Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

What to Make of Crime in England?

Friday, February 22, 2019

What to Make of Crime in England?

Sometimes it’s hard to understand what things are really like “across the pond.”

Anti-gun extremists in America reflexively point to England whenever the discussion about adding restrictions, and especially banning firearms, arises here in the United States. England, after all, had banned virtually all semi-automatic and pump-action rifles and shotguns in the 1980s, then imposed a near total ban on handguns in the 90s. Those British subjects who wish to own the few types of rifles and shotguns the government has deemed allowable for civilian possession must navigate a Byzantine system of licensing and certification.

Through its draconian gun control policies, England, according to the extremists, has become the “Gold Standard” when it comes to restrictions on firearms.

So, does this mean that gun crime is nonexistent in England? Of course not. Not only does it exist, but it seems to be on the rise. Couple that with the fact that attacks and murders with knives also seem to be surging and it would appear that violent crime in England is trending in the wrong direction. America’s violent crime rate, on the other hand, has been declining since 1991.

The rise in firearm-related crime in England has led to at least one journalist lamenting that, “Brits don’t acknowledge their gun problem.” Author Francisco Garcia—once a “[f]reelance culture, nightlife and music writer”; now a “journalist and writer, specializing in true crime and internet subculture”—accurately points out that there is a “myth of a gun crime-free UK.” What he fails to grasp, however, is the myth that passing gun control laws will stop criminals from being criminals.

Garcia mentions that two enterprising British criminals simply skirted that ban on handguns by ordering a number of pistols designed to fire blanks from an Eastern European company, then converting them to fire actual bullets. It should be noted, which at least Garcia does, that blank firing handguns are also banned in England. So, these criminals broke the law that prohibits blank firing guns, then broke another law when they converted the guns, and then broke yet more laws by selling these prohibited items to other criminals who then used them to, you guessed it, commit more crimes; including an attempted murder and a drive-by shooting.

For some reason, it doesn’t dawn on Garcia that criminals are rarely concerned with the law, and that their very nature leads them to violate whatever restrictions may be imposed on the law-abiding.

As for solutions, the article doesn’t seem to propose anything more than contemplation.

Ultimately, Garcia’s piece seems to be little more than an exercise in overwrought prose and naval gazing. Perhaps he was just looking for an excuse to insert passages like, “a kaleidoscope of post-No Deal Brexit World Trade Organization tariffs and newly formed centrist parties stuffed with a few waxy, technocratic ghouls from the early 2010s.”

Garcia closes with mentioning a homicide committed by someone with a firearm. But England has always had a relatively low homicide rate, regardless of whether a firearm is involved. That was the case before the bans of the 80s and 90s, and it remains true, so pointing to its gun control laws as a contributing factor has always been a flawed premise. In fact, in the years following the 90s ban, England saw an increase in homicides. Currently, England’s homicide rate remains relatively low, although it is higher today than it was prior to the Firearms Act 1968, after which licenses for self-defense purposes were no longer deemed appropriate, and to which the future bans were amended.

Of course, British journalists aren’t the only ones who seem confused. Some law enforcement officers in England also seem to be confused; often about what is a “weapon,” and what is an effective use of their limited resources.

Last year, Breitbart London reported that London Police had decided to take down numerous Tweets that had shown the results of efforts by the police to conduct what they referred to as “weapons sweeps.” The problem? Many of the “weapons” that were shown seemed to be better described as tools and utensils, and the Tweets became the object of ridicule.

The images posted as “weapons” included such menacing items as a bicycle wheel, a car stereo, a multi-tool, round-tipped safety scissors, aluminum foil, a shovel, and a hammer. While some kitchen knives that had a potentially-lethal pointy tip were pictured, so was a round-tipped knife whose most lethal characteristic would likely be its ability to spread too much butter on the toast of someone who has high cholesterol.

Law enforcement officers regularly put themselves in harm’s way to protect the general public, and they deserve our thanks and respect, most of the time. But if British police are busying themselves with “weapons sweeps” that result in them posting claims of success punctuated with images of relatively benign, everyday items, then they shouldn’t be surprised if they are met with scorn and derision. Especially considering the violent crime spike through which London appears to be currently suffering.

One would expect British police to have thicker skin to deal with being the subject of mockery and satire. After all, isn’t this the country that gave us Monty Python?

 

 

TRENDING NOW
Anti-gun Lawmakers Attempt to Ban Essential Second Amendment Arms

News  

Monday, May 5, 2025

Anti-gun Lawmakers Attempt to Ban Essential Second Amendment Arms

On April 30, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced the so-called “Assault Weapons Ban of 2025.” Picking up where his predecessor Dianne Feinstein left off, Schiff’s legislation would ban commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms, such as the AR-15.

Partisan Due Process Renaissance Excludes American Gun Owners

News  

Monday, May 5, 2025

Partisan Due Process Renaissance Excludes American Gun Owners

An observer of American political discourse can’t go anywhere these days without being bombarded by reproachful references to the importance of “due process.”

Kansas Supreme Court Enforces PLCAA in High Profile Case

News  

Monday, May 5, 2025

Kansas Supreme Court Enforces PLCAA in High Profile Case

Last week, the Kansas Supreme Court upheld a significant district court dismissal in Johnson v. Bass Pro Outdoor World, LLC, deciding that Bass Pro Outdoor World and Beretta USA/Beretta Italy cannot be sued by a man who ...

Not Your Father’s DOJ: Government Actively Backs Second Amendment in Litigation

News  

Monday, May 5, 2025

Not Your Father’s DOJ: Government Actively Backs Second Amendment in Litigation

It has, in theory, always been the sworn duty of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to uphold the constitutional rights of American citizens and to affirmatively protect fundamental liberties. 

UPDATE: Legislation Introduced to Protect Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights

News  

Monday, May 5, 2025

UPDATE: Legislation Introduced to Protect Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights

The Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, U.S. Representative Mike Bost (R-IL-12) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), as well as Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), have reintroduced the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act ...

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

News  

Friday, March 21, 2025

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

On March 20, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published an interim final rule entitled, Withdrawing the Attorney General’s Delegation of Authority. That bland title belies the historic nature of the measure, which is aimed at reviving ...

I’d Like a McHurry, Please, with a Side of No Time to Spare

News  

Monday, May 5, 2025

I’d Like a McHurry, Please, with a Side of No Time to Spare

Market research indicates that most adults (42%) who eat at McDonald’s and similar fast-food restaurants expect to receive their food within a maximum of five minutes after ordering, while for seven percent of respondents, the “fast” in ...

Rep. Sheri Biggs Introduces Bill to Ease Shotgun Purchases

News  

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Rep. Sheri Biggs Introduces Bill to Ease Shotgun Purchases

On April 28, 2025, Representative Sheri Biggs (R-SC-03) reintroduced the No Frivolous Applications for Short-Barreled Shotguns (NFA SBS) Act (H.R. 3034). This legislation removes short-barreled shotguns from the National Firearms Act so that they will be treated ...

Illinois Appellate Court Upholds FOID Act in NRA-Backed Challenge

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Illinois Appellate Court Upholds FOID Act in NRA-Backed Challenge

Under the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act (FOID Act), Illinois requires a license and imposes fees to acquire and possess firearms.

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Votes to Advance Legislation to Protect Veterans Second Amendment Rights

News  

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Votes to Advance Legislation to Protect Veterans Second Amendment Rights

On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, led by Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL-12), held a markup for several bills. Among these bills being considered was H.R. 1041, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.