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From: stewart@ihldt.UUCP (R. J. Stewart)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: handgun control
Message-ID: <2640@ihldt.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Dec-84 14:59:51 EST
Article-I.D.: ihldt.2640
Posted: Fri Dec  7 14:59:51 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Dec-84 05:35:29 EST
References: <245@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> <585@godot.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 27

>>In 1980, handguns killed
>>8 in GREAT BRITAIN
>>...
>>11,522 in the UNITED STATES

> I have heard several people say that although the handgun death rate
> dropped dramatically in Great Britain since gun control, the overall
> murder rate did not drop at all.  Is this statistic correct?

At one time, I had a copy of an INTERPOL (a kind of Europe-wide FBI)
report that showed that:

- European countries differ widely in the degree to which they control
  citizen ownership of firearms, and

- European countries differ widely in their murder rates, but

- There was no apparent connection between the two.

The conclusion was that the murder rate is determined more by the
"temperament" of a country than by the availability of guns.  There were
no details on possible correlation with punishment of criminals.

If I can find the report I'll post the reference.

Bob Stewart
ihldt!stewart