Gun Policy News - Search Results
Breast Cancer Foundation, US Gun Dealer Team Up to Sell Pink Pistol
3 February 2012
CBS News (USA) / AP
SEATTLE – The Susan G. Komen Foundation is teaming up with Seattle gun distributor Discount Gun Sales, LLC, to sell a pink handgun to help raise money for the breast cancer organization.
The gun, a Walther P-22, is already available for purchase at $429.99.
"Discount Gun Sales is proud to team up with the Susan B. Koman [sic] Foundation to offer the Walther P-22 Hope Edition in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month," the page reads. "A portion of each P-22... (GunPolicy.org)
Concerns Persist Over Irish Police Attitude to Gun Licence Applicants
2 February 2012
Irish Times (Dublin)
ANALYSIS - Following an intervention by Mr Justice John Hedigan, the Garda and three gun enthusiasts have come to an agreement. This will allow gun club members reapply for licences where they have been refused.
The basis on which the case was settled was the reasoning for the refusal of licences was flawed.
However, questions about the behaviour of the Garda posed by Mr Justice Hedigan remain to be answered. Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has asked the Garda... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,El Salvador,Honduras,Venezuela,Brazil,Colombia
Colombia Capital Tries Trial Ban on Guns in Public
2 February 2012
New York Times / AP
BOGOTA, Colombia — Gustavo Petro was imprisoned as a rebel in the 1980s on a weapons conviction. As Bogota's new mayor, he wants to get firearms off the streets of this city where the conspicuous display of guns has long been the norm.
So he's trying an experimental ban on gun-wielding in public.
The only people authorized to carry weapons during the 90-day trial that began Wednesday are active and retired police and soldiers, bodyguards of diplomats, politicians,... (GunPolicy.org)
Five Days after Uganda Shooting, New Gun Control Policy Launched
2 February 2012
Monitor (Kampala)
It is perhaps a prefect coincidence that the launch of a new policy to oversee fire arms and ammunition in the country came just five days after a plain clothed low-ranking officer of the police force, shot at an unarmed crowd in Port Bell, Luzira, killing at least one.
The incident was captured in its entirety on video footage, which was later aired on nation-wide television.It raised important questions about gun control in Uganda, about who is allowed to own a gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Govt Accused of Hiding Police Reports on Long-gun Registry
1 February 2012
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
The NDP accused the government of suppressing RCMP reports on Canada's long-gun registry Tuesday, saying the government delayed releasing two reports because they clashed with Tory messaging on gun control.
NDP justice critic Jack Harris raised the issue in question period Tuesday.
"It is the second year in a row it has tried to hide a report that shows the public safety value of the long-gun registry," he said.
"Why is the government consistently hiding information... (GunPolicy.org)
Cote d'Ivoire: UN Disarmament Operation Continues Near Abidjan
1 February 2012
UN News Service
A United Nations voluntary disarmament operation began today in a suburb north of the Ivorian city of Abidjan, aiming to collect illegal weapons still in circulation among the civilian population.
The operation, conducted by the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) and national authorities, is part of a wider national campaign which began in June and that targets various regions of the country, with last month's having been held in the town of Attécoubé.
"This... (GunPolicy.org)
Trial Sparks Debate Over Canada Confusing Gun Control Law
31 January 2012
National Post (Toronto)
WELLAND, Ont. — Canada's laws on the storage and handling of guns and ammunition are so complicated that a veteran judge needed to adjourn court to allow two experienced lawyers more time for legal arguments and a search of case law to help parse and dissect them.
It was a dud of an ending after two scheduled days of trial in the case of Ian Thomson, a 54-year-old Port Colborne man who fired three shots from a legally owned gun to scare off three masked men who were... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia Guerrilla-Turned-Mayor Bans Guns from the Streets of Bogotá
31 January 2012
Guardian (UK)
As a member of the M-19 guerrilla group in the 1980s, Gustavo Petro, who was known as Comandante Aureliano, served 18 months in prison for illegally carrying a firearm. Now mayor of the Colombian capital, Bogotá, Petro is leading an experiment in banning guns from the streets of this city of eight million people, where firearms are part of the backdrop to everyday life.
Bodyguards on high-speed motorbikes whizz through traffic wielding machine guns, security guards at... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Challenge on Irish Police's Refusal to Grant Licences Settled
31 January 2012
Irish Examiner (Dublin)
A legal challenge by shooting enthusiasts to the Garda refusal to grant them licences for restricted firearms has been settled.
The shooting enthusiasts had claimed their applications for restricted guns were being refused on a blanket basis by gardaí without adequate reasons.
The Garda authorities have denied claims of a fixed policy of refusing licences.
This morning at the High Court, when the matter was briefly mentioned before the court, Mr Justice John Hedigan... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Gangs Prefer Guns from the 80s-90s as They Are Harder to Trace
31 January 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
According to Mexico's Defense Department, criminal organizations are equipping themselves with firearms that are between 20 and 30 years old. The government says this casts doubt on the claim that the gangs are better armed than the security forces.
The Mexican Army seized over 130,000 firearms since 2006, the majority of which were fabricated in the 1980s and 1990s, Excelsior reports. These include makeshift weapons that were modified or repaired using old parts from... (GunPolicy.org)
Algeria: 293,000 Guns Seized in the 90s, Owners Want them Back [Francais]
30 January 2012
El Watan (Alger)
[Translated summary: Hundreds of owners of shotguns, which were confiscated in the early years of terrorism in Algeria, demand that their property be returned.]
Les propriétaires des fusils de chasse confisqués au début des années du terrorisme, en 1993 dans la wilaya de Bouira, sont revenus, hier, à la charge, en organisant un sit-in suivi d'une marche.
Plus de 400 personnes, dans la plupart des paysans, venues des quatre coins de la wilaya, se sont donné... (GunPolicy.org)
Theft From Gun Owners Fuels Crime Gun Market in South Australia
30 January 2012
Advertiser (Adelaide)
The black market for guns is thriving in SA, fuelled by the theft of up to 200 guns each year.
Police figures show that a total of 1316 guns have been taken from homes, businesses and vehicles since 2004.
Experts warn the thefts are the likely source of illegal firearm sales.
Police say they recover a "substantial" number of guns annually but admit it can take many years to find them, with 64 of the firearms recovered last financial year reported stolen up to 15... (GunPolicy.org)
China,United States,Ghana,Nigeria
Nigerian Civilians Hold 2 Million Guns, Security Forces 600,000
30 January 2012
Nation (Nigeria)
Members of the dreaded insurgent group, Boko Haram, armed robbers and hired assassins have done great havoc with guns acquired illegally. Where are they coming from? OLUKAYODE THOMAS and JOKE KUJENYA examine the sources of illegal arms into the country.
The ruins are still visible on the police zonal headquatres in Kano. The offices of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) testify to the Boko Haram bombing and armed assaults of... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Free Zones, Gun Owner Testing Proposed for New Law in Uganda
30 January 2012
Monitor (Kampala)
In its efforts to curb the abundance and abuse of small and light weapons, the government has launched a new policy on firearms and ammunition.
The policy calls for a new legal regime to oversee the acquisition, use and storage of firearms.
The policy was unveiled last week by the Uganda National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons, a department in the Ministry of Internal Affairs that was created in 2003 to handle cases of illicit small arms.
The policy... (GunPolicy.org)
New Philippine Law Allows 15+ Guns per Civilian, No Light Weapons
29 January 2012
Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a new firearms law that would amend the Martial Law-era firearms regulations and provide for a comprehensive regulation of firearms, light weapons, and ammunition in the country.
Congressmen unanimously approved House Bill (HB) No. 5484 a few months after lawmakers sought stronger and clearer laws against possession of light weapons and high-powered firearms such as the ones... (GunPolicy.org)
Assembling Illegal Guns with Imported Pieces, Growing Trