NCJ Number
185157
Editor(s)
Adam Graycar Dr.
Date Published
May 2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
In 1998-1999, Australia had 64 firearm homicides, the lowest number since the National Homicide Monitoring Program commenced at the Australian Institute of Criminology 10 years earlier.
Abstract
On a population basis, there were 3 firearm homicides per million population. In contrast, the United States, whose crime rate was generally no higher than Australia's crime rate, had 9,143 known firearm homicides in 1998; on a population basis, 41 per million, 14 times the Australian rate. Since 1997, licensed firearm owners in Australia were not responsible for more than 90 percent of firearm-related homicides. Most firearms used to commit homicides were not registered, and their owners were not licensed. Overall, data indicated a declining trend in the number of persons killed with a firearm. The findings, however, raised several policy implications. For example, since the proportion of handguns used to commit homicides in Australia noticeably increased after the introduction of new firearms regulations, this suggested a different pattern of firearm use by offenders. Offenders tended to use firearms that were easily concealable and available on the black market, such as handguns. Because most firearms used to commit homicides were not registered, the firearms regulations appeared to have made it difficult for irresponsible individuals to legitimate obtain firearms. The author concludes that more emphasis should be placed on violence prevention initiatives that target illicit firearms trafficking and on compliance regarding firearms storage. 15 references, 4 notes, 2 tables, and 6 figures