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London: Government announces guns amnesty to battle rising firearms crime
Government announces guns amnesty to battle rising firearms crime
Sun Mar 2,12:55 PM ET
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030302/ap_wo_en_po/eu_gen_britain_gun_crime_1
By JANE WARDELL, Associated Press Writer
LONDON - The government announced a one-month guns amnesty Sunday, allowing people who own illegal weapons to hand them over to police without prosecution, as part of a battle against rising firearms crime.
"The safety of the public and police officers is our first priority. Taking guns off our streets will save lives and cut crime. Every weapon that is given up is a weapon that cannot be used in crime and violence," said Home Office Minister Bob Ainsworth.
The government said it was calling for people to give up air guns and imitation weapons as well as prohibited firearms and ammunition during the amnesty from March 31 to April 30.
Gun crime is still relatively rare in Britain where handguns were banned in 1997 after the massacre of 16 children and a teacher at a primary school in Dunblane, Scotland. Previous amnesties in 1996 and 1998 yielded thousands of weapons.
There were 73 gun homicides in England and Wales in the 2000-2001 fiscal year, which runs from April to April. The United States, with about five times the population, had 8,719 firearm murders in 2001, according to the FBI.
But statistics published in January showed firearms were used in 9,974 crimes in the 12 months ending in April in England and Wales, compared with 7,362 the previous year, an increase of 35 percent and the fourth straight year to show an increase.
Fears of a rising gun culture appeared to be founded when, just days later, two teenage girls were shot to death in the central English city of Birmingham when caught in the middle of a turf war between gangs.
Ainsworth said that the government and police had detected a "disturbing" increase in the number of young people casually carrying firearms.
"We need to act now to show that this is unacceptable and to stop the development of a gun culture, where firearms are treated as fashion accessories," he said.
"The police are encouraging the hand-in of any type of firearms, including imitations, that are held for criminal or anti-social purposes."
The amnesty comes ahead of the introduction of a minimum five-year jail sentence for carrying an illegal firearm. There is currently no minimum sentence for carrying an illegal weapon.
The government has also said it will outlaw the carrying of air guns and mock firearms in public as part of efforts to stem rising gun crime. Penalties for breaching those laws have not yet been decided.
Oliver Letwin, the opposition Conservative Party's spokesman for home affairs, said he welcomed an amnesty to get guns off the street but said that should not allow people who have committed crimes with the surrendered guns to escape prosecution.
(jw)
Government announces guns amnesty to battle rising firearms crime
Sun Mar 2,12:55 PM ET
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030302/ap_wo_en_po/eu_gen_britain_gun_crime_1
By JANE WARDELL, Associated Press Writer
LONDON - The government announced a one-month guns amnesty Sunday, allowing people who own illegal weapons to hand them over to police without prosecution, as part of a battle against rising firearms crime.
"The safety of the public and police officers is our first priority. Taking guns off our streets will save lives and cut crime. Every weapon that is given up is a weapon that cannot be used in crime and violence," said Home Office Minister Bob Ainsworth.
The government said it was calling for people to give up air guns and imitation weapons as well as prohibited firearms and ammunition during the amnesty from March 31 to April 30.
Gun crime is still relatively rare in Britain where handguns were banned in 1997 after the massacre of 16 children and a teacher at a primary school in Dunblane, Scotland. Previous amnesties in 1996 and 1998 yielded thousands of weapons.
There were 73 gun homicides in England and Wales in the 2000-2001 fiscal year, which runs from April to April. The United States, with about five times the population, had 8,719 firearm murders in 2001, according to the FBI.
But statistics published in January showed firearms were used in 9,974 crimes in the 12 months ending in April in England and Wales, compared with 7,362 the previous year, an increase of 35 percent and the fourth straight year to show an increase.
Fears of a rising gun culture appeared to be founded when, just days later, two teenage girls were shot to death in the central English city of Birmingham when caught in the middle of a turf war between gangs.
Ainsworth said that the government and police had detected a "disturbing" increase in the number of young people casually carrying firearms.
"We need to act now to show that this is unacceptable and to stop the development of a gun culture, where firearms are treated as fashion accessories," he said.
"The police are encouraging the hand-in of any type of firearms, including imitations, that are held for criminal or anti-social purposes."
The amnesty comes ahead of the introduction of a minimum five-year jail sentence for carrying an illegal firearm. There is currently no minimum sentence for carrying an illegal weapon.
The government has also said it will outlaw the carrying of air guns and mock firearms in public as part of efforts to stem rising gun crime. Penalties for breaching those laws have not yet been decided.
Oliver Letwin, the opposition Conservative Party's spokesman for home affairs, said he welcomed an amnesty to get guns off the street but said that should not allow people who have committed crimes with the surrendered guns to escape prosecution.
(jw)
