17.8% Percentage persons shot by armed police who are innocent of a crime: 11% Percentage of persons shot by armed private citizens who are innocent of a crime: 2% *************************************************************** FIREARMS AND POLICE DEATHS 98% of all the police feloniously killed with firearms were killed by people with previous criminal records. The solution for police deaths is to get the known criminals off the streets forever. SOURCE: Uniform Crime Reports "Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted" from the U.S. Department of Justice Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ********************************************************** Year U.S. Tot. Pol. Pol. Pol. Pol. Pol. Pol. Pop. Pol. murd. murd murd kill murd killed in Off. with with with by by with mil. in all own guns veh. asslt weapon 1000 type fire- other acc. rifle other fire- arm own line than arms of firearm duty (knife, rock, etc.) 1980 226M 459K 95 14 81 55 0 9 1981 228M 439K 86 13 73 58 0 5 1982 230M 424K 82 6 76 62 1 8 1983 232M 499K 74 12 62 64 0 6 1984 234M 494k 66 13 53 63 1 6 1985 238M 517K 70 11 59 59 0 8 1986 241M 505K 62 15 47 51 2 4 1987 244M 503K 67 14 53 65 1 7 1988 248M 501K 76 12 64 63 3 2 1989 250M 505K 57 10 47 70 1 9 1990 252M 506K 56 3 53 59 1 9 1991 260M 515K 71 3 68 55 1 3 *************************************************************** SEMI-AUTOMATICS AND "ASSAULT WEAPONS" Fully-automatic firearms have been sharply restricted by federal law since 1934. There is no evidence that a registered "machine gun" has ever been used in crime. Semi- autos which externally resemble fully-automatic firearms are very difficult to convert to full auto, and such conversion is a federal felony. * There is no evidence that semi-autos are disproportionately used in crime. Semi-autos and all other rifles are involved in 4% of homicides. Data from big cities suggest military look-alikes constitute 1-1/2% of guns seized by police, while accounting for about 2% of the guns owned by Americans. Handguns rank 17th in causes of death for kids under 14 --.5%. Gun deaths rank below deaths from Cirrhosis, kidney disease, chronic pulminary disease, stokes, cancer, heart disease and diabetes. FBI summary of PO deaths Jan-Jun...Weapon of choice---24 30-30 rifle--------1 shotgun------------1 .380 pistol--------1 .357 revolver------3 .45 pistol---------0 "assault rifles"---0 "machine pistols"--0 baseball bat-------1 From a study done by Gary Kleck of Florida State University, School of Criminology, that shows it is manifestly FALSE that those who use firearms in self-defense are more likely to be injured. The group least likely to be injured by a criminal are those who use firearms in self defense. Those who offer no resistance are nearly 50% more likely to be injured in burglaries than those who defend with a gun and those don't defend against an assault are more than twice as likely to be injured than those who use guns in self-defense. The following figures are from Kleck's study, published in the February, 1988, issue of \Social Problems\, (Vol 35, No. 1): Method (Burglary) (Assault) of Percent Percent resistance injured injured ___________________ ____ ____ Gun 17.4 12.1 * Knife 40.3 29.5 other weapon 22.0 25.1 physical force 50.8 52.1 tried to get help/ frighten offender 48.9 40.1 threaten/ reason with offender 30.7 24.7 nonviolent resistance including evasion 34.9 25.5 no self-protection 24.7 27.3 * Based on a nation-wide poll conducted by Peter Hart Research Associates, Inc. for the National Alliance Against Violence, 4% of households reported the use of a handgun in self-defense within the 5 years preceding the survey (including cases when the handgun was only displayed, not fired). Census figures indicate that 4% works out to be 3,224,880 households, or, on the average, 645,000 defensive uses of handguns every year. The Hart survey has some recognizable biases: it sampled registered voters and it only dealt with the use of handguns, which are far less numerous than shotguns and rifles. The study estimates that when long guns are included the number of defensive uses rises to 1,000,000 per year. The study further indicates that in 1980, of 791 justifiable homicides, 53% were civilian, that is, citizens legally killed more criminals than the police did. "When victims use guns to resist crime, the crimes usually are disrupted and the victims are not injured." - quote from Kleck's report. In two surveys cited, 40-46% of the crimes defended against with guns were assaults or rapes in the home. The "Deterrence Effects" section of the report spells out the not-too-surprising fact that the average criminal would rather risk a few years in jail (the maximum punishment he can expect under the legal system) than be shot to death. A 1986 survey of 1,874 felons in 10 states conducted by the Justice Department showed: --- 42% said they had encountered a victim carrying a gun. Of these, 90% said they had been scared off, shot at, wounded or captured by the armed victim. --- 43% said that at some time they had decided not to commit a crime because they believed their victim was armed. --- 56% said they were more afraid of armed citizens than police. --- 73% said, "One reason burglars avoid houses when people are at home is fear of being shot." In the absence of guns, they same criminals might break off a burglary attempt if confronted - but would have little to fear from physically smaller, elderly or female victims if no guns are present. Do guns deter crime? In 1966, the Orlando police department trained 2,500 women in the use of guns. Rape dropped 88% in the following year, more than any other one year decrease. Regarding the often stated belief that a gun in the home is more likely to be the cause of death of the homeowner than to stop a crime. The study this conclusion was drawn from dealt with accidental death statistics in Cleveland, Ohio. During a 16-year period, 148 "accidental" gun deaths occurred and 23 intruders were killed by homeowners. Under the interpretation previously offered, a crime apparently hasn't been "stopped" unless the criminal has been killed. The study excluded all instances where guns were used to scare off, wound or capture a criminal. The 148 "accidental" deaths also included suicides and all firearm- related accidental deaths whether in the home or not. Half of the self-defense uses in the home and all self-defense uses outside the home were excluded. The study not only fails to represent the conditions in the rest of the country, but even fails when compared to Cleveland's own statistics since the mid-1970s. *************************************************************** TIME Magazine, Jan 29,1990: From a telephone poll of 605 gun owners for TIME/CNN on Dec. 15-22 by Yankelovich Clancy Shulman. Sampling error is +/- 4%. SEX Men 75% Women 25% RACE White 88% Black 6% AGE 18-34 38% 35-49 28% 50+ 34% REGION N. East 13% Midwest 25% South 44% West 18% CHILDREN IN HOUSEHOLD Yes 38% No 62% DUES-PAYING MEMBER OF THE NRA Yes 17% No 83% DO YOU WON ONE OF THESE? Rifle 72% Shotgun 70% Handgun 61% Semi-auto 27% Full-auto 4% Mean number of guns owned by those surveyed is 4.4 WHAT IS THE MAIN REASON YOU OWN YOUR GUN(s)? Hunting 50% Protection from crime 27% Target shooting 9% Gun collection 5% Work 3% Other 5% Not sure 1% WHERE IN YOUR HOUSE DO YOU KEEP YOUR GUN(S)? Bedroom 42% Closet/gun cabinet 14% Den 7% Basement 6% DO YOU KEEP YOUR GUN LOADED? Sometimes 12% Always 24% Never 62% DO YOU USUALLY KEEP YOUR GUN LOCKED UP? Yes 45% No 53% DOES HAVING A GUN IN YOUR HOUSE MAKE YOU FEEL SAFER? Safer 42% Less safe 2% No difference 56% DO YOU WORRY ABOUT SOMEONE IN YOUR HOUSE BEING INJURED BY YOUR GUN? Very often 3% Sometimes 12% Never 85% HAVE YOU EVER FIRED YOUR GUN? While target shooting 79% While hunting 78% For fun 43% Self protection 9% To scare someone 7% DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN SHOT IN A Gun accident? 41% yes Violent crime 22% yes ********************************** On suicide. TIME July 17, 1989 says that "But one study has found that when people use a gun, the rate of death is 92%. Says Tulane University sociologist James Wright: 'Everyone knows that if you put a loaded .38 in your ear and pull the trigger, you won't survive.'" *************************************************************** GUN CONTROL: WHERE DO MOST POLICE STAND? From the July/August 1991 issue of LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY: The Law Enforcement Technology GUN CONTROL SURVEY Banner: 75% of law enforcement professionals vehemently oppose gun control, according to the results of a poll of 2,000 police managers and street officers. Nearly 2,000 of \Law Enforcement Technology's\ 25,000 subscribers have responded to the "Gun Control Survey" published in the March issue of the magazine. Responses to the survey -- which may be the only one of its kind -- show that 77% of the police chiefs, sheriffs, law enforcement top and middle managers and street officers who responded believe citizens have a constitutional right to bear arms and that gun control would infringe on that right. Most cited the 2nd Amendment, and the need for citizens to be able to defend themselves against "criminals, an invading army or a tyrannical government." Overall, the majority of respondents (84.6%) feel that gun control does not lessen crime, and many (78.2%) expressed