dk-corriveau
Member
This may have already been posted, but I received this from the VCDL today. It's some interesting results. I never would have imagined that an anti-gun organization would release data that indicates, to me at least, that our RKBA has a positive effect on crime rates. I haven't tracked down the original study yet, but I will post a link once I do.
Scotland tops list of world's most violent countries
By Katrina Tweedie
A UNITED Nations report has labelled Scotland the most violent
country in the developed world, with people three times more likely
to be assaulted than in America.
England and Wales recorded the second highest number of violent
assaults while Northern Ireland recorded the fewest.
The study, based on telephone interviews with victims of crime in 21
countries, found that more than 2,000 Scots were attacked every week,
almost ten times the official police figures. They include non-sexual
crimes of violence and serious assaults.
Violent crime has doubled in Scotland over the past 20 years and
levels, per head of population, are now comparable with cities such
as Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg and Tbilisi.
The attacks have been fuelled by a "booze and blades" culture in the
west of Scotland which has claimed more than 160 lives over the past
five years. Since January there have been 13 murders, 145 attempted
murders and 1,100 serious assaults involving knives in the west of
Scotland. The problem is made worse by sectarian violence, with
hospitals reporting higher admissions following Old Firm matches.
David Ritchie, an accident and emergency consultant at Glasgow's
Victoria Infirmary, said that the figures were a national disgrace.
"I am embarrassed as a Scot that we are seeing this level of
violence. Politicians must do something about this problem. This is a
serious public health issue. Violence is a cancer in this part of the
world," he said.
Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan, head of the
Strathclyde Police's violence reduction unit, said the problem was
chronic and restricting access to drink and limiting the sale of
knives would at least reduce the problem.
The study, by the UN's crime research institute, found that 3 per
cent of Scots had been victims of assault compared with 1.2 per cent
in America and just 0.1 per cent in Japan, 0.2 per cent in Italy and
0.8 per cent in Austria. In England and Wales the figure was 2.8 per
cent.
Scotland was eighth for total crime, 13th for property crime, 12th
for robbery and 14th for sexual assault. New Zealand had the most
property crimes and sexual assaults, while Poland had the most
robberies.
Chief Constable Peter Wilson, president of the Association of Chief
Police Officers in Scotland, questioned the figures. "It must be near
impossible to compare assault figures from one country to the next
based on phone calls," he said.
"We have been doing extensive research into violent crime in Scotland
for some years now and this has shown that in the vast majority of
cases, victims of violent crime are known to each other. We do
accept, however, that, despite your chances of being a victim of
assault being low in Scotland, a problem does exist."
Scotland tops list of world's most violent countries
By Katrina Tweedie
A UNITED Nations report has labelled Scotland the most violent
country in the developed world, with people three times more likely
to be assaulted than in America.
England and Wales recorded the second highest number of violent
assaults while Northern Ireland recorded the fewest.
The study, based on telephone interviews with victims of crime in 21
countries, found that more than 2,000 Scots were attacked every week,
almost ten times the official police figures. They include non-sexual
crimes of violence and serious assaults.
Violent crime has doubled in Scotland over the past 20 years and
levels, per head of population, are now comparable with cities such
as Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg and Tbilisi.
The attacks have been fuelled by a "booze and blades" culture in the
west of Scotland which has claimed more than 160 lives over the past
five years. Since January there have been 13 murders, 145 attempted
murders and 1,100 serious assaults involving knives in the west of
Scotland. The problem is made worse by sectarian violence, with
hospitals reporting higher admissions following Old Firm matches.
David Ritchie, an accident and emergency consultant at Glasgow's
Victoria Infirmary, said that the figures were a national disgrace.
"I am embarrassed as a Scot that we are seeing this level of
violence. Politicians must do something about this problem. This is a
serious public health issue. Violence is a cancer in this part of the
world," he said.
Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan, head of the
Strathclyde Police's violence reduction unit, said the problem was
chronic and restricting access to drink and limiting the sale of
knives would at least reduce the problem.
The study, by the UN's crime research institute, found that 3 per
cent of Scots had been victims of assault compared with 1.2 per cent
in America and just 0.1 per cent in Japan, 0.2 per cent in Italy and
0.8 per cent in Austria. In England and Wales the figure was 2.8 per
cent.
Scotland was eighth for total crime, 13th for property crime, 12th
for robbery and 14th for sexual assault. New Zealand had the most
property crimes and sexual assaults, while Poland had the most
robberies.
Chief Constable Peter Wilson, president of the Association of Chief
Police Officers in Scotland, questioned the figures. "It must be near
impossible to compare assault figures from one country to the next
based on phone calls," he said.
"We have been doing extensive research into violent crime in Scotland
for some years now and this has shown that in the vast majority of
cases, victims of violent crime are known to each other. We do
accept, however, that, despite your chances of being a victim of
assault being low in Scotland, a problem does exist."