Effects of Gun Ban in Urban City
Date: 5/28/2012
Re: Effects of city handgun bans on crime and violence.
Summary: Recently, Congress struck down federal regulations for gun background checks and the purchase of assault weapons, while New York City has pledged to have the toughest laws in the nation for illegal handguns. Evidence suggest that simply banning the possession and purchasing of illegal handguns, will have a minimal effect on gun crimes. As it becomes harder to purchase guns, in both the primary and secondary market, gun homicide rates will slow down as fewer guns are used on the streets. Since the repeal of the 2008 D.C. handgun ban, gun crimes in DC are at a record low. Even though there has been a long-term national decline in gun homicide trends, it suggest that something other than hand gun bans are responsible for the observed decline in gun homicides(Britt, Kleck, Bordua). Regulation is just one part of an approach to fighting crime and other factors such as the number of police on the street and how they police are more important factors.
The claim that gun bans work, does not match the research. A study by Colin Loftin, showed that DC’s gun ban prevented an average of 47 gun deaths per year after the law was implemented. While this claim was true, the research behind the claim was questionable. Loftin’s comparison cities were Maryland and Virginia, who are the least similar cities in most demographics; soci-economic, racial makeup, and crime rates. Further studies by Britt, Kleck and Bordua, used the same data and assessment methods as Loftin used but changed the comparison city to Baltimore, which is highly similar to DC in the city make-up. In both incidents, Loftin’s research and Britt, Kleck and Bordua’s research, used time series data or an elaborate “before-and-after” study of DC/ Maryland and DC/Baltimore. Baltimore did not have a similar law, yet its crime rate mimicked DC’s, which showed that the law had a minimal effect
As a result of the gun ban repeal, gun
Re: Effects of city handgun bans on crime and violence.
Summary: Recently, Congress struck down federal regulations for gun background checks and the purchase of assault weapons, while New York City has pledged to have the toughest laws in the nation for illegal handguns. Evidence suggest that simply banning the possession and purchasing of illegal handguns, will have a minimal effect on gun crimes. As it becomes harder to purchase guns, in both the primary and secondary market, gun homicide rates will slow down as fewer guns are used on the streets. Since the repeal of the 2008 D.C. handgun ban, gun crimes in DC are at a record low. Even though there has been a long-term national decline in gun homicide trends, it suggest that something other than hand gun bans are responsible for the observed decline in gun homicides(Britt, Kleck, Bordua). Regulation is just one part of an approach to fighting crime and other factors such as the number of police on the street and how they police are more important factors.
The claim that gun bans work, does not match the research. A study by Colin Loftin, showed that DC’s gun ban prevented an average of 47 gun deaths per year after the law was implemented. While this claim was true, the research behind the claim was questionable. Loftin’s comparison cities were Maryland and Virginia, who are the least similar cities in most demographics; soci-economic, racial makeup, and crime rates. Further studies by Britt, Kleck and Bordua, used the same data and assessment methods as Loftin used but changed the comparison city to Baltimore, which is highly similar to DC in the city make-up. In both incidents, Loftin’s research and Britt, Kleck and Bordua’s research, used time series data or an elaborate “before-and-after” study of DC/ Maryland and DC/Baltimore. Baltimore did not have a similar law, yet its crime rate mimicked DC’s, which showed that the law had a minimal effect
As a result of the gun ban repeal, gun