the opinion that "criminals will always get guns." Most of those who commented on the question agreed with one respondent who noted, "Gun control will only affect those who abide by the law. Criminals, by their very nature, do not abide by laws--they break them." Of those responding, 21.1% were chiefs, sheriffs or top management; 37.1% were middle management; and 41.8% were street officers. All three groups were overwhelmingly against a ban on assault weapons (78.7%) and 92.9% felt that handguns should be used by private citizens for personal protection. A ban on concealed weapons was supported by only 37.5%, with those against it (62.5%) concluding, "it's too restrictive," and punishes the good majority for the acts of a few." Respondents repeatedly pointed out that gun control laws "don't address the real issue of crime -- the criminal," and many asserted the need for "enforcement of existing laws" and "mandatory jail sentences" with "no plea bargaining." Survey participants questioned, "Why are lawmakers afraid of tough sentences?" and many asserted the need to limit paroles, and curtail probation and work release programs. Of those surveyed, 78.5% are in favor of a computerized background check on those purchasing firearms. "This system could work, but only if we had a national computer clearinghouse shared state to state," said one officer. (But only 44.2% support a waiting period prior to handgun purchases, because "criminals have no waiting period.") Although the survey was brief and concise, many of those who filled it out felt so strongly about the subject of gun control that they expanded their responses into lengthy letters--detailing the reasons they are against it. In general, those surveyed felt that efforts to restrict gun control have not been successful in the past and they pointed out that some of the states with the strictest gun statutes have high crime rates anyway. Whether laws restrict gun purchases or not, they said, guns are still available illegally on the street. "When Cain killed Abel," I don't think he used an AK-47-- crime will happen, weapon or not," said one respondent. But others felt stiffer penalties, mandatory sentences, and enforcement of "hundreds of gun laws" already on the books could help deter crime. Overall, they said, the answer is gun \control\ by stiffer enforcement, not more gun control \legislation\. The Survey Questions: Should private citizens use handguns for personal protection? Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: 92.7% Yes 7.3% No Middle Management: 91.1% Yes 9.9% No Street Officer: 94.5% Yes 5.5% No FROM BAR CHARTS: Do you believe a citizen has the constitutional right to bear arms and any limit is an infringement of rights? Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 59% Yes 41% No Middle Management: c. 72% Yes 28% No Street Officer: c. 75% Yes 25% No Do you support a ban on concealed weapons? Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 41% Yes 59% No Middle Management: c. 32% Yes 68% No Street Officer: c. 24% Yes 76% No Do you support a ban on assault weapons? Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 34% Yes 66% No Middle Management: c. 17% Yes 83% No Street Officer: c. 9% Yes 91% No In your opinion, does gun control lessen crime? Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 22% Yes 78% No Middle Management: c. 06% Yes 94% No Street Officer: c. 04% Yes 96% No Do you support waiting periods for handguns? Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 53% Yes 47% No Middle Management: c. 40% Yes 60% No Street Officer: c. 38% Yes 62% No Would you be in favor of a background check for firearms purchases if computerized? Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 75% Yes 25% No Middle Management: c. 74% Yes 26% No Street Officer: c. 70% Yes 30% No \Compiled by the LET staff and Horizon Research, Inc.\ *********************************************************** The following is an excerpt from the "Report of the 4th National Poll of America's Police Chiefs for the Year 1991," from the National Association of Chiefs of Police (NACOP), 3801 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33137; (305) 573-0202. "Preface: For the past three years, the National Association of Chiefs of Police has conducted a poll of every chief of police and sheriff in the United States. Just over 15,400 departments were sent the following questions. Our purpose is to obtain a poll or pulse of what the nation's police feel on questions of importance. While not all officers respond, we normally get more than 10% response, and for years have maintained key questions to see if the response is somewhat stable. Thus, we feel that the poll is reasonably accurate. . . ." "Firearms "10. Do you favor the training and issuance of semi- automatic firearms (sidearms) that carry 16-17 rounds over the present police revolver? 85.5% said Yes. "11. Do you believe that banning of firearms (handguns, shotguns, or rifles) will reduce the ability of criminals from obtaining such weapons? 93.2% said No. "12. Do you believe that a waiting period to purchase a handgun or any type of firearm will have any effect on criminals getting firearms? 73.3% said No. "13. Do you believe that in the national 7-day waiting period proposed before the Congress (Brady Bill) that you can fully determine that the applicant has no criminal record; is not mentally unsound; or is an abuser of drugs or alcohol? 84.6% said No. "14. No funds to carry out this 7 day 'investigation' are provided for in this Bill for police. Do you believe that your department has the manpower to conduct this investigation without taking patrol officers off the street? 87.6% said No. "15. There is no provision to protect you from a lawsuit in the event you may approve (after 7 days) an applicant who is a criminal, may be mentally unsound, or a drug or alcohol abuser. Do you believe that the 'Brady Bill' may leave you open for a future civil lawsuit? 92.3% said Yes. "16. Many Gun-Rights organizations suggest that we need to build jails, prosecute cases under the present gun laws, and target criminals instead of the law abiding gun owners. Would you agree with that statement? 90.6% said Yes. "17. Historically, the militia is 'all men between the ages of 16 to 45'. Under the present armed forces defense of the United States the National Guard must now be able to mobilize in three days to back up our regular armed forces world-wide. Therefore, the only defense would be the 'state militia' in time of war. Would you agree that for the sake of the defense of the United States that citizens should be allowed to have their own rifles, shotguns and handguns for emergencies natural or man-made? 86.7% said Yes. "18. Would you agree that all bonafide law enforcement officers should be permitted to carry weapons on or off duty from state to state? 93.6% said Yes. "19. Would you agree that any person convicted of alcohol abuse or narcotics abuse more than three times should be placed in a national computer to reject their application for the purchase of a firearm of any kind? 94.1% said Yes. "20. Do you believe that law abiding citizens should have the right to purchase any type of firearm for sport or self-defense under state laws that now exist? 94.7% said Yes. "21. A 'military type' of long gun (rifles, shotgun, etc.) is now being described as one able to hold more than five rounds or more of ammunition. It must be fired by pulling the trigger each time. The legal description would cover many semi-automatic weapons. Do you believe that banning such types of weapons would reduce criminals from obtaining them? 89.2% said No. "22. Would you agree that most criminals obtain their weapons from illegal sources? 92% said Yes. "23. Do you believe that the banning of private ownership of firearms will result in fewer crimes from firearms? 90.5% said No. "24. Do you feel that because of limited police man-power that citizens should retain the right to own firearms for self-defense at home or business? 92.2% said Yes. "25. With the increasing rate of violence would you agree that citizens should take training in self defense with firearms to protect their homes and property based on a 40% increase in crime in the last 10 years and almost no increase in police manpower? 86.8% said Yes. "26. Are you aware that the names of owners of machine guns are not available to law enforcement agencies. That is if you legally own a machine gun that privacy laws prevent local police from such data? 70.5% said No. "27. Do you feel that a Federal Gun Dealers License should require the minimum of fingerprinting, photo of applicant, higher fees for investigations and be limited to actual gun shops or stores? 76.5% said Yes. "28. Do you feel that the system of criminal justice has broken down to the point where it is the inability to deal with criminals caught by the police (prosecution and imprisonment) that is the major cause of crime in America? 83.6% said Yes. "29. Do you agree that we must enlarge our prison capacity so that we can keep the career criminals in prison and off the streets longer? 96.4% said Yes. "30. Do you think the courts are too soft on criminals in general? 95.2% said Yes. "31. Do you believe your police department is undermanned? 89.1% said Yes. "32. Most recently the Supreme Court again ruled in favor of the rights of criminals in requiring you to make a lawyer available anytime criminals were questioned. Even when they voluntarily provided you with data without their lawyer being present. Do you feel that this type of ruling will make your investigation of crime more difficult? 92% said Yes. "33. Do you feel that the Federal Courts that mandated the hiring of minorities and promotion of minorities that lowered standards for entry has also lowered the standards of applicants in departments all over America? 50.8% said Yes. "34. Do you feel that hiring the best applicants by the highest scores in mental, physical and training tests should be the sole basis of employment in police work? 56.1% said Yes. "35. Do you believe that when a public disturbance takes place where looting, riots, fires are being set; that when police stand by and allow looting, that it sends a signal that police agencies are powerless to protect the public? 92.3% said Yes. "36. Would you like to see all state laws amended that allows a police officer or home owner to shoot looters or persons running away with stolen merchandise. Even though at the time they posed no threat to the citizen or officer? Just stealing property. 70.4% said No. "37. Would you agree with the statement that because of a lack of police manpower that you can no longer provide the type of service and crime prevention activities that you did ten years ago? 72.3% said Yes. *************************************************************** HOW DANGEROUS ARE GUNS TO KIDS? From the National Safety Council, "Accident Facts" (1990) For the United States in 1989: All Ages: Children 0-14 ALL ACCIDENTS 94,500 8,100 Motor vehicle 46,900 3,700 Drowning 4,600 1,200 Fires and burns 4,400 1,000 Suffocation 3,900 400 Firearms 1,600 250 Falls 12,400 150 Poisonings 5,600 60 Poisoning(gases) 900 40 Other 14,200 1,300 Further Breakdown: All Ages: Ages 0-4 Ages 5-14 ALL ACCIDENTS 94,500 4,000 4,100 Motor vehicle 46,900 1,400 2,300 Falls 12,400 100 50 Poisonings 5,600 40 20 Drowning 4,600 600 600 Fires and burns 4,400 650 350 Suffocation 3,900 350 50 Firearms 1,600 40 210 Poisoning(gases) 900 20 20 Other 14,200 800 500 Analysis: Firearms accidents accounted for 1.7% of the accidental deaths in 1988, and 15.6% of these deaths were children 14 or younger, which made accidental deaths from firearms of children 14 or younger .26% (that is, about one-quarter of a percent) of the accidental deaths in the United States in 1988. Firearms accounted for 3% of the accidental deaths of children 14 or under in 1988. Firearms accidents accounted for 1% of accidental deaths age 0-4, and 5.1% ages 5-14. For every child in America who accidentally lost his or her life due to firearms, 15 died in automobile accidents (an average of 10 deaths per day), 5 drowned (over 3 deaths per day), 4 died from fire (just under 3 deaths per day), and another 1 or 2 died from accidental poisoning. Question: If parental negligence is to be defined as a felony in the accidental death of a child due to a firearm, why isn't it being called for in the accidental deaths of children from reckless driving, children left alone near filled bathtubs or swimming pools, disconnected smoke alarms, and cans of Drano left under the kitchen sink? All of these are as likely or more likely to cause the death of a child than a gun. *************************************************************** *************************************************************** GUNS & CRIME IN FLORIDA Florida has had a successful concealed-carry weapons law in effect since October 1, 1987. Here are the stats on the program: FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE Jim Smith Secretary of State DIVISION OF LICENSING Post Office Box 6687 Tallahassee, Florida 32314-6687 CONCEALED WEAPONS/FIREARMS LICENSE STATISTICAL REPORT FOR PERIOD 10/01/87 - 12/30/92 TOTAL Applications received: 145,907 New 106,408 Renewal 39,499 Licenses Issued: 140,069 New 101,009 Renewal 39,160 Licenses valid: 80,891 Applications Denied: 837 Criminal History: 504 Incomplete Application: 333 License Revoked: 265 Clemency rule change or Legislative change: 66 Illegible prints with No Response 10 Crime prior to licensure 46 - Firearm Utilized: --5 Crime After Licensure 89 - Firearm Utilized --15 Other 13 Reinstated 24* *Statistics regarding number of licenses reinstated were not maintained prior to January, 1990 ## Here are the murder and non-negligent homicide figures for Florida covering the same period: CRIME IN THE UNITED STATES, the FBI's Uniform Crime Report. MURDER AND NON-NEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER Florida ____________________________________________________________ Year Total % Change Rate/100,000 % Change ____ _____ ________ ____________ ________ 1990 1,379 -1.9 10.7 -3.6 1989 1,405 11.1 1989 1,405 - .8 11.1 -2.6 1988 1,416 11.4 1988 1,416 +3.3 11.4 ---- 1987 1,371 11.4 1987 1,371 ---- 11.4 -2.6 1986 1,371 11.7 1986 1,371 +5.8 11.7 +2.6 1985 1,296 11.4 ********************************************************** Which shows that homicide, the most serious of the offenses, has been in a downward trend in Florida during the period when the number of private persons carrying firearms is increasing. HCI responded by charging that the homicide figures weren't telling, because rape and assault were still rising. Well, they aren't anymore. The trend has started to reverse: VERBATIM STATISTICS ON VIOLENT CRIME IN FLORIDA, 1991: MURDER DOWN 8% w/Handguns DOWN 3.9% w/firearms DOWN 15.4% w/knives DOWN 5.2% w/hands/fists/feet DOWN 14.1% Other DOWN 17.9% ROBBERY DOWN 1.7% w/Handgun UP 0.6% w/firearms DOWN 10.3 w/knives DOWN 6.6% w/hands/fists/feet DOWN 0.6% Other DOWN 4.6% AGGRAVATED ASSAULT DOWN 1.7% w/handgun DOWN 5.9% w/firearms DOWN 9.4% w/knives DOWN 3.4% w/hands/fists/feet UP 5.5% Other UP 1.3% BURGLARY DOWN 3.8% w/forced entry DOWN 2.0% no forced entry DOWN 9.5% Attempted entry DOWN 5.3% PURSE SNATCHING DOWN 7.3% NON-VIOLENT CRIMES from the same 1991 Annual Report: LARCENY UP 3.1% Pocket Picking UP 1.0% Shoplifting UP 4.8% Theft from Coin Machines UP 11.4% Motor Vehicle Theft UP 1.5% DRUGS: Sale Overall UP 11.0% Cocaine sale UP 11.3 Marijuana sale UP 34.3 FRAUD UP 0.7% Credit Card/ATM UP 16.2% Impersonation UP 9.0% Welfare UP 45.5% Wire (telephone fraud) UP 87.5% ********************************************************* Crooks in Florida do seem to be avoiding occasions where they might run into an armed citizen. I would say that while it is not conclusive, there is as much statistical weight at this point to the proposition that increasing the number of firearms being carried by the civilian population inhibits violent crime, as there is to the statistical linkage between cigarette smoking and heart disease or emphysema. It is indisputable that the Florida concealed-carry firearms law has not turned Florida into the Gunshine State, as HCI and CBS News predicted in 1986. It is indisputable that making ccw-licenses available to anyone who wants one and can pass an ordinary background check showing no criminal or psychological disqualification does not endanger the public. And it is getting statistically strong that increasing the ability of the civilian population to carry firearms reverses rising crime trends as well. The NRA is backing laws based on the Florida law in Texas and Oklahoma right now. HCI is opposing the laws. **************************************************************** HOW DOES JAPAN GET THAT LOW CRIME RATE, ANYWAY? by J. Neil Schulman -- February 27, 1992 Today's \Los Angeles Times\ has an article that illuminates the difficulty of citing Japan's low crime rate as evidence that gun-control is a factor. In a Column One story titled "Victims of a Safe Society," the \Los Angeles Times\ details how the relatively low rate of private criminality in Japan is achieved by massive police criminality: beating suspects so severely that they are permanently crippled in order to obtain confessions, a massively high rate of false executions and imprisonment, and virtually no penalties for police who commit these crimes. "Many foreign people think Japan is a highly developed, advanced, democratic country, and it is," says Hideyuki Kayanuma, an attorney for an American entertainer who was permanently crippled by Japanese police who suspected him of drug possession. "But especially in the field of criminal justice, it's a Third World country. There are no human rights." Civil-rights attorney Kensuke Onuki says, "It's almost like 'Midnight Express.'" In addition to beating of suspects, sleep deprivation to achieve confessions, and common torture of arrestees, the article describes a Japanese criminal justice system with virtually no bail, strip searches for traffic violations, and a conviction rate of 98% -- about that of Stalinist USSR. In contrast, of 12,615 complaints of torture and abuse filed against police over the last 40 years, only 15 cases were tried, and only \half\ of that 15 resulted in punishment for police officers. Citing "a typical example," of Japanese justice, the article tells of a day laborer released after 16 years in prison. The laborer was coerced into a false confession during six months of detention in three different police stations outside Tokyo. During that time, the laborer says, "officers beat him on the head with fists, trampled his thighs, and ordered him to 'apologize' to a photo of the dead woman as they burned incense for her spirit in the interrogation room. They interrogated him for a total of 172 days as much as 13 hours a day." Other methods of interrogation, according to the \Times\ article, involve telling suspects that their families will suffer if they don't confess or that an interrogation won't end without a confession. The article cites human rights attorneys who have estimated forced confessions to be as high as 50%. Suspects may be held in custody for up to 23 days with no charges, bail, right to an attorney, or court supervision. Nor is there much objection to this brutality by the Japanese public. The Japanese Civil Liberties Union has only 600 members, as compared to 280,000 ACLU members. Instead, says the \Times\ article, "most Japanese place a high degree of confidence and trust in police and assume that suspects under arrest probably committed the crime." Those who wish to cite Japan's low murder rate as proof that gun control works, had better think again. And if after reconsidering the issue they still advocate the Japanese approach, those Americans who value the concepts of fairness and justice would do well to understand what the goal of those who advocate gun control actually is: the importation of fascism to America. **************************************************************** DOES GUN CONTROL REDUCE HOMICIDE? Advocates of gun control are always using England's strict gun control, and its low homicide rate, as an argument in favor of imposing English-style gun control in the United States, on the premise that it will lower the U.S. crime rate. But the British gun-control laws are equally in place in Scotland, and even more restrictive in Northern Ireland. If we look at those figures, what do we find? HOMICIDES IN GREAT BRITAIN, 1987-1988 (Source: Interpol) 1987 1988 England & Wales: Population: 49,923,500 50,424,900 Homicides: 981 992 Homicide Rate: 2 per 100K 1.97 per 100K Scotland Population: 5,112,129 5,094,001 Homicides: 508 510* Homicide Rate: 9.9 per 100K 10.0 per 100K *excludes Pan Am 103 bombing Northern Ireland Population: 1,500,000 1,575,200 Homicides: 401 563 Homicide Rate: 26.7 per 100K 35.7 per 100K Evidently, British gun control doesn't seem to work in either Scotland or Northern Ireland. COMPARING BRITISH AND AMERICAN HOMICIDE RATES (Source: FBI Unified Crime Reports) For comparison, the United States Homicide Rate in 1987: 8.3 per 100K (compare to 9.9 for Scotland, 26.7 for Northern Ireland); and in 1988: 8.4 per 100K (compare to 10.0 per 100K in Scotland and 35.7 per 100K in Northern Ireland). Which refutes the claim that British-style gun control produces a national homicide rate which is lower than the United States. Now, let's compare these homicide rates with the U.S., by city (1990): Washington D.C.: 78 per 100K Miami: 39 per 100K Houston: 35 per 100K New York City: 31 per 100K Los Angeles: 28 per 100K Denver: 14 per 100K Phoenix: 13 per 100K Seattle: 10 per 100K El Paso: 7 per 100K Colorado Springs: 3 per 100K And, U.S. by state (1990): New York: 14.5 per 100K Pennsylvania: 6.7 per 100K Montana: 4.9 per 100K Minnesota: 2.7 per 100K South Dakota: 2.0 per 100K New Hampshire: 1.9 per 100K Iowa: 1.7 per 100K North Dakota: .08 per 100K Several things become immediately obvious. First, Northern Ireland as a whole has a 1987-1988 murder rate less than half of Washington D.C., less than Miami or Houston, and about equivalent to New York City. Washington, D.C. and New York have extremely strict gun laws; Houston and Miami less so. Gun control doesn't seem to be a factor. Also, the rural areas of the United States have a homicide rate low enough to make our national homicide rate lower than Scotland's, and much lower than Northern Ireland's. Second, there are areas of the United States with a lower homicide rate than England's, and these areas have little or no gun control. Third, Colorado Springs, Colorado, with one of the lowest homicide rates of any major U.S. city has virtually no gun control laws; yet its homicide rate is only slightly higher than England's, which has a virtual gun ban. Fourth, laws -- not just gun control laws, but all laws -- are not a controlling element in the homicide rate, period. Houston and El Paso both are subject to the same Texas laws; yet Houston has five times as many murders per 100,000 residents as El Paso. Denver, Colorado has 4.7 times as many murders per 100,000 residents as Colorado Springs, which has the same laws. All in all, I'd say anyone who is trying to make a case for or against gun control by linking availability of firearms with homicide rates is going to find it impossible to do so with any credibility. --J. Neil Schulman *************************************************************** Murder Statistics from Statistical Abstract of the United States, U.S. Department of Commerce The murder rate from 1870 to 1905 was slightly under/over 1 per 100,000. Except for New York City's Sullivan Law and Reconstruction-era laws against blacks carrying guns without permission, U.S. has virtually no gun laws. 1900: 1.2 1901: 1.2 Sept. 6: President McKinley shot; dies 9/14. 1902: 1.2 Theodore Roosevelt elected president. 1903: 1.1 1904: 1.3 Upward trend in homicide rate begins. 1905: 2.1 1906: 3.9 T. Roosevelt reelected. 1907: 4.9 1908: 4.8 1909: 4.2 William H. Taft assumes presidency. 1910: 4.6 1911: 5.5 1912: 5.4 1913: 6.1 Woodrow Wilson assumes presidency. 1914: 6.2 World War I begins in Europe. 1915: 5.9 1916: 6.3 1917: 6.9 April 6: US enters World War I 1918: 6.5 WWI ends; troops return; influenza epidemic. 1919: 7.2 1920: 6.8 Prohibition starts. 1921: 8.1 Harding presidency begins. 1922: 8.0 1923: 7.8 Harding dies; Coolidge becomes president. 1924: 8.1 1925: 8.3 1926: 8.4 1927: 8.4 1928: 8.6 Herbert Hoover elected president. 1929: 8.4 Oct. 29: Stock market crash 1930: 8.8 Beginning of Great Depression 1931: 9.2 1932: 9.0 FDR elected first time 1933: 9.7 Prohibition repealed. 1933 Fed Gun Control Act 1934: 9.5 Gun Control Act of 1934 restricts machine guns 1935: 8.3 1936: 8.0 1937: 7.6 1938: 6.8 1939: 6.4 World War II begins in Europe 1940: 6.3 1941: 6.0 December 8: US enters WW II 1942: 5.9 1943: 5.1 1944: 5.0 1945: 5.7 WW2 ends; troops return home, many w/ weapons. 1946: 6.4 Beginning of baby boom. 1947: 6.1 1948: 5.9 1949: 5.4 1950: 5.3 June 25: Korean War begins. 1951: 4.9 1952: 5.2 1953: 4.8 July: Korean Armistice; troops return home. 1954: 4.8 1955: 4.5 1956: 4.6 1957: 4.5 1958: 4.5 1959: 4.6 1960: 4.7 1961: 4.7 1962: 4.8 October: Cuban missile crisis 1963: 4.9 Nov. 22: JFK assassinated; LBJ takes office. 1964: 5.1 Gulf of Tonkin resolution; LBJ elected. 1965: 5.5 November: Great blackout in Northeast 1966: 5.9 Vietnam War escalates; anti-war demonstrations 1967: 6.8 1968: 7.3 Nixon wins; King & RFK murd'd; 1968 GCA passed 1969: 7.7 Jan. 20: Nixon takes office. 1970: 8.3 1971: 8.6 1972: 9.0 Nixon reelected 1973: 9.4 Watergate scandal; US troops pull out of Vietnam. 1974: 9.8 Nixon resigns; Ford assumes presidency. 1975: 9.6 April: fall of Saigon to Communists 1976: 8.8 1977: 8.8 Jan. 20: Carter takes office 1978: 9.0 1979: 9.7 1980: 10.2 Reagan elected. Dec. 8: John Lennon murdered. 1981: 9.8 Reagan takes office Jan 20; shot by Hinckley 3/20 1982: 9.1 1983: 8.3 1984: 7.9 Reagan re-elected 1985: 7.9 1986: 8.6 McClure-Volkmer Gun Act passes, easing gun laws. 1987: 8.3 1988: 8.4 Bush elected 1989: 8.7 Jan. 20: Bush takes office 1990: 9.4 1991: 9.8 1992: ? Apr 29: widespread riots. Nov: Clinton elected. Analysis: It's hard to draw specific conclusions on the causes of the increases and decreases in homicide. It's tempting to blame an increase on the passage of Prohibition or World War I, except the upward homicide trend begins in 1904, before either event. The repeal of Prohibition in 1933, however, does seem to begin a gradual lowering in homicide rates (one can't attribute it to the 1933 and 1934 gun-control acts, because those laws focus on machine- guns, a minor part of the body count), until the period beginning in 1963-64 with the JFK assassination and the escalation of the Vietnam War, when rates start sharply upward again. There is a short spurt in homicides at the end of World War II which is not repeated at the end of the Korean War. The period from 1949 to 1963 is fairly low on domestic homicide. Nor, judging from the Great Depression, can economic reverses be used to explain increasing homicide rates: after a brief peak in 1931, the U.S. homicide rates falls by about a third over the Depression decade. The most severe federal gun control passed is the 1968 Gun Control Act, which outlaws buying guns through the mail or transferring them interstate without a federal dealers' license. The law has no observable effect on increasing homicide rates. Nor does the easing of many 1968 restrictions by the McClure Volkmer Act in 1986 seem to produce any observable impact on the national homicide rate. As with regional comparisons of gun control, time-series observations do not seem to offer any reason to believe that increasing restrictions on firearms have any positive effect on reducing homicide rates. -- J. Neil Schulman ------------------------------------------------ (This file was found elsewhere on the Internet and uploaded to the Radio Free Michigan archives by the archive maintainer. All files are ZIP archives for fast download. E-mail bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu)