Adding more fuel to the fire for some kind of weapons ban.

[bg]

This article or report, depends on how ya see it, sure doesn't help the
pro-firearm enthusiast sector...>
http://www.yahoo.com/s/592747

WASHINGTON - Violent crime kept climbing in 2006, a top
FBI official said Wednesday, previewing a report detailing nationwide increases in murders, robberies and other felonies for a second straight year.

The rising crime rate, in an FBI report expected next week, counters Justice Department attempts to tamp down violence by sending more funds to local police and studying U.S. cities for clues on how the increase began.

Asked if the report would show crime rates are still rising, FBI Assistant Director John Miller said: "I think you can anticipate it will." He declined to say by how much.

Miller said the FBI's findings will largely mirror those of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington think-tank that in March reported spikes in the number of big-city murders, robberies and gun crimes.

That survey "showed that there would be, in all likelihood, a continued uptick in violent crime, particularly among midsized American cities," Miller said during an interview taped for C-SPAN's Newsmakers program. "The data we're going to release Monday will contain no big surprises in that regard."

Preliminary numbers the FBI released in December showed violent crimes rose by 3.7 percent nationwide during the first six months of 2006.

The crime hike marks the latest blow to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who has targeted neighborhood violence as a top priority. Gonzales took office in early 2005, when violent crime rose by 2.2 percent in the first annual increase since 2001.

A Justice Department study released earlier this month of 18 cities and suburban regions indicates youth violence, gangs and gun crime largely are to blame for the increasing rates. Gonzales also has promised to help local police combat gangs and guns with $50 million this year and up to $200 million in 2008.

Miller, answering questions from reporters for the New York Daily News and The Associated Press, said the FBI's focus on counterterror investigations since the 2001 attacks have inevitably resulted in fewer agents devoted to traditional crime fighting. "Certainly we've put fewer personnel into violent crime in the post-9/11 era because the demands have simply been that our top priority is to counter and prevent another terrorist attack," he said. "And to do that we had to increase resources there."

You can only stretch resources so much.

 

[tulsamal]

Crime is always related to unemployment and the economy. During the booming 90's, violent crime fell across the board. As the US government has driven up the national debt, inflation has soared, and employment is problematic, violent crime is going up.

It has very little to do with what politicians or police actually do. We can get along just fine with a third less police nationwide than we currently have.

Gregg

 

[Lonestar49]

...

What a shock, more crimes, and "guns" are used for them. Hmmm, Robbery for example: someone gets robbed of their house, and low and behold, more stolen "guns" hit the streets. Black Market gun sales, on track, never has slowed down throughout history.. magic!!

So, in the end, when they have outlawed all legal gun purchases, disarmed the MILLIONS of good, honest, hardworking, and hard suffering, honest people, then nothing will have changed, except of course, all those who intend to Rob, kill, commit any crime, and have a illegal firearm as their means to complete any of the listed crimes, will do so at the expense of the disarmed honest citizen with only his magic cell phone and the 911 send Robo Cop/s asap..

I'm sure of it now, the USA is gonna have to come full circle (and survive) the last stretch of that circle, before the Politicians and those "think-tanks" understand the real cause of crime, and what "effect" it will take to put some fear into all the criminals that know "basically, the streets are theirs" and it's getting easier for them year after year, before they act-correctly, and see the crime rates actually start to go down, by putting less restrictions on gun ownership for the honest citizens.

Maybe those "think-tanks" are using a well known FACT, that if there was a cop at every corner, and in every other car, as in "all the citizen's arrest", then our already, overburdened Court systems would be totally screwed, along with, our, already, overcrowded jails, throughout our Country, would really get overcrowded, for a while, then it would start to taper off drastically, but the money is already been spent, wasted, used and abused, so they better let things slide for another decade, or 3..?


LS

 

[Standing Wolf]

Crime is always related to unemployment and the economy. During the booming 90's, violent crime fell across the board. As the US government has driven up the national debt, inflation has soared, and employment is problematic, violent crime is going up.

Violent crime is most closely related to the percentage of the total population consisting of young unmarried males.

Unemployment is currently almost nonexistent in the United States, except, of course, among those who have a.) no education, b.) no ambition, or c.) both.

 

[slow944]

The well known "Think Tank" was in D.C. What did anyone think they were going to say, "Oh no, violent crime has actually gone down" NOT GONNA DO IT.

 

[oldgold]

A Justice Department study released earlier this month of 18 cities and suburban regions indicates youth violence, gangs and gun crime largely are to blame for the increasing rates

Can't help but wonder how many of those "big Cities" have Strict gun laws??

 

[JohnBT]

What crime hike?

For instance, Richmond (former top 5 on the murder list) has only had 6 murders in the first 3 months of this year compared to 81 for all of last year.

This is no small achievement and seems to be holding across the board. How bad has it been? Read the last sentence below.

"Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 2,474. The number of murders and homicides was 93. The violent crime rate was 12.4 per 1,000 people.
Ranked fifth most dangerous city in America 2005, by Morgan Quitno Press "

Keep your fingers crossed that we've turned the corner.

John

 

[MachIVshooter]

Can't help but wonder how many of those "big Cities" have Strict gun laws??

I'd wager most of them.

 

[Master Blaster]

The number of violent repeat offenders out on the street is increasing.
Its a small segment of the population that is responsible, its the result of the failed welfare state where families had poor values reinforced by government handouts over three or four generations now.

 

[Prince Yamato]

As the general population increases, so will the number of criminals. It's simple math really. More people = more potential for crime. Why do small towns have less crime? Because they have less people. I really can't stand when ThinkTanks throw out the doomsday scenario. Crime is increasing. Duh. There's more people around to commit crimes, hence crime is increasing. These are the same people who think it's prophetic to say things like, "The number of casulaties in Iraq is increasing." Again, duh, the casulties in a war will never decrease

 

[Outlaws]

Crime is always related to unemployment and the economy.

Prohibition. If you can make $10 worth of product worth $10,000-12,000, there will be no shortage of willing participants looking to make a quick buck. Then the users will do whatever it takes to get the money to buy it. If a tweaker's habit only cost $5 a day for a humongous rock, they wouldn't have to be stealing out of front yards, and the dealers wouldn't be so territorial over what would basically amount to chump change.

 

[pcosmar]

Crime is always related to unemployment and the economy.

Very simplistic, and wrong. The very wealthy commit crimes. Crimes of passion have nothing to do with money.
Greed, hate, power and stupidity are all causes of crime.

Unemployment is currently almost nonexistent in the United States, except, of course, among those who have a.) no education, b.) no ambition, or c.) both.

Not where I live. We lead the nation in unemployment.
http://www.migop.org/pressreleases/readarticle.asp?type=press&id=4335

Michigan Again Leads Nation in Unemployment

The Bureau of Labor Statistics issued their monthly regional employment release Friday, showing economic data for all states for April 2007. In Michigan, the state lost 4,600 jobs while the unemployment rate spiked from 6.5% to 7.1%, once again making it the highest in the nation.

In the UP there are few jobs and NO industry. But we don't have a high crime rate either.

 

[simpleguy]

I don't know where I heard it, but I would love to find it again. There was a report talking about interviews of felons leaving prison. Something like 80% said they were going to seek out a firearm. Another question in the interview was, would you commit a crime or enter a building/residence knowing the person had or may have a firearm. I believe to my core those that commit "gun" crimes are just big chickens with guns. More guns really should equal less crime.

 

[748]

Maine.
Has near depression level unemployment rates.
Gets a D- for gun control by the brady site.
Every house hold I know of has a gun(s).
Crime rate is very low.
I kept my 44mag super red hawk handy for the coons, skunk or bear that would get into the garbage every now and then.

 

[scurtis_34471]

Crime is up. Let's hurry up and disarm the victims.

 

[Dan from MI]

Where's the crime increase? Chicago? Baltimore? DC? Compton? Bronx? Schools? Gun free utopias?

 

[illspirit]

FBI official said Wednesday, previewing a report detailing nationwide increases in murders, robberies and other felonies for a second straight year.

Place your bets now on whether the chicken littles in the media will breathlessly report this slight, two year increase as a "trend."

For instance, Richmond (former top 5 on the murder list) has only had 6 murders in the first 3 months of this year compared to 81 for all of last year.
...

Keep your fingers crossed that we've turned the corner.

Considering that like half of RVA is a massive "gun free school zone" due to the sprawling VCU campuses, it doesn't surprise me that it's so dangerous. Would be nice if it turned around though, as it's such a cool city otherwise.