Australia crime soars after gun ban

[Laneman]

From: Ed Chenel, A police officer in Australia

Hi Yanks, I thought you all would like to see the real figures from Down Under. It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by our own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.

The first year results are now in: Australia-wide, homicides are up 6.2 percent, Australia-wide, assaults are up 9.6 percent; Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)! In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent.(Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not and criminals still possess their guns!)

While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since the criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.

There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly, while the resident is at home. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in 'successfully ridding Australian society of guns....' You won't see this on the American evening news or hear your governor or members of the State Assembly disseminating this information.

The Australian experience speaks for itself. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note Americans, before it's too late! Will you be one of the sheep to turn yours in?

[Dragonfighter]

Could you cite a source please.

Thanks.

[mojo84]

Google "Ed Chenel, A police officer in Australia"

[chasfm11]

Although the letter seems to have a mix of truth and not, this article has some of the same information

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 55466.html

Wall Street Journal U.S. Edition
Wednesday, December 26, 2012 As of 6:28 PM ESt
By JOYCE LEE MALCOLM

According to their study, the use of handguns rather than long guns (rifles and shotguns) went up sharply, but only one out of 117 gun homicides in the two years following the 1996 National Firearms Agreement used a registered gun. Suicides with firearms went down but suicides by other means went up.

[Jumping Frog]

That letter is about 15 years old.

[baldeagle]

The basic point is true, however. Since the firearm ban murders with sharp instruments has risen dramatically. http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/homicide/weapon.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Homicides have been steadily trending downward since before the ban, but firearm homicides have not changed. http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/homicide.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Since the ban assaults have steadily increased. http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/violen ... sault.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Robberies and armed robberies haven't changed a great deal. http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/violen ... bbery.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Sexual assaults have been trending steadily upward. http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/violen ... sault.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Kidnappings have also increased. http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/violen ... ctims.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Two conclusions that seem obvious are that guns in the hands of law abiding citizens are a crime deterrent, and people intent on killing themselves or others will always find a way no matter what you ban.

[tommyg]

This is a real step forward in protecting our workers while on the job these efforts to take guns away from
our victims need to increase to an even higher level thanks for the great job you are doing for us

UBBR (United Brotherhood of burglars and rapists)

Sam Sleazy President