Top of PageGun Policy News
Marking firearms to limit gun crime and violence
US Officials 'Hamstrung' by Lack of Gun Data
17 June 2013
Bloomberg (USA), Editorial
How do criminals get their guns? Are there observable patterns to gun crime? Who is at the greatest risk of injury, or causing injury to others, from firearm use? Which gun-safety practices are most effective at preventing accidental injury?
The answers to these and other basic questions remain difficult and obscure in part thanks to a senseless ban, on the books for a decade, that limits research on gun violence and denies researchers and even police and prosecutors... (GunPolicy.org)
Smith & Wesson Gun Sales Hit All-Time High in Year After Mass Shootings
14 June 2013
Guardian (UK)
Gun sales at Smith & Wesson have hit an all-time high during a year marked by some of the most horrific acts of gun violence in US history.
The arms manufacturer reported this week that sales for the year ending 30 April had hit a record $588m, a 43% year-on-year rise.
Smith & Wesson said fourth-quarter sales were up 38% year-on-year to $179m. It told investors it expects its first-quarter financial results to top market expectations and is planning to buy back $100m... (GunPolicy.org)
Vanuatu Police Launch New Computerised Firearms Database
6 June 2013
Daily Post (Vanuatu)
The Vanuatu Police Force has now advanced by launching a new firearms database system, after using manual system in the last 33 years since Independence.
Records of over 4,000 registered firearms throughout Vanuatu were transferred from the manual system to the new database system before the official launching yesterday morning.
There are 1,139 guns or firearms registered on Efate alone while the rest of the overall total of over 4,000 guns are owned by individuals... (GunPolicy.org)
Expert Panel Says Better US Data on Gun Issues Needed
5 June 2013
New York Times
WASHINGTON — A panel of experts convened in response to the school shooting last year in Newtown, Conn., gave the federal government an ambitious set of priorities on Wednesday for research on guns, ending what experts said has been a 17-year hiatus in the study of gun violence after Congress took away federal money for the topic in the 1990s.
President Obama has included $10 million for gun-related research in his 2014 budget, the first federal financing for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Trinidad & Tobago,Caribbean,Barbados,Jamaica
Barbados Authorities Trace, Destroy Guns in Fight Against Crime
31 May 2013
Barbados Advocate
This island's top cop has revealed steps are being taken – not only on the local front, but regionally – to arrest the problem of gun crimes.
Speaking during the hand-over of a hydraulic shears at the Central Police Station from the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), Commissioner Darwin Dottin noted that there were countries in this region where more than 80 per cent of all homicides... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean,Barbados,Canada,Trinidad & Tobago,Jamaica
Barbados Authorities Tracing, Destroying Guns to Reduce Crime
31 May 2013
Barbados Advocate
This island's top cop has revealed steps are being taken – not only on the local front, but regionally – to arrest the problem of gun crimes.
Speaking during the hand-over of a hydraulic shears at the Central Police Station from the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), Commissioner Darwin Dottin noted that there were countries in this region where more than 80 per cent of all homicides... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Arabia,Libya,Mexico,Germany
Weapons Exports Reveal Faults in German System
30 May 2013
Deutsche Welle
Germany prides itself on having "strict, even restrictive regulations" for the export of weapons of war. All the same, German weapons regularly show up in regions they should not be in.
For years, every single government coalition in Germany has stated that the country has particularly strict regulations for sales of weapons of war to foreign countries. Regularly, however, weapons used abroad but "made in Germany" get into the news. People are outraged when assault... (GunPolicy.org)
Recovered Guns Form a Sea of Steel in US
29 May 2013
Washington Post
Every few hours, in a routine that is sometimes grim but more often mundane, local police take a gun off the streets. Since 2000, nearly 50,000 guns have been recovered by authorities in the District and Prince George's County. That is enough to arm every law enforcement officer in Maryland, the District and Virginia, with a couple of thousand guns to spare.
Police confiscate guns after drive-bys, drug raids and traffic stops. They find them tossed on roofs and thrown... (GunPolicy.org)
New Detail from US Lawsuits Shows Industry Rejects Blame for Gun Crimes
29 May 2013
Newcastle Herald (New South Wales) / New York Times
The Glock executive testified that he would keep doing business with a gun dealer who had been indicted on a charge of violating firearms laws because "this is still America" and "you're still innocent until proven guilty".
The president of Sturm, Ruger & Co was not interested in knowing how often the police traced guns back to the company's distributors, saying it "wouldn't show us anything".
And an executive for Taurus International Manufacturing said his company... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Newcastle Herald (New South Wales) / New York Times
Cote D'Ivoire to Mark Weapons for Arms Control
28 May 2013
Global Times (China)
Cote d'Ivoire's National Commission for Fighting Against Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (COMNAT-ALPC) on Monday said authorities plan to mark all weapons used by security forces for arms control.
The COMNAT-ALPC under-secretary, Leon Djokouehi, told reporters in Abidjan that the marking of the weapons will enable authorities to identify all the arms in circulation and their holders to prevent proliferation.
"When we decide to mark a weapon, it's treated... (GunPolicy.org)
German Small Arms Sales on the Rise
27 May 2013
New Europe (Belgium)
On 27 May, the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that the German small arms sales reached a new record high in 2012. According to the article, the sales more than doubled compared with 2011.
The Süddeutsche reported that approved German small arms exports hit €76.15 million in 2012, compared to €37.9 million in 2011. The second-highest figure dates back in 2009. Then exports sales stood at €70.4 million.
Deutsche Welle reported that small weapons are... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Nigeria,China,United States,United Kingdom
Former Doyen of UK Gun Lobby Pleads Guilty to More Gunrunning
17 May 2013
Democrat and Chronicle (USA)
British arms dealer Gary Hyde has admitted helping smuggle illegal AK-47 magazines into the United States for sale by a Chili-based firearms wholesaler, federal court records show.
Hyde signed a plea agreement in late April but it was not filed until this week, records show.
Hyde admitted that he had helped alter the markings on the 5,760 magazines so their country of origin — China — would not be known. In the U.S., there is a federal ban on the importation of... (GunPolicy.org)
Dominica,United States,Virgin Islands (US)
Dominica Man Jailed for Smuggling Guns from US to Virgin Islands
15 May 2013
CBS News (USA) / Associated Press
HOUSTON — A man with ties to the Caribbean has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for sending guns bought in Texas to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
A federal judge in Houston on Wednesday sentenced 22-year-old Tyrone Reid. Investigators say Reid is a citizen of Dominica who's been living in Houston.
A jury in February convicted Reid of a conspiracy-related firearms count and two charges of making false statements to a firearms dealer.
Prosecutors say Reid was... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Smuggling and Renting are Rising Problems in Malaysia say Police
15 May 2013
Asia One (Singapore)
KUALA LUMPUR - An influx of cheap weapons coming through our porous borders from neighbouring countries has led to a rise in gun-toting criminals and assassins for hire.
Police say there are more than 200 jalan tikus or hidden entry points along the border which syndicates use to smuggle in the guns.
The firearms are believed to be from the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.
According to Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin, who announced the... (GunPolicy.org)
Technology Helping Canadian Police Dig Up Firearm History
13 May 2013
CBC News (Canada)
Advanced technology is helping Toronto police learn more about the history of the guns they seize from city streets, but wary criminals are paying attention and taking steps to thwart that process.
Police say that when they retrieve bullets, fragments or shell casings from crime scenes, investigators can tell if they have come from a firearm that they have seen before. They do this using the Integrated Ballistics Identification System, a Canadian-designed technology... (GunPolicy.org)
32 Gang Firearms Used in Over 230 Guatemala Homicides [Español]
8 May 2013
Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
A ballistics report prepared by the National Forensic Science Institute (Inacif) established that 32 firearms, which were held by members of the Mara Salvatrucha, have been used in 238 homicides, according to the Public Ministry. PM have evidence against the leaders of Mara Salvatrucha.
This scientific evidence presented by Inacif was obtained through the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (Ibis, in English), which consists of a database that stores images and... (GunPolicy.org)
32 Crime Guns Linked to Over 230 Murders in Guatemala
8 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Forensic analysis has revealed that the MS-13 gang in Guatemala used 32 guns to allegedly commit 238 murders, offering insight into the gang's modus operandi and highlighting some of the difficulties of tackling organized crime with gun control.
Members of Guatemala's National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif) used the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (Ibis) to identify 1,133 guns that had been used in multiple crimes, reported Prensa Libre.
Of those... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Guatemala
Report Traces Arms Trafficking From US to Guatemala
8 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new report sheds light on a little-studied subject: the trafficking of US weapons into Guatemala, a relatively limited phenomenon that could be far bigger than suggested by the available data and may play a role in the continuing violence and criminality in that Central American nation.
The report (pdf), from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, reviews an analysis that the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted of... (GunPolicy.org)
3D Gun Fired in US But Officials Worried Over Risks for Crime, Youth
6 May 2013
BBC News, Video
The world's first gun made with 3D printer technology has been successfully fired in the US.
The controversial group who created the firearm plan to make the blueprints available online.
Anti-gun advocates have criticised the project and Europol, Europe's law enforcement agency, said it was closely monitoring the development.
Rebecca Morelle... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Man Jailed After Flouting Lifetime Weapons Ban for Third Time
30 April 2013
Metro Canada
A Vancouver criminal who had already received two lifetime weapons bans was caught again with three illegal guns.
Police executed a search warrant on June 20 last year on a home where Victor Sharma lived with his late mother.
Police found a fairly large marijuana grow-op of 659 marijuana plants, worth an estimated $220,000, and a hydroelectric bypass.
Officers also found an illegal Ruger semi-automatic pistol with 13 live rounds loaded in a clip. The gun had its... (GunPolicy.org)
Banned Handguns, Rifles with No Crime Links Found in Canadian Home
29 April 2013
CTV News (Toronto)
The London police drugs and guns unit seized over $5,000 worth of drugs, nine handguns and three assault rifles from a residence on William Street.
Police executed a search warrant at the London residence on Friday around 10 p.m.
Officers also found hundreds of rounds of ammunition and over $13,000 in cash.
Following a press conference on Monday afternoon, police released a list of all the firearms that were seized:
- Smith and Wesson .45 Calibre semi-automatic... (GunPolicy.org)
Special Police Division Created in Peru to Combat Gun Crime [Español]
28 April 2013
RPP News (Peru)
[Translated summary: A new police division will be established to combat gun smuggling and the illegal gun market in Peru. A ballistics information system will record information about guns to identify those used in crimes. Around 150,000 guns in Peru are not registered and a long-barrelled Parabellum gun costs around $700 on the balck market.]
Una división especial que estará encargada de investigar los delitos de tráfico ilícito de armas de fuego, municiones y... (GunPolicy.org)
Record Number of Firearms Seized from Motorcycle Gangs in Finland
25 April 2013
YLE (Finland)
The number of firearms seized by police from motorcycle gangs classed as criminal groups has risen sharply over the past few years. A decade ago, police on average confiscated only a few dozen guns annually from motorcycle gangs. Since 2010, more than 400 have been seized, nearly 250 of which are handguns.
"The weapons seized include pistols, revolvers, a few shotguns and ten sub-machine guns. Ammunition has also been confiscated. Some of the guns had been made... (GunPolicy.org)
Antigua Gets Equipment to Destroy Surplus, Crime Guns
23 April 2013
Caribarena Antigua
ANTIGUA ST JOHN'S - Minister of National Security and labour Dr. Errol Cort issued a stern warning to persons in possession of illegal firearms and ammunition.
Cort made the threat on Monday as he addressed law men during a hand-over ceremony where representatives from the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace delivered two vital pieces of equipment over to the police.
The equipment, hydraulic shears and a burning tank, both integral in the reduction of illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
US Rapper Promotes Jewellery Made From Buyback Guns
19 April 2013
Scientific American
The rap star is supporting a new (and controversial) line of jewelry made from illegal guns that spends its proceeds to try to help get guns off the street.
If you follow rap, reggae or gun control, you may be aware of the transformation of gun-toting gangsta rapper Snoop Dogg into peace-loving reggae singer Snoop Lion. His first single as Snoop Lion, "No Guns Allowed," grabbed attention not only for its anti-gun hook - "Let the music play, me don't want no more... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Pipeline: Mules Pay High Price for Smuggling on Canada Border
19 April 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
Chantelle Batte didn't know she had successfully smuggled a small arsenal of guns, including a machine gun with a silencer, into Canada until police showed up at her door and arrested her days later.
Batte, a single mom from Sarnia, is just one of the many people used to mule guns across the border each year.
An ongoing Star investigation reveals that border officers seize few of the guns destined for the criminal market in Toronto and across Ontario.
Today, we look... (GunPolicy.org)
Indonesia Police Say Most Armed Robbers Use Homemade Guns
17 April 2013
Jakarta Post
JAKARTA - The police revealed on Tuesday that most guns used in armed robberies were homemade.
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said that 98 percent of the guns confiscated from robbery suspects were homemade and that most of them were made by air rifle makers.
"We are now tracing the air rifle makers who produce the homemade guns used in crimes," he said.
He added that the police had confiscated evidence such as raw materials for guns from an air rifle... (GunPolicy.org)
Poland,Ukraine,Israel,Côte d'Ivoire,Bulgaria,Belarus,China,Angola,Russia
Guns Easily Available in Côte D'Ivoire Despite Embargo
16 April 2013
IRIN (UN News)
ABIDJAN - Côte d'Ivoire's recent turbulence - including the ouster of president Henri Konan Bédié in 1999, a long-running insurgency and deadly poll unrest in 2011 - has left the country awash in arms, which have contributed to human rights abuses, widespread crime and persistent insecurity.
Two years after coming to power in 2000, Laurent Gbagbo's administration faced an army mutiny, which morphed into a full-scale rebellion. In response, the government underwent a... (GunPolicy.org)
Rwanda Calls for Firearms Marking to Fight Trafficking
16 April 2013
New Times (Rwanda)
The Minister of Internal Security and Chairman of the Regional Centre on Small Arms, Sheikh Musa Fazil Harerimana, has called for firearms to be marked and recorded as means of fighting illicit arms trafficking.
Harerimana made the remarks as he opened a two-day trans-regional seminar on arms making guidelines for the Economic Community of Central Africa States (Eccas) in Kigali. The meeting, according to the minister, is an opportunity to harmonise efforts and share... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria Police Uncover 3 Gun Factories
13 April 2013
Daily Trust (Abuja)
ASABA — Police detectives from Anambra and Delta States have uncovered arms factories in three communities in Delta State.
This is just as residents of Alizomor in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State fled the community after the corpse of ex-Anambra deputy governor Dr. Nwike Chidi was found in the area.
Police spokesman ASP Lucky Uyabeme said the discovery came when detectives stormed the community. He, however, said no arrest has been made.
The body of... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Health Approach Promises Gun Violence Prevention - NEJM
12 April 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
Scientists, policymakers, and advocates are increasingly advised to use "the public health approach" to address myriad social issues, from alcoholism and arthritis to vision care and war. However, it is rarely clear what exactly is meant by "the public health approach."
Policymakers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe the public health approach as a four-step model: Define the problem, identify risk and protective factors, develop and test... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Health Approach Promising Path to Reducing Gun Violence - NEJM
12 April 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
Scientists, policymakers, and advocates are increasingly advised to use "the public health approach" to address myriad social issues, from alcoholism and arthritis to vision care and war. However, it is rarely clear what exactly is meant by "the public health approach."
Policymakers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe the public health approach as a four-step model: Define the problem, identify risk and protective factors, develop and test... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Sent Through Mail in Canada Leads to Arrests
11 April 2013
CBC News (Canada)
RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency have intercepted a prohibited firearm that was being sent to someone in northern B.C. through the mail.
In late March, the CBSA found the gun in Canada Post mail destined for Dawson Creek, located in northeastern B.C.
Working with Canada Post, police tracked the alleged recipients of the package and arrested two Dawson Creek men, aged 31 and 40, who are both well-known to police.
Both men are facing charges of importation of a... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona Lobby Group Plans Giving Guns to Homeowners to Fight Crime
7 April 2013
The DePaulia (USA)
The nonprofit organization known as the Armed Citizen Project recently announced its plans to start a gun giveaway in Tucson, Ariz., that would function as a crime-fighting measure.
Fighting guns with guns? It's a novel idea. Undoubtedly, this will create a world of controversy, especially in a city such as Tucson, which was the site of the shooting of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the mass killing of six other people in 2011.
Yet the measure, which is... (GunPolicy.org)
Concerns About Influence of Canada's Gun Lobby on Arms Trade Treaty
4 April 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
The champagne was flowing Tuesday afternoon in the office of the Canadian charity Project Ploughshares.
Hours earlier, the United Nations in a 154-3 vote agreed to approve an arms trade treaty, a pact that has the promise to regulate the cross-border sale of conventional weapons. In theory, the treaty should stop arms makers from being able to sell so easily to countries with spotty human-rights records.
Tanks, combat aircraft, naval vessels, missiles and launchers,... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Running into Mexico on the Rise as US Admits Lack of Data on Guns
4 April 2013
San Marco Mercury
As the gun control debate swirls around issues like background checks and mental health, a new study reveals that gun running into Mexico remains a large-scale problem.
In their report, titled "The Way of the Gun," researchers at the University of San Diego's Trans-Border Institute estimated that as many as 253,000 firearms were purchased in the United States from 2010 to 2012 for the sole purpose of being trafficked across the border into Mexico. The figure is nearly... (GunPolicy.org)
US President Uses Executive Power to Advance Gun Control Agenda
29 March 2013
The Hill (Washington DC)
President Obama is quietly moving forward on gun control.
The president has used his executive powers to bolster the national background check system, jumpstart government research on the causes of gun violence and create a million-dollar ad campaign aimed at safe gun ownership.
The executive steps will give federal law enforcement officials access to more data about guns and their owners, help keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill, and lay the... (GunPolicy.org)
Corrupt Glock Police Pistol Deals Feed Philippine Crime Gun Market
26 March 2013
Investvine (Hong Kong)
Austrian gun maker Glock has been accused of supplying the black market in the Philippines with firearms in deals that were originally sealed with the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Over the past years, Glock delivered several batches of its highly demanded 9mm pistols to the PNP. The most recent deal was 12,000 pistols worth around $30 million ordered by the country's police forces as a first shipment of the biggest firearms procurement of the PNP so far, delivered... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Mexico,United Kingdom,Ghana,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Arms Trade Treaty Talks Enter Stormy Final Round
26 March 2013
Rappler / Agence France Presse
More than 100 countries complained Monday that talks on a conventional arms trade treaty had gone "backwards" from a vow to conclude a strong accord on the $80 billion a year trade.
The major western powers, who expressed confidence that an accord could be reached, face tough criticism over the treaty as talks at the UN headquarters entered the final straight.
A group representing 103 countries blasted the latest text as a step "backwards."
A statement by the 103,... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Africa,Asia,Americas
Conflicts of Interest Plague Arms Trade Treaty Talks
22 March 2013
Inter Press Service News Agency
The U.N. organ tasked with maintaining international peace and security harbours a serious conflict at its core.
The Security Council's five permanent members (P5) – United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France – along with Germany, are the world's six leading arms exporters, often shipping weapons used to perpetuate violence across the globe.
Meanwhile, over 150 member states have gathered at U.N. headquarters, from Mar. 18-28, to negotiate an Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
One Stolen Gun Blazes a Violent Path – A Typical Tale from Any City
22 March 2013
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul)
Thomas Allen Hoffman was looking for a "cheapie."
In the spring of 2007, he browsed a North Mankato gun dealer's collection for a Hi-Point pistol, one of the least expensive handguns on the market.
Hoffman wanted the gun for personal protection.
He paid $150 to the Red Bear Hunting Emporium and took home a Hi-Point C-9 9mm semiautomatic pistol, serial #P1352366. But soon the gun was stolen, changed hands, then changed hands again, spiraling beyond the bounds of... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Gun Trafficking Benefits Nearly 50% US Dealers - Study
20 March 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new study found that nearly half of United States firearms dealers are economically dependent on demand from Mexico, while under 15 percent of illicitly trafficked arms are seized at the border, highlighting the US role in Mexican gun violence.
The study, titled "The Way of the Gun: Estimating Firearms Traffic Across the U.S.-Mexico Border," aimed to quantify the US role in feeding Mexico's gun violence, which continues to rise despite tight gun control policies and... (GunPolicy.org)
Romania,Burkina Faso,Poland,Russia,Latvia,Tunisia,Guinea,Senegal,Bulgaria,China,Africa,Europe,Côte d'Ivoire
Arms Proliferation and Abuse Shatter Communities in Côte d'Ivoire - AI
20 March 2013
Amnesty International (London)
Reckless and illegal arms supplies from Europe, Africa and China to the warring parties in Côte d'Ivoire over the past decade continue to fuel grave human rights abuses and violent crime in the country, Amnesty International said in a detailed report launched at the United Nations (UN) headquarters.
The 33-page report, Communities shattered by arms proliferation and abuse in Côte d'Ivoire, documents how a handful of states and a network of multinational arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Regional Police Uncover Huge Stash of Firearms
20 March 2013
Oshawa Express (Ontario)
Durham Regional Police Inspector Mario Lessard of the Criminal Intelligence Branch was surrounded by a room full of guns.
There were weapons strewn about everywhere, all part of a massive seizure.
Grenades, landmines, 67 guns and a small cannon were recently found in a Bancroft home where a couple now faces more than 600 charges as a result.
But what does Durham have to do with this? According to Insp. Lessard, Durham is a member of the Provincial Weapons Enforcement... (GunPolicy.org)
What's Worked, and What Hasn't, in Gun-Loving Switzerland
19 March 2013
NPR (USA)
Switzerland has an entrenched gun culture that is embraced by most of its 8 million citizens, some of them as young as 10 years old.
Every Swiss community has a shooting range, and depending on who is counting, the alpine country ranks third or fourth in the number of guns per capita.
"You can walk into a cafe in a town where there is a shooting festival and you'll see rifles hanging on the hat rack. It's just incredible. It's just proliferation all over the place,... (GunPolicy.org)
How Brazil Exploited Sexual Insecurity to Curb Guns
8 March 2013
Bloomberg (USA)
Brazil has a gun culture, a gun industry and a gun problem -- much like the U.S. In fact, more Brazilians than Americans died of gunfire in 2010.
Yet Brazil's 2010 tally, 34,300 deaths, was significantly lower than its gun fatalities in 2003 (39,284), when the government enacted major gun-control regulation. I asked Brazilian political scientist Antonio Bandeira, who coordinates the arms-control program of Viva Rio, a nongovernmental organization in Rio De Janeiro, how... (GunPolicy.org)
European Union,Sweden,Myanmar,Syria
Stray Swedish Weapons Show Up in Syria, Myanmar Despite EU Ban
7 March 2013
Local (Sweden)
Syrian rebels appear to be using Swedish weapons, visible in a new video that has emerged from the civil war in which an anti-regime fighter cradles a well-known Swedish model of anti-tank rifle.
TV4 news found the video in which a rebel fighter emerges with a Carl Gustaf rocket launcher perched on his right shoulder.
The report dubs the weapon a "Swedish export success story".
It is the second time in the past few months that Swedish weapons have made their way to... (GunPolicy.org)
US Lobby Objects to Using Civilian Gun Fees for Seizing Crime Guns
6 March 2013
Los Angeles Times
SACRAMENTO — Enforce the laws already on the books. Take away the criminals' weapons, not the law-abiding citizens'. Sound familiar? It's the mantra of the gun lobby.
That is, until the government actually attempts to do it. Then the lobby changes its lyrics.
It seemed surreal listening to lobbyists for gun rights groups Monday, as if the ears were playing tricks. They testified at a state Senate Budget Committee hearing in opposition to legislation that would spend... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada's Top Concern at UN Arms Trade Treaty: 'Protecting Gun Owners'
5 March 2013
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario)
OTTAWA — For nearly two weeks last year, diplomats from Canada and the rest of the world gathered at the United Nations in New York to discuss ways to crack down on the illicit trade in small arms and ammunition.
But rather than working to strengthen those efforts, newly released documents show Canadian officials were instructed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government to "play a low-key, minimal role" — and that their main objective was safeguarding Canadian... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Cop Illegally Sold Guns, Granted Licence for Killer With Abuse History
4 March 2013
BBC News
A police officer who illegally sold guns to the public played a part in granting a gun licence to a man who shot three members of his family.
Michael Atherton, 42, shot his partner Susan McGoldrick, Alison Turnbull, her daughter Tanya and then himself, in County Durham on New Year's Day 2012.
Former Durham PC Damien Cobain was convicted of misconduct in a public office in 2010 and left the force.
An inquest heard he was part of a team that dealt with Atherton's... (GunPolicy.org)
US President Urged by NGOs to Support Tough UN Arms Trade Treaty
25 February 2013
Reuters
Three dozen arms control and human rights groups have written to U.S. President Barack Obama ahead of new arms-trade negotiations at the United Nations next month, urging him to back a tough treaty that would end loopholes in international weapons sales.
Arms control campaigners say one person every minute dies worldwide as a result of armed violence and a convention is needed to prevent the unregulated and illicit flow of weapons into conflict zones and fueling wars... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 700 Guns Destroyed in Dominican Republic [Espanol]
22 February 2013
El Nuevo Diario (Dominican Republic)
[Translated summary: The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Interior and Police, with the help of the United Nations, has destroyed 706 guns to combat trafficking. Many of the weapons were not registered or their markings had been altered.]
El Ministerio de Interior y Policía (MIP), por disposición del ministro José Ramón Fadul y con la colaboración del Programa de Acción de Desarme de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU), destruyó 706 armas de fuego de... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Africa,Côte d'Ivoire,Somalia,Angola,South Africa,Sudan,Zimbabwe,Kenya
Unknown Quantities of Chinese Arms in Africa a Concern
21 February 2013
Star (Kenya), Opinion
Much is being written and said in the media and academic circles about China's increasing engagement with Africa on many economic and other fronts.
Some see this as benefiting Africa; others as detrimental to the real needs of African countries and peoples. Some critics have used phrases like "the second scramble for Africa" and "re-colonization of Africa" to describe the new development. The debate goes on.
Yet, there is one subject that has not received the serious... (GunPolicy.org)
Ballistic Network Shrinks as US Police Don't Bother Tracing Crime Guns
20 February 2013
KING 5 News
Detectives from 31 police agencies packed a seminar this week at the Washington Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien to learn how ballistics testing can reveal links between guns in their evidence lockers to crimes that may have been committed in their jurisdiction or across the country.
"Is the gun from your murder case hiding in the evidence vault of a neighboring police department?" firearms expert Pete Gagliardi asked the group of detectives and personnel... (GunPolicy.org)
Costa Rica Plans New Govt Commission to Regulate Guns
18 February 2013
Inside Costa Rica
A replacement text submitted by the Ministry of Public Security aims to create an interagency committee which would regulate the possession of firearms and ammunition in Costa Rica, as well as introduce a series of measures aimed at reducing homicides.
The commission would be composed of one member from the Ministry of Security, another from the Ministry of Justice, as well as a representative from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Labor, and the Health Ministry,... (GunPolicy.org)
Tanzania Celebrates Gun Destruction in East Africa
17 February 2013
Tanzania Daily News (Dar Es Salaam)
The Vice-President, Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal, has said that recovery of more than 500,000 small arms and light weapons presently in wrong hands in the East African region would be possible through shared information among the member states.
Speaking at the destruction of illicit small arms and light weapons, the event held at Ukonga Prisons Ground on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, and witnessed by delegates to the East African Community (EAC) Joint Meeting of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,France,United States,Switzerland
Three Dead, Two Injured in Swiss Shooting
8 February 2013
Washington Post
DAILLON, Switzerland — On Jan. 3, the day Sandy Hook Elementary students returned to school in Newtown, Conn., Florian Berthouzoz leaned out his window and opened fire on this tranquil Swiss village with an old military carbine and a 12-gauge shotgun.
By the time he finished shooting, three women were killed, apparently at random, and two men were wounded. Berthouzoz was brought down by a police officer's bullet in the chest.
The shooting in Daillon, on a steep... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Enacts New Gun Trafficking Penalty, Plans National Register
5 February 2013
Ministry of Home Affairs (Australia), Media release
The House of Representatives today passed legislation to create a new aggravated offence for trafficking firearms which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and to strengthen laws that target the unexplained wealth of criminals.
This is part of an important reform package that targets two key enablers of serious and organised crime – the money they make and the firearms they use.
"These laws will make the maximum penalty for trafficking in firearms the... (GunPolicy.org)
Official Urges South Sudan to Disarm in New Campaign
4 February 2013
Voice of America
AWEIL, South Sudan — The head of South Sudan's Bureau for Small Arms Control has called for a nationwide effort to drastically reduce the number of firearms in the country, saying a "gun-free society" is key to stability in the fledgling nation.
"It is absolutely fundamental for all of us – for communities, for the government, for religious leaders, for traditional leaders, for you and everybody - to ensure we live in a peaceful environment, a gun-free society.... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Officials Say Most Gun Crime Traced to Under 1,000 Illegal Guns
2 February 2013
Washington Post
LONDON — When police on a weapons raid swarmed a housing project after London's 2011 riots, they seized a cache of arms that in the United States might be better suited to "Antiques Roadshow" than inner-city ganglands. Inside plastic bags hidden in a trash collection room, officers uncovered two archaic flintlock pistols, retrofitted flare guns and a Jesse James-style revolver.
These days, that kind of antiquated firepower is about the baddest a British gang member... (GunPolicy.org)
12 Separate Polls Show Americans Support Gun Control
1 February 2013
Salon (USA), Poll
Another day, another poll showing a majority of Americans favor many of the proposed gun control measures being discussed in Congress right now. Today's poll comes from the University of Connecticut and the Hartford Courant, which found that majorities of American nationally favor requiring background checks on all firearm purchases, thus closing the so-called gun show loophole (84 percent); support reinstating the ban on assault weapons (57 percent); and back banning... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica Police Seize Semi-Auto Pistol, Homemade Guns
29 January 2013
Go Jamaica
Four persons are now in police custody in connection with the seizure of four illegal guns in separate incidents yesterday.
The police report that a man and a woman were arrested after a .45 semi-automatic pistol with serial number erased, along with three .45 cartridges was found in a car along Maxfield Avenue yesterday.
According to reports from the Constabulary Communications Network, three homemade firearms were also seized in separate operations in St. James... (GunPolicy.org)
What America Doesn't Know About Gun Violence is Killing Them
26 January 2013
New York Times, Editorial
In one of the 23 executive actions on gun control signed this month, President Obama instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal science agencies to conduct research into the causes and prevention of gun violence. He called on Congress to aid that effort by providing $10 million for the C.D.C. in the next budget round and $20 million to expand the federal reporting system on violent deaths to all 50 states, from the current 18.
That Mr.... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Italy,Netherlands,Germany
British Queen's Soldiers Jailed After Attempting to Smuggle Guns
25 January 2013
Telegraph (UK)
The Queen's Royal Hussars soldiers, based in Sennelager, Germany, attempted to smuggle five guns worth £18,000 on the black market and cocaine worth £72,000 into the UK by car via the Channel Tunnel, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
Lemar Loveless 26, of Brydon Walk, Kings Cross, was arrested with former colleague Trave Dyce, 22, in Folkstone as they left a Euroshuttle from Calais in two BMWs on January 25 last year.
Officers, who had received intelligence about the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Senator Proposes Assault Rifle Ban, Gun Owner Registration
24 January 2013
Guardian (UK)
Senator Dianne Feinstein has introduced to Congress a revised assault weapons bill that would prohibit the manufacture or importation of 158 specific military-style assault rifles, ban large-capacity magazines of more than 10 rounds and possibly introduce a system of federal registration for all existing owners of such weapons and magazines.
The Feinstein proposals were unveiled at a Washington press conference in which several of the listed weapons were on display,... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Venezuela
The Impact of Obama's Gun Control Proposal in Mexico
23 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
President Obama's push to enact stronger gun control measures answers a long-held wish from Mexican officials, but how likely is it to change the security dynamic south of the Rio Grande?
President Obama announced a new push to pass legislation limiting access to deadly weapons last week, adding, "I will put everything I've got into this." The proposal encompasses 23 executive orders, three of which Obama has already signed and went into effect immediately: an end to... (GunPolicy.org)
Action on Bullets Missing from US Gun Debate, say Police
20 January 2013
Reuters
Bullets are one thing Sacramento Police Detective Greg Halstead can count on to root out weapons that otherwise would be impossible to find. They are also largely missing from the gun control debate in Washington.
Since 2008, California's capital has required ammunition dealers to take names and thumbprints of bullet buyers. They send the information electronically to police computers, which compare the names to an FBI criminal database.
Halstead begins his day... (GunPolicy.org)
New Registry Data Shows Small German State has Most Guns
18 January 2013
Local (Germany)
The tiny western state of Saarland has emerged as Germany's most armed region, according to newly collated figures. The country launched a national weapon's register this month in a bid to keep guns under control.
Saarland, wedged between the Rhine and France, has around 120 registered guns per 1,000 people, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Thursday.
Following hunting-keen Saarland comes Rhineland-Palatinate with around 113 guns per 1,000 people, and then... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Paraguay,Brazil,United States
What the US Can Learn From Brazil's Epidemic of Gun Violence
18 January 2013
Latitude News
A man walks into an elementary school with two handguns. Within minutes, more than thirty children are dead or wounded.
This isn't Newtown, Connecticut, but Realengo, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On April 7th, 2011, Wellington Oliveira murdered twelve children and wounded twenty others. The tragedy sparked a national conversation on gun violence, a huge problem in Brazil.
On Wednesday, in reaction to a different massacre, President Obama proposed a series... (GunPolicy.org)
Iceland: Plenty Of Guns, But Hardly Any Violence
17 January 2013
International Business Times (USA)
The tragic shooting deaths of 26 people, including 20 small children, at an elementary school in Connecticut last year has cast a harsh glare on U.S. gun laws and the political power and influence of the National Rifle Association.
Even a political leader in Iceland, a tiny island country of only about 320,000 souls near the Arctic Ocean, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding America's obsession with guns.
According to the Reykjavik Grapevine newspaper,... (GunPolicy.org)
Blackout on Gun Violence Research May End After Obama Calls for Action
17 January 2013
USA Today
President Obama's demand Wednesday for research into gun violence could usher in a flood of data on the nation's 32,000 annual gun deaths after decades of an information blackout.
Scientists and policy makers say they have little scientific data about gun violence after Congress prohibited federal agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), from offering research grants to study anything that could... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Joins the Gun Fight: This Time the Cynics Are Wrong
17 January 2013
Bloomberg (USA)
Is it real this time? President Barack Obama's announcement today that he will support a range of legislative and executive actions on gun safety will be dismissed as just one more tilt at the gun lobby windmill, bound to end in political failure for Obama, and personal tragedy for countless Americans.
But the White House agenda, and the presidential commitment behind it, is a genuine milestone on the long, twisted road toward sensible U.S. gun laws. This time the... (GunPolicy.org)
British County Knife, Gun Crime Rate Halves in 10 Years
14 January 2013
BBC News
The number of people killed with knives in the West Midlands has halved since 2002, according to police figures.
West Midlands Police said the number of fatal knife incidents dropped from 20 between April 2002 and March 2003 to 10 in the same period in 2011 to 2012.
However, 12 people died in knife-related incidents between April and December 2012, and on Friday, two men were stabbed to death in Birmingham.
Ch Insp Simon Wallis said fatal incidents were "mercifully... (GunPolicy.org)
Czech Republic,Hungary,Côte d'Ivoire,Iran,Guinea,Niger,Russia,South Sudan,China,Uganda,Afghanistan,Nigeria,Kenya,Iraq,Congo (DRC)
Trail of Bullet Casings Leads From Africa's Wars Back to Iran
11 January 2013
New York Times
The first clues appeared in Kenya, Uganda and what is now South Sudan. A British arms researcher surveying ammunition used by government forces and civilian militias in 2006 found Kalashnikov rifle cartridges he had not seen before. The ammunition bore no factory code, suggesting that its manufacturer hoped to avoid detection.
Within two years other researchers were finding identical cartridges circulating through the ethnic violence in Darfur. Similar ammunition then... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunman Critically Injures US Student as Authorities Debate Gun Control
11 January 2013
Reuters
A 16-year-old boy armed with a shotgun opened fire in a California high school classroom on Thursday, critically wounding a fellow student before two staff members talked him into surrendering the weapon, authorities said.
The accused gunman was arrested at Taft Union High School in inland Kern County following the shooting and investigators later said he felt he was being bullied by one or two students in the class, including the boy who was shot and seriously... (GunPolicy.org)
US Scientists Urge Authorities to End Limits on Gun Safety Research
10 January 2013
Reuters
Research restrictions pushed by the National Rifle Association have stopped the United States from finding solutions to firearms violence, more than a hundred scientists from virtually every major U.S. university told Vice President Joe Biden's task force on gun violence in a letter on Thursday.
In the wake of the December school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, and other mass homicides, the group of economists, health researchers, educators, doctors and... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia,Ukraine,Kenya,East Africa,European Union,Israel,Libya,Yemen,Ethiopia,United States,Somalia
Special Investigation: Lack of Gun Treaty Fuels Kenyan Smuggling Trade
9 January 2013
Star (Kenya)
Whether looking after his herd of cattle or taking them to the watering point, Boru hardly leaves his AK47 behind. He lives in the outskirts of Gambella village, a few kilometres from Isiolo town.
"It has become like a stick for me. I carry it around and my enemies fear me. It gives me more power than I had before I acquired it," Boru said.
Taking cover from the scorching sun under the shade of an old acacia tree, Boru, a father of three, told the Star he bought his... (GunPolicy.org)
US Bid to Stop Gun Trafficking, Tighten Gun Laws Begins
8 January 2013
New York Times, Editorial
Instructed by President Obama to find ways to curb gun violence after the Connecticut school massacre, a working group led by Vice President Joseph Biden Jr. appears ready to recommend a package of proposals that go beyond reinstating the expired ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Mr. Obama has already expressed support for a bill being prepared by Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, that would provide a more effective ban on... (GunPolicy.org)
Uganda,Ethiopia,Kenya,South Sudan,Somalia,East Africa,Tanzania
Special Investigation: How Smugglers are Flooding Kenya with Guns
8 January 2013
Star (Kenya), Series
There are estimated 530,000-680,000 firearms in the wrong hands in Kenya. The number of illegal arms has grown over the years and is said to fuel the conflicts witnessed within Kenya and the region.
In an investigation that took close to a year, our correspondent Kassim Mohamed tracked down some of the people who smuggle small arms and light weapons into Kenya and unveils a dangerous trend that can affect the current peace if nothing is done by not just the Kenyan... (GunPolicy.org)
US Mulls Nationwide Gun Registry, Limiting Sales to Licensed Dealers
6 January 2013
Washington Post
The White House is weighing a far broader and more comprehensive approach to curbing the nation's gun violence than simply reinstating an expired ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition, according to multiple people involved in the administration's discussions.
A working group led by Vice President Biden is seriously considering measures backed by key law enforcement leaders that would require universal background checks for firearm buyers, track the... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland, US Sign Tracing Agreement to Fight Illegal Gun Trafficking
4 January 2013
PR Newswire (London), Media release
WASHINGTON - The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will provide eTrace, an electronic system used to trace illegal firearms, to Finland — in an ongoing effort to combat firearms trafficking.
The MOU establishes conditions of the partnership regarding the procedures to access and use eTrace services made available to law enforcement agencies in Finland.
eTrace is a paperless firearm... (GunPolicy.org)
9 US States Gave Millions in Tax Breaks to Support Assault Rifle Makers
2 January 2013
Pine Tree Watchdog (Maine)
Taxpayers across the country are subsidizing the manufacturers of assault rifles used in multiple mass killings, including the massacre of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. last month.
A Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting examination of tax records shows that five companies that make semi-automatic rifles have received more than $19 million in tax breaks, most within with the past five years.
"I feel horrified at the power of... (GunPolicy.org)
5.5 Million Legal Guns in Germany According to New Registry
28 December 2012
Calgary Herald (Alberta) / Associated Press
BERLIN - Germany's new national firearms registry shows there are 5.5 million guns in legal circulation in the country.
That's an average of four weapons for each of the 1.4 million registered owners.
It is the first time reliable nationwide figures have been collected as previously such data were held by local authorities.
The registry provides a central national database to help police track the buyer and seller of each legally owned gun in Germany.
All European... (GunPolicy.org)
Zimbabwe,Pakistan,Colombia,United States,Brazil
Brazil Should Continue Responsible Gun Control, Reduce Deaths Further
25 December 2012
Rio Times, Opinion
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Last week's slaughter of twenty elementary school children in the United States has tragic echoes with the massacre in Realengo, Rio de Janeiro earlier this year. At 8:30 AM on April 7th, Wellington Oliveira calmly walked into a classroom with two .38 and .32 caliber handguns, and shot twelve children dead.
At least sixty shots were fired and twenty boys and girls were critically wounded. It was the worst school massacre in Brazilian history.... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Is Alone Internationally in Rolling Back Gun Laws
17 December 2012
Now Toronto, Opinion
I'm not going to ask if what happened in Newtown, Connecticut can happen here because now's a time for reflection, not panic and cheap one-liners.
Our gun laws are a good deal stricter than those in the United States. The days when you could purchase a rifle at the counter of the Canadian Tire with little more than a driver's license are over, thanks to Marc Lepine's 1989 outrage.
But when it comes to gun control, we've been headed in the wrong direction for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Egypt Authorities Trace Firearms, Bullets to Protest Shooting
11 December 2012
Daily News (Egypt)
A leaked report from the state forensics authority suggests that weapons used to shoot protesters at the presidential palace clashes last Wednesday belonged to Muslim Brotherhood members.
Independent ONTV news channel reported Tuesday that the forensics laboratory had matched weapons confiscated during the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood members to bullets found in victims' bodies. The weapons captured included 9 mm, 5.5 mm and 6.35 mm firearms.
"Nine millimetre firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Leader Rejects Proposals to Loosen Gun Controls
7 December 2012
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba)
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper has rejected recommendations from his firearms advisory committee and is suggesting the group's membership may need revisiting.
Documents obtained by the Coalition for Gun Control reveal the committee advising Public Safety Minister Vic Toews wants some prohibited weapons, including handguns and assault rifles, reclassified to make them more easily available.
The 14-member group is also pushing to make firearm licences good for... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Govt Quietly Defers Gun Marking Plans, Tells Gun Lobby First
5 December 2012
CBC News (Canada)
The Conservative government has quietly shelved rules on serial numbers for guns that would have helped keep Canada in compliance with its international conventions on arms smuggling.
The decision came through an order-in-council — a cabinet decree — that was not formally announced by the Harper government but has been posted among dozens of other orders on the Privy Council Office website.
A single paragraph on the website states the long-delayed regulations,... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear of Regulation Drives 'Frenzy' of Gun Sales in US Under Obama
29 November 2012
New York Times, Opinion
President Obama's election and recent re-election have apparently fueled a gun-buying craze in this country unlike anything we've seen in modern times.
USA Today reported this week:
"For the second consecutive year, prospective gun buyers joined Black Friday shoppers in record numbers as firearms dealers swamped the F.B.I. with required buyer background check requests. The F.B.I. fielded 154,873 calls, a roughly 20 percent increase from last year's previous one-day... (GunPolicy.org)
Congo (DRC),United States,Burkina Faso,Tanzania
US Entrepreneurs Turning Thousands of African AK-47s into Jewellery
26 November 2012
New York Times
NEW YORK — As icons go, few things communicate global menace more effectively than the stark silhouette of an AK-47. Designed more than six decades ago by Mikhail Kalashnikov, a former Soviet tank commander, the assault rifle boasts the dubious distinction of being the most abundant and reliable killing device in history.
"In much of the world they are everyman's gun," the New York Times foreign correspondent C.J. Chivers wrote in "The Gun," his 2010 social history... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Govt Changes Gun Laws to Address Trafficking, Illegal Weapons
23 November 2012
Australian (Sydney)
The federal government is pressing ahead with plans to create new aggravated offences for trafficking firearms or gun parts across state and national borders.
Justice Minister Jason Clare on Friday announced he would introduce the legislation into federal parliament next week - the last sitting days of the year.
"These new offences will carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment," Mr Clare said in a statement.
"This will make the maximum penalty for trafficking in... (GunPolicy.org)
Call for US to Keep Promises on Gun Control, Ban Assault Weapons
23 November 2012
New York Times, Editorial
President Obama's fleeting mention of the need for stronger gun controls at a presidential debate last month was hardly the kind of forceful political statement needed to address the scourge of gun violence in this country. Even his tepid remark was considered by the nation's gun owners as a threat to take away their firearms. In what amounts to a buyers' panic, they are again ramping up gun and ammunition sales as they did four years ago, convinced that Mr. Obama... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland Toughens Laws to Mark All Imported Guns [Français]
22 November 2012
La Côte (Switzerland)
[Translated summary: Switzerland has passed a law to ensure all imported guns are marked from July 2013 and create a new database. Unmarked guns will be confiscated and those who alter the markings will be subject to punishment.]
Dès janvier 2013, les armes à feu importées en Suisse devront être marquées.
Les armuriers auront jusqu'au 1er juillet pour se conformer à la nouvelle législation sur le marquable d'arme.
Le marquage permettra d'identifier l'armurier... (GunPolicy.org)
European Union Assesses Arms Trafficking Progress
19 November 2012
Europa (European Union), Speech
I am delighted to welcome you all to our conference on the fight against illicit trafficking in firearms, in the EU and beyond.
We have in the room today some of the leading experts on the topic – from law enforcement, industry, policy makers, and from civil society.
For you, it will not come as a surprise that the Commission puts focus on this issue by organising this conference. Still, it is worth recalling that despite repeated political declarations, at... (GunPolicy.org)
Egypt,Niger,Libya,Belgium,Mali,Palestine,Israel
Experts Suspect Belgian-Made Guns Trafficked from Libya to Gaza
19 November 2012
Foreign Policy
There's one big problem with small arms: They don't come with an expiration date. These reliable killing machines pass from dead soldiers to living insurgents, and from a country's armory to a militia's safe house thousands of miles away. As soon as weapons crates cross international borders, arms-producing countries lose control over where they head next - a fact on full display during recent conflicts across the Middle East, and now in the Gaza Strip.
On Nov. 17,... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany Police Welcome 'Overdue' Gun Registry Law
19 November 2012
Deutsche Welle
The German interior minister has said a countrywide database of all legal gun owners is set for launch on January 1. Hans-Peter Friedrich predicted a "considerable increase in security" as a result.
The German government plans to launch its complete registry of legal gun owners at the beginning of next year, two years ahead of a deadline set by the EU.
As with many German authorities, those responsible for weapons licensing and tracking operated on a local basis - with... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Thailand,Austria,Czech Republic
Thai Authorities Concerned Over Easy Access to Guns
18 November 2012
Bangkok Post
In recent years Thailand has been flooded with illegal firearms and the misery they cause is plain for all to see. Every day there are media reports of shootouts and homicides that begin with domestic quarrels, school rivalries and traffic accidents, and quickly escalate. Law enforcement officials say the root cause is the easy availability of guns, and this is true for teenagers as well as adults. People prefer to buy weapons outside of legal channels because they are... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Soldier Caught with Illegal Ammo, Army and Medal Hopes Over
9 November 2012
BBC News
An Army marksman's hopes of Olympic gold were dashed and his career left in ruins after he illegally kept ammunition, a court martial has heard.
Warrant Officer Morgan Cook, 40, had been tipped to lead Team GB to shooting glory at the London Games, the hearing at Colchester was told.
At an earlier hearing Cook, who was based in Bedfordshire, admitted illegal possession of thousands of rounds.
He was ordered to be reduced to the ranks and dismissed from the... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras,United States,Mexico,Guatemala
Guatemala, US Sign Gun Tracing Deal to Fight Trafficking
8 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Guatemala is set to gain access to the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (ATF) weapons tracing system, to track arms confiscated from criminal groups in the country.
Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz declared that the new agreement would give Guatemala access to the ATF's database, which is also used by Mexico to track the origin of seized weapons, reported Prensa Libre.
Paz y Paz also noted that granting access to Guatemala, a key transit... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Seizures Rising in NZ But Police Lack Data on Owners, Thefts
6 November 2012
New Zealand Herald
Hundreds of illegal firearms are being seized each year in police raids - but there is no record of how many guns are stolen to fuel the black market.
New figures show 325 firearms were seized in the financial year to June, the lowest number in the past five years and down from a peak of 1146 the previous year.
Most of the illegal firearms are stolen in residential burglaries or from collectors by organised criminal groups, police documents released under the Official... (GunPolicy.org)
