The Stats!

[Wildalaska]

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/guns.htm


Offenders

*

According to the 1997 Survey of State Prison Inmates, among those possessing a gun, the source of the gun was from -
o a flea market or gun show for fewer than 2%
o a retail store or pawnshop for about 12%
o family, friends, a street buy, or an illegal source for 80%

* During the offense that brought them to prison, 15% of State inmates and 13% of Federal inmates carried a handgun, and about 2%, a military-style semiautomatic gun.

WildhaventanalyzedalltherestyettoosickwiththefluAlaska

 

[blackmind]

Well, if we weren't allowed to own them legally, and as a result there was no firearm industry to supply us with guns, there would be no guns around for these criminals to obtain them illegally. Right?

Except of course for the guns made for the police and military...

I remember that back in the early '90s, on Long Island, NY, the state parks police was burglarized and a bunch of GLOCKs were taken. 100% of those guns -- police guns -- ended up in the hands of one or more criminals (starting with the criminal who broke in and stole them).

Oh, but we'd all be so much better off if only the the cops could have guns... :barf:


-blackmind

 

[MicroBalrog]

So, as a percentage, 13% of criminals carry a gun [illegally].

In comparison, about 3% of the law-abiding population carries guns legally. Clearly, we need more people with guns.

 

[Long Path]

The major points learned here:

The much-hyped "Gun Show Loophole" has almost no bearing on whether a criminal gets a gun. 2% of 15% is .3% of criminals with guns from flea markets or gun shows.

The much-hyped issue of how criminals are all armed with AK's and the like also seems unfounded. 2% of the criminals brought in had such a gun during their arrest, without regard to whether they even used it for the crime that they were charged with. That's not very much.



Careful not to slip on the blood in the streets, now that the Assault Weapons Ban is over.