Looking for FACTS comparing Strict Gun Controll Laws to Violent Crime Stats

I would really like to see some recent statistics comparing the ammount of violent crime to how strict the gun control laws are in that area, be it states in the U.S. or various countries.
Does anyone have FACTS to share?

Look into the crime statistics of Washington DC. That pretty much clears it all up for me.

You can also take a look at Australia.

Data after 12 months from the gun confiscations.

Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2%.

Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6%.

Australia-wide, armed-robberies are up 44%. (yes, FORTY-FOUR PERCENT)

In the state of Victoria, homicides-with-firearms are up 300%!

The steady decrease in homicides-with-firearms that occurred during the previous 25 years became an increase in the last 12 months.

The steady decrease in armed-robbery-with-firearms that occurred during the previous 25 years became an increase in the last 12 months.

There has been a dramatic increase in breakins-and-assaults-of-the-elderly.

At the time of the ban, the Prime Minister said "self-defense is not a reason for owning a firearm".

From 1910 to present, homicides in Australia have averaged about 1.8-per-100,000 or lower, a safe society by any standard.

The ban has destroyed Australia's standings in some international sport shooting competitions.

The membership of the Australian Sports Shooting Association has increased by 200% in response to the ban and in an attempt to organize against further controls, which are expected.

NRA statistics.

"Australian politicians are on the spot and at a loss to explain why no improvement in "safety" has been observed after such monumental effort and expense was successfully expended in "ridding society of guns". Their response has been to "wait longer"."



[edit on 22-3-2008 by Tinhatman]

reply to post by RedmoonMWC


A while back i did some research. I compared US and Canada. I used crime statistics from FBI and RCMP in ratio to population.
I found you was less likely to be murdered in Canada, but twice as likely to be robbed or raped or in a violent crime.
Keep in mind Canada has much stricter gun laws than US.

BludHound

Well, in the UK since the ban on handgun ownership on section1 certificates (essentially banning handgun ownership for 99.9% of the population), the number of murders oand serious assaults involving handguns has risen steadily by up to 30% per year (give or take). There are currently approx twice as many handgun related murders and assaults each year with handguns than there were pre-ban.

[edit on 22-3-2008 by PaddyInf]

I don't know abouts facts but I do know with my own commonsense that gun control increases crime. When criminals know that this place or that place is a gun free area then criminals are happy and ready to do their business. We don't need more gun controls laws, we need more stiffer penalties for criminals and gun crimes. Make it harder for criminals to get guns not the citizens. When criminals know that it's harder because people are carrying weapons and neighborhoods are packing and watching out for one another then criminals are gonna have to find a better career. I feel if you take away the right of an individual to protect themselves against hostility of criminals then you're taking the right for them to defend their selfs against government tyranny. That's my two cents worth. Forget facts and statistics. Protect yourself and your family at all cost.

When you will look at Australian crime figures you have to bear in mind population growth . I spend my childhood in Australia and was there when the stricter gun control laws were brought in . Gun ownership was never widespread to begin with like in the US. Put another way chances are many victims of current crimes most likely never owned gun before the stricter gun control laws were put in place unless they were or are a farmer or hunter.

If Australia population growth was stagnant then the statics by themselves would be more of a reliable guide. A corresponding increase in crime in New Zealand suggests that the tighter gun control laws that were brought in across the Tasman are not such a big factor after all.

I would say here in New Zealand our failure to deal with youth crime is a bigger factor in our crime rates then our gun laws. All I am saying is that there other factors at work .

[edit on 22-3-2008 by xpert11]

Maybe I should have said Reliable Sources, I am trying to put together a paper to present to our town council for less restrictive gun control ordenances.

Originally posted by RedmoonMWC
Maybe I should have said Reliable Sources, I am trying to put together a paper to present to our town council for less restrictive gun control ordenances.

Don't get caught up to much in statics. I am not saying that the NRA stats are wrong but it wouldn't hurt to try and source them from else where to accusations of biases .
Make sure you do your homework and try to build your case on a solid foundation that will any questions that may arise .

If a member of the council puts to you that any increase in crime is due to other social issues in your area what will your response be ?

reply to post by xpert11


My reply will be that I am sure there are many factors affecting the increase of violent crime and that these restrictive gun control ordnances only keep the victims from defending themselves as the criminals are still armed.

Good luck Redmoon.

Your endeavor is a good one.

Oh yeah, Dr. John Lott's book "More guns less crime" may have something is it for you to use. You maybe able to get in touch with Lott for some help?

Roper

[edit on 23-3-2008 by Roper]

[edit on 23-3-2008 by Roper]

reply to post by RedmoonMWC



Here's a link to a Harvard Journal of Law study on the subject in PDF format that contains some stats: HJL Study

Levitt and Dubner's Freakonomics.

If anyone reads that chapter of their book and still thinks gun control is a reasonable response to gun crime, they ought to be shot.

Thanks all, I think I might have the information I need.
I'll let you all know what happens.

GUN CONTROL

Strict gun control increases violent crime

To persuade my listeners that strict gun control laws are counter-productive.

I. Introduction
On Jan. 16, 2002, Peter Odighizuwa, a 43-year-old student from Nigeria, walked into the Appalachian School of Law offices of Dean Anthony Sutin, 42, a former acting assistant U.S. attorney, and professor Thomas Blackwell, 41, and opened fire with a .380 ACP semi-automatic handgun – shooting them at close range.
Also killed in the same building was student Angela Denise Dales, 33. Three others were wounded.
As soon as the gunfire erupted, two students acting independently of one another, Tracy Bridges and Mikael Gross, ran to their vehicles to retrieve firearms. Gross, an off-duty police officer in his home state of North Carolina, got his 9mm pistol and body armor. Bridges got out his .357 Magnum.
Bridges and Gross went back to the building where the shots were heard and as Odighizuwa exited, they approached from different angles. Bridges yelled for him to drop his weapon and the shooter was subdued by several unarmed students.
Gross went back to his car and got handcuffs to detain the shooter until police arrived.
Most news reports of the incident failed to mention the presence of two armed students and their role in subduing the shooter, saying only that he was tackled by bystanders.
Odighizuwa was tried for the murders and sentenced to multiple life terms in prison.
Virginia Tech, like many of the nation's schools and college campuses, is a so-called "gun-free zone," which Second Amendment supporters say invites gun violence – especially from disturbed individuals seeking to kill as many victims as possible.
Foreign-born student Cho Seung-Hui murdered 32 and wounded another 15 before turning his gun on himself.
A year earlier, the Virginia legislature banned all guns on campus in the interest of safety.
www.wnd.com...
April 22, 2007 © 2008 WorldNetDaily.com


Colleges to allow guns on campus?
Arizona lawmakers hope to stem the wave of unarmed students killed in campus slayings through a plan that would let adults carry firearms onto the grounds of the state's universities.
Utah and several local jurisdictions scattered around the U.S. already allow people with a license to carry their weapons onto campuses.
Nevada also has considered a plan to allow teachers to be armed, and South Carolina, Alabama, Michigan and Ohio are looking at plans similar to Arizona's.
March 03, 2008 © 2008 WorldNetDaily www.worldnetdaily.com...

Today, I would like to look at some statistics from Washington D.C., Florida and Australia.

From my research and my personal experience, I have come to the conclusion that strict gun control laws are counter-productive.


Let’s start by looking at my personal experience.

II. Shortly after I got out of the Marine Corps in 1988, I woke up to 2 men trying to steal the tires off of my car (1974 Triumph Spitfire) I came out the door with a shotgun and made them lay on the ground and yelled for my wife to call the police. They were arrested and went to jail for attempted robbery. No shots fired.

Now let’s look at my research results.


In 1976 Washington D.C. enacted a virtual ban on handguns. Between 1976 and 1991, Washington D.C.'s homicide rate rose 200%, while the U.S. rate rose 12%.
More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun-Control Laws ISBN:0226493644 by John R. Lott Jr.


Florida adopted a right-to-carry law in 1987
Florida United States
homicide rate -36% -0.4%
firearm homicide rate -37% +15%
handgun homicide rate -41% +24%



Australia in 1996 enacted a total ban on all personal firearms, including semi-automatic .22 rifles and shotguns. www.nrawinningteam.com...

OBSERVABLE FACT AFTER 12 MONTHS OF DATA


• Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2%.
• Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6%.
• Australia-wide, armed-robberies are up 44%. (yes, FORTY-FOUR PERCENT)
• In the state of Victoria, homicides-with-firearms are up 300%!
• The steady decrease in homicides-with-firearms that occurred during the previous 25 years became an increase in the last 12 months.
• The steady decrease in armed-robbery-with-firearms that occurred during the previous 25 years became an increase in the last 12 months.
• There has been a dramatic increase in breakins-and-assaults-of-the-elderly.
• At the time of the ban, the Prime Minister said "self-defense is not a reason for owning a firearm".
• From 1910 to present, homicides in Australia have averaged about 1.8-per-100,000 or lower, a safe society by any standard.
• The ban has destroyed Australia's standings in some international sport shooting competitions.
• The membership of the Australian Sports Shooting Association has increased by 200% in response to the ban and in an attempt to organize against further controls, which are expected.
• Australian politicians are on the spot and at a loss to explain why no improvement in "safety" has been observed after such monumental effort and expense was successfully expended in "ridding society of guns". Their response has been to "wait longer".



What do these statistics show?

When people have guns and the right to protect themselves, it is less likely criminals will attack or injure them.

Criminals prefer unarmed victims.

The police cannot be everywhere. It is your responsibility to defend yourself and any others you see in danger.

We have looked at statistics for Washington D.C., Florida and Australia.

Conclusion

While pro-gun control advocates may believe they are improving safety, they are actually depriving honest people of the ability to defend themselves against criminals. Evidence shows that Increases in gun control have a direct connection to increases in violent crime rates (including rape).

A 1985 study by the National Institute for Justice shows criminals fear the armed citizen more than they fear the police.
www.nraila.org...



REFERENCES

www.wnd.com...

www.worldnetdaily.com...

www.nraila.org...

More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun-Control Laws ISBN:0226493644 by John R. Lott Jr.

www.nrawinningteam.com...

OUTSTANDING!!

I had a little trouble with this;

Florida adopted a right-to-carry law in 1987
Florida United States
homicide rate -36% -0.4%
firearm homicide rate -37% +15%
handgun homicide rate -41% +24%

It's just how is was laid out , Florida vs US, no biggie.

Roper

Originally posted by Tinhatman
Look into the crime statistics of Washington DC. That pretty much clears it all up for me.

Yes. The DC Sniper had a long run. The citizens couldn't protect themselves by owning handguns. Did this lengthen the DC Sniper run? Could be!!

A popular myth propogated by the opponents of gun control laws is that an Australian firearms buyback program increased the rates of violent crime. As pointed out by snopes.com, this argument is based on blatant misuse of statistics. The fact of the matter is that the rates of firearms-related crime in Australia has dropped significantly since the buyback, with the homicide rate being approximately 2.0 per 100,000 population per year just prior to the buyback and approximately 1.5 per 100,000 population per year in their most recent annual report, recersing a steady upward trend that had occured from the mid-1940s up until the buyback began. It is worth noting, however, that the most common weapon for homicide was a sharp instrument both before and after the buyback program, so overall crime statistics only tell part of the story. Firearms accounted for 20-25% of homicides in the years just prior to the buyback as compared with just 14% in the most recent report. Combining the decline in homicide rate overall with the decline in percentage of homicides committed using firearms, it is clear that there has been a significant decline in firearms-related homicides. The figures for armed robbery similarly have shown marked improvement since the buyback program went into effect.

These statistics are right from Kennesaw, GA, the city that made it legally required for households to maintain firearms (with certain exclusions, listed in the Ordinances). Down below the actual ordinances listed are the statistics showing the overall effect of reducing violent crimes in the city...The only thing that these statistics don't include is any specification between "violent" crimes compared to "gun related" crimes.
First, posting of the original Ordinance:

Source: Kennesaw Ordinances (Using Advanced Search function, keyword "firearm")

Chapter 34 (Civil Emergencies), Article 1 (In General):
Sec. 34-1. Heads of households to maintain firearms.
(a) In order to provide for the emergency management of the city, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in the city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefor.
(b) Exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who suffer a physical or mental disability which would prohibit them from using such a firearm. Further exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who are paupers or who conscientiously oppose maintaining firearms as a result of beliefs or religious doctrine, or persons convicted of a felony.
(Code 1986, § 4-3-10)

Sec. 34-2. Use of firearms.
No person shall fire a gun, pistol or other firearm in the city, except in the defense of person or property, and except peace officers or military forces of this state or the United States, in the discharge of official duties.
(Code 1986, § 11-1-4)
Secs. 34-3--34-25. Reserved.

Here's a little something I found in the Ordinances for Parks & Recreation:

Chapter 66 (Parks & Recreation), Article 1 (In General):
Sec. 66-2. Parks--Regulations governing conduct.
These rules and regulations are developed to set standards of conduct in the parks owned and operated by the city. These rules are designed to ensure the safety and enjoyment of park participants.
Enforcement. Any person engaging in any activity which shall unreasonably interfere with the use and enjoyment of a park by citizens or who shall violate any ordinance of the city, park rules or regulations or law of the state shall leave the park upon notification by any authorized park employee or any law enforcement officer and shall not return to such park for a period of 24 hours. Refusal to leave such park when ordered or return to the park within the specified 24-hour period shall be unlawful and punishable as a misdemeanor.
It shall be unlawful to:
.........
(4) Have in their possession any knife that could be used as a weapon, or any type of weapon, excluding firearms.

Here's the Crime Statistics:

Source: Kennesaw Police Department Crime Statistics

City of Kennesaw 1981 (Year Before Gun Law Passed)
Population: 5,242
Total Part 1 Crimes: (per 100,000 pop): 4,332

City of Kennesaw 2005
Population: 28,189
Total Part 1 Crimes (per 100,000): 2,027 -7% from 2004

U.S. Average 2005
Total Part 1 Crimes per 100,000: 3,899

Summary: Although the population of the City of Kennesaw and surrounding area has increased dramatically since 1981, on a per capita basis crimes rates were actually lower in 2005 than in 1981.

Note: To control for population differences and make comparisons between jurisdictions more accurate and meaningful, index crimes are reported at the rate per 100,000 persons.

Part 1 crimes consist of: Murder, Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny, Auto Theft and Arson.

For more information on F.B.I. UCR Crime Statistics Click Here

[edit on 27-6-2008 by MidnightDStroyer]