[cuchulainn]

Whoa! I thought the Amnesty was a success.

from the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/3043701.stmLast Updated: Tuesday, 20 May, 2003, 13:34 GMT 14:34 UK

Gun crime growing 'like cancer'

Gun crime is growing in the UK "like a cancer", police chiefs were warned on Tuesday.

The Association of Chief Police Officers' annual conference was told by the organisation's firearms spokesman: "It's coming your way, believe me."

Alan Green, deputy chief constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said police bosses were "burying their head in the sand" if they did not think firearms crime a problem in their area.

Mr Green's warning comes after murders doubled in Nottinghamshire as gun crime increased last summer.

Mr Green said: "Gun crime, impacting particularly on our black communities, has spread across this country like a cancer."

A new national firearms database is now up and running to help track the use of individual weapons, delegates were told at the NEC in Birmingham.

Having worked with the Royal Ulster Constabulary for 20 years before moving to GMP, Mr Green said force attitudes to gun crime were very poor when he arrived.

He said: "I was amazed at the state of investigation into guns. It was chaotic.

"People hadn't got a clue about what guns had been used and where guns had been used."

Mr Green said forces that currently have little or no gun crime could look out for a number of warning signs.

These included the existence of drug dealing and prostitution or the fact a neighbouring force had a problem with firearms crime, he said.

'Straightforward assassinations'

"It could just be down to having good road links with forces that have a problem," he said.

"One of the movements was from Wolverhampton to Aberdeen after one group recognised a dearth of talent in prostitution :scrutiny: in Aberdeen and moved people up there."

Nottinghamshire chief constable Steve Green told the conference said that after gun crime "spiralled out of control" officers launched a campaign code-named Operation Stealth.

A large slice of the increase in deaths came from "straightforward assassinations ... that 12 months ago were unheard of in Nottinghamshire," said Detective Chief Superintendent Phillip Davies.

The operation has since led to 352 arrests, 75% of which were later charged with significant offences.

[Marko Kloos]

Stinking lies. How can the UK have gun crime? Private ownership of handguns is outlawed in the UK.

Wait...they must be getting their guns from Virginia. :rolleyes:

[Baba Louie]

Did he really have the guts to link "Black communities, Drug dealing and prostitution" together in one interview? How politically INcorrect but very likely spot on the money.

And so it goes.

In the land of the unarmed, lower life forms begin to dominate the picture in a bad manner.

Pray it doesn't spread to this side of the Atlantic too soon.

Or has it?

Adios

[Standing Wolf]

Rarely does a day pass when I fail to feel grateful to our forefathers for having rebelled against the English and founded a republic.

We told you so, England. We warned you that when guns are outlawed, only outlaws would have guns—but you just thought it was an ironic bumper sticker, didn't you?

[P95Carry]

All that removal of ''legal'' guns in '97 and look where things are now?

It'd never happen but .. if things went into reverse and people could CCW ... I'll bet 100:1 on, that gun crime figures would plummet.

Stupid Cops there think they can handle everything ...... WRONG!! and they still have 3/4 of their number against being armed themselves .... sheesh .... wonder what IQ this represents?!:rolleyes:

[foghornl]

Gun crime is "growing like cancer", yet the Highbrows have removed the "Rad & Chemo" treatment options, essentially leaving only the knife....and a very dull one at that.

Rather poor analogy, I know, but best I could think of to refute the "spreading like cancer" line.



:banghead:

[keithernTN]

It is their own fault. They are getting what they asked for. The bad thing is that it is easier to pass laws than to repeal them. England will get the message, what they do about it, we will see.