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Crime - Gun Statistics
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Crime - Gun Statistics
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Crime - Gun Statistics
PHOTOCOPY
PRESERVATION
CAME-
GUN suis
Statistics on Guns and Gun Violence
American Gun Ownership
Over 200 million firearms are currently in circulation in the United States.
(ATF Commerce in Firearms in the United States, February 2000)
Each year, about 4.5 million new firearms, including approximately 2 million handguns, are sold in
the United States. An estimated 2 million secondhand firearms are sold each year as well.
(ATF Commerce in Firearms in the United States, February 2000)
Gun Violence
Between 1992 and 1998, there was a 35 percent decline in violent crimes with guns. In 1998, there
were 364,776 violent crimes committed with firearms, as compared to approximately 565,575
violent crimes committed with firearms in 1992. (Violent crime includes murder, robbery and
aggravated assault.)
(FBI Uniform Crime Report, 1998)
In 1998, 65% of all murder victims - over 9,100 victims - were killed with a firearm. Thirty-eight
percent of robberies and 19% of aggravated assaults were committed using a firearm.
(FBI Uniform Crime Report, 1998)
Children and Gun Violence
In 1997, 4,205 children and teens were killed by gunfire - nearly 12 every day. Of this total, over
60 percent were homicides, 30 percent were suicides, and over 7 percent were accidents.
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistic data)
The accidental death rate of children under 15 in the U.S. is 9 times higher than in 25 other
industrialized countries combined.
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics)
The rise in juvenile murders between 1984 and 1993 was all firearm-related, as was the subsequent
decline.
(OJJDP March 2000 Kids and Guns - Juvenile Justice Bulletin)
For the 1996-97, and 1997-98 school years combined, nearly 10,000 students were expelled for
bringing a firearm to school.
(Department of Education,, Gun-Free Schools Act Report, 1999)
An estimated 22 million children in the United States younger than 18 live in homes with guns. Of
these homes, 43 percent keep one or more guns in an unlocked place and without a trigger lock.
("Firearm Storage Patterns in US Homes With Children," American Journal of Public Health, April 2000)
The Brady Law
The first thirteen months of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS):
Allowed the FBI and its partners in state and local law enforcement to perform instant searches of
over 35 million records, running over 10 million checks
Stopped approximately 179,000 prohibited felons, fugitives, domestic abusers, and other prohibited
persons from buying guns from licensed dealers. Since the Brady Law took effect in 1994, over
500,000 prohibited purchasers have been prevented from buying guns.
72% of prospective gun buyers are cleared within 30 seconds of the dealer's request for the check.
95% of prospective gun buyers are cleared within two hours.
A purchaser whose NICS check takes more than 24 hours is almost 20 times more likely to be a
prohibited buyer.
KEEPING GUNS AWAY FROM YOUTH AND CRIMINALS
-- The Clinton-Gore Administration Record --
KEEPING GUNS OUT OF THE HANDS OF CRIMINALS
Winning Passage of the Brady Bill. Since taking effect in 1994, the Brady Law has helped to
prevent over a half a million felons, fugitives, domestic abusers, and other prohibited purchasers from
buying guns. In November 1998, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)
took effect under the Brady Law, allowing access to a fuller set of records that law enforcement
officials can use to conduct checks of all prospective gun purchases - not just for handguns. As of
March 2000, NICS has conducted over 10 million background checks on gun purchasers, and stopped
an estimated 179,000 illegal gun sales.
Banning the Manufacture and Importation of 19 of the Deadliest Assault Weapons. The 1994
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act banned 19 of the deadliest assault weapons and their
copies, while specifically protecting more than 50 legitimate sporting weapons. Cop-killing assault
weapons, like the Uzi, are the weapons of choice for drug dealers and gangs - not hunters and
sportsmen.
Banning the Importation of Modified Deadly Weapons. In 1998, President Clinton announced a
general ban on the importation of more than 50 non-recreational, modified assault weapons. The
Treasury Department concluded that modified semiautomatic assault rifles that accept large capacity
military magazines - or LCMM rifles - are not "particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to
sporting purposes" and are generally not importable. The more than 50 models of firearms affected by
the decision are modified versions of military assault weapons that were banned by the Bush
Administration in 1989 or by the assault weapons ban of 1994.
Strengthening Penalties that Apply to Gun-Carrying Criminals and Drug Traffickers. In
November 1998, the President signed a new law to clarify and strengthen the federal penalties that
apply to violent criminals and drug felons who commit crimes while carrying a gun. This new law
makes it clear that violent criminals and drug felons who possess a firearm during the commission of a
federal crime are subject to an additional - and mandatory - sentence of five years. The law provides
that in addition to the penalties that apply for underlying violent or drug crimes - criminals receive a
mandatory minimum sentence of at least seven years for brandishing a firearm and of at least 10 years
if the firearm is discharged.
Cracking Down on Problem Gun Dealers. In February 2000, the President announced new
enforcement actions that the ATF will take to crack down on problem gun dealers in order to prevent
guns from entering into the illegal firearms market. While the vast majority of gun dealers are law-
abiding businesspeople, a recent ATF report shows the need to focus resources on the relatively small
number of dealers and pawnbrokers who are the source of most traced crime guns. President Clinton
announced new actions ATF will take to target enforcement and inspection resources on those dealers
who have high numbers of crime gun traces, whose guns quickly turn up in crimes after sale, and who
have a poor record of cooperation with law enforcement.
Strengthening Gun Enforcement Efforts. Under the Clinton Administration, the number of gun
prosecutions has increased 16 percent from 1992 to 1999, and gun crime has decreased by over 35
percent. In March 1999, President Clinton directed the Secretary of the Treasury and Attorney General
to develop a national strategy to increase gun prosecutions and further reduce gun violence. This
strategy will expand the Administration's successful enforcement efforts like Project Exile in
Richmond, VA and Operation Ceasefire in Boston, MA to more jurisdictions. The strategy includes:
expanded efforts to identify illegal gun markets and gun "hot spots"; improved coordination with state
and local law enforcement; closer supervision of gun criminals on parole or probation; and innovative,
community-based efforts to reduce gun violence.
Creating a National Gun Buyback Program. In 1999, President Clinton launched the largest gun
buyback program in history. The program provides $15 million for public housing authorities to
partner with local law enforcement agencies to take an estimated 300,000 firearms out of circulation in
communities nationwide. Cities across the nation - including New York, Chicago and Washington,
D.C. - have conducted successful gun buybacks to curtail incidences of gun violence, including
accidental shootings, homicides, suicides and domestic violence. Over 80 public housing authorities,
including Flint, Michigan and Memphis, Tennessee, have already committed to conducting gun
buybacks within the next year.
RESTRICTING YOUTH ACCESS TO GUNS
Launching the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative. In 1996, President Clinton launched the
Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative (YCGII) in 17 cities to help trace crime guns to their source,
as well as identify and arrest the adults who traffic firearms to children. Since then, the President has
expanded the YCGII initiative to 37 cities ATF agents have conducted more than 200,000 crime gun
traces for local law enforcement. In 1998 alone, ATF initiated over 300 investigations in these cities,
which involved over 3,300 illegally trafficked firearms. The President's FY 2001 budget proposes to
increase YCGII to 50 cities with more ATF agents and additional resources to help more cities to trace
their firearms.
Issuing Directive on Child Safety Locks for Handguns. Child safety locks and other safety devices
can reduce the unauthorized use of handguns, by a child at play or a teen looking to commit a crime.
Many youth have to look no further than their own home to get their hands on a gun: an estimated
one-third of all privately-owned handguns are left both loaded and unlocked. In March 1997, the
President signed a directive to every federal agency, requiring child safety locking devices with all
handguns issued to federal law enforcement officers. And, in an historic agreement, eight major gun
manufacturers followed the President's lead and have voluntarily agreed to provide child safety locking
devices with all their handguns.
Signing into Law the Youth Handgun Safety Act. In 1994, President Clinton signed into law the
Youth Handgun Safety Act, which generally banned the possession of handguns or handgun
ammunition by juveniles under the age of 18, and made it a federal offense for adults to transfer
handguns to juveniles, with limited exceptions. In 1997, the President directed the Treasury
Department to require that signs be posted on the premises of Federal firearms licensees and that
written notification be issued with each handgun sold to non-licensees to help ensure compliance with
the Youth Handgun Safety Act.
Enforcing Zero Tolerance for Guns and Other Weapons in Schools. In October 1994, President
Clinton signed into law the Gun-Free Schools Act, requiring school districts to expel students who
bring guns to school. The President issued a Presidential Directive later that month to enforce the
"zero tolerance" policy for guns in schools, consistent with the Gun-Free Schools Act. Over the 1996-
98 school years, the U.S. Department of Education estimates that, under zero tolerance policies, nearly
10,000 students were expelled from public schools for bringing a firearm to school.
WORKING WITH THE GUN INDUSTRY TO IMPLEMENT UNPRECEDENTED REFORMS
Reached historic agreement with Smith and Wesson. On March 17, 2000, President Clinton
announced an unprecedented partnership between the government and Smith and Wesson - the largest
handgun manufacturer in the nation - to bring about meaningful reforms in the way the industry does
business. The agreement represents the first time a major gun manufacturer has committed to
fundamentally change the way guns are designed, distributed and marketed. Key provisions of the
landmark agreement include: (1) new design standards to make guns safer and prevent accidental
shootings and gun deaths, with required locking devices and smart gun technology; (2) new sales and
distribution controls to help keep guns out of the hands of criminals including restrictions on sales at
gun shows, required ballistics testing for new firearms, and gun safety training requirements for
purchasers; and (3) a new oversight commission that will work with ATF to help oversee
implementation of the agreement.
MOVING FORWARD WITH AN AGGRESSIVE AGENDA TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE
Introducing the Youth Gun Crime Enforcement Act. In 1999, the President unveiled the most
comprehensive gun legislation put forward by any Administration in over 30 years. The President's
legislation would strengthen the Brady Law and the assault weapons ban, restrict access to guns by our
youth and crack down on illegal gun traffickers. The President's proposed bill would: (1) require
Brady background checks for the purchase of explosives and at gun shows; (2) raise the age of the
youth handgun ban from 18 to 21 years of age; (3) ban youth possession of semi-automatic assault
rifles; (4) prohibit violent juveniles from ever owning guns; (5) require child safety locking devices for
guns; (6) reduce illegal gun running by limiting the purchase of handguns to no more than one per
month; (7) halt the importation of large capacity ammunition magazines (8) help law enforcement trace
more crime guns to their source; and (9) require a 3-day mandatory waiting period for all handgun
sales.
Proposing the Largest Increase Ever for Gun Enforcement. President Clinton's FY 2001 budget
contains an unprecedented $280 million for gun enforcement, to: (1) hire 500 new ATF agents and
inspectors to crack down on armed criminals and illegal gun traffickers; (2) hire over 1,000 new
federal, state and local gun prosecutors to put more dangerous gun criminal behind bars; (3) fund
comprehensive crime gun tracing and increased ballistics testing to catch and prosecute more gun
criminals; (4) fund local media campaigns to highlight penalties for breaking gun laws and proper
storage of firearms to preventing child access; and (5) to support research in "smart gun" technologies
that can limit a gun's use to its authorized owner.
Unveiling a State-Based Licensing Proposal for Handgun Purchases. In this year's State of the
Union Address, President Clinton proposed a state-based licensing system that would apply to all
handgun purchases. Under the President's proposal, individuals seeking to buy a handgun would be
required to obtain a photo license from their state of residence, and to present the license when they
purchase a handgun. States would issue a license only if the applicant has: (1) passed a Brady
background check; and (2) shown proof of having completed a certified safety course or exam. Under
the President's proposal, state participation would be optional, not mandated. For states that choose not
to participate, federally-approved gun dealers or a federal entity would be authorized to issue licenses,
in an arrangement comparable to the current Brady check system.
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