NCJ Number
145985
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 66 Issue: 4 Dated: (October-December 1993) Pages: 418-421
Date Published
1993
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This is a commentary on a book entitled "Violent Crime and Gun Control," by Professor Gerald D. Robin.
Abstract
The book, says the commentator, represents a starting point for critically evaluating the problem of gun violence, which is particularly rampant in America. Professor Robin offers unconventional wisdom on the matter. Handguns, because they are commonly used in crimes and are easily concealed, have been the major target of gun control advocates. According to a study, however, 64 percent of felons, if deprived of handguns, would turn to sawn-off shotguns, which are more dangerous; only 15 percent would downgrade to a knife or club. Further, guns are not particularly a catalyst to crimes of passion; the media- reinforced image of the model citizen going berserk with a gun represents an exception to the general rule that homicide is a culmination of a history of violence. Comparison of American to foreign gun laws is compounded by cultural, political, and other factors. England¦s handgun ban in the 1920's did not affect the rate of violent crime, which was already low--and did not prevent the sharp increase in gun crime in the 1980's. Japan's low crime rate can be attributed to a cultural emphasis on law and order. Israel, Canada, and Switzerland, which all have a heavily armed citizenry, all have much lower crime rates than does the United States.