The World Forum on The Future of Sport Shooting Activities

WFSA News and Information



January 2008 Latest News

January 10, 2008

UK to ban deactivated guns

A Home Office news release has mooted widespread bans on deactivated firearms, likely to take effect before the end of the year.

The statement, by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, said:

"Gun crime though thankfully rare is a problem in some areas of the country. I want to balance protecting the public with the rights of responsible collectors of deactivated firearms. I will shortly consult on a way forward to allow genuine curators to collect legitimate firearms while giving the police and other enforcement agencies the powers they need to get black market firearms off our streets.

"Tackling gun crime is key to making people feel safer and more secure in their communities. We already have the tightest controls in Europe but there is more we can do to remove the threat of gun crime.

"Before 1995 the standards for deactivating guns were less stringent than those which currently apply. The police tell me these pre-1995 weapons are turning up more and more in gun related crime and I want to address these concerns to effectively eliminate the threat from our streets.

"I have also asked the Serious Organised Crime Agency to prioritise gun crime to ensure we are doing all we can to target the supply of guns, generate fresh intelligence and reduce the use of guns amongst serious organised criminals."

The Home Secretary’s statement’s reference to the United Kingdom’s having the tightest gun legislation in Europe is a reference to the total ban on handguns, which forces sport shooters to travel to other European countries to practise their sport.

There has been no demonstrated reduction in crime rates in the UK since the pistol bans were introduced more than ten years ago. In fact, they have risen steadily. No data have ever been gathered demonstrating a lowering of crime rates after bans on replica or deactivated guns.



January 8, Trinidad

Gun amnesty rejected in Trinidad

Police officers in Trinidad upon condition of anonymity have told Newsday that the government has once again rejected an idea of a gun amnesty.

Some officers present at a two-day crime conference report the government as saying that after consultations it has formed the conclusion that amnesties are not the most effective way to diminish the supplies of illegal guns circulating in the criminal community.

It is known that in Trinidad, as in most other places, career criminal groups manage extensive arsenals and at a price supply arms for illegal activity.

An anonymous police officer is quoted as saying, "The gang members are in possession of guns, and they use those guns to kill, so we don't expect a decrease in murders if the guns are in the hands of the criminals," but there is are no data offered as to why one would expect an amnesty to cause gang members to wish to give up their guns.

The article acknowledges the “controversial” nature of amnesties – the truth is that they have never been shown to have any effect whatsoever in bringing down crime rates – and refers to the fact that they have been held in various countries, including the USA, Canada and Britain, with “varying degrees of success”, which are not specified.

www.newsday.co.tt



January 4, 2008

New Japanese gun storage bill

The Mainichi Daily News in Japan has reported that a new bill is to be presented to the Japanese Diet calling for central storage repositories for privately owned firearms. The bill is sponsored by The Democratic Party of Japan, and it includes provision for withdrawal of gun licences when licence holders are found to be unstable.

Without as-yet specific details, the bill appears to be suggesting that guns should be stored on firing ranges. Japanese gun laws are already extremely restrictive and crime rates are very stable. The move follows a murder on a shooting range. It is not clear how such storage provisions could be said to affect the likelihood of recurrence of such a crime, nor is there any worldwide evidence showing crime rates or suicides are reduced by storage legislation.


Disclaimer: Posting of an article on the WFSA website does not constitute an endorsement by the WFSA of any view, policy position, statement or averred fact contained within the article. Articles are made available for informational purposes only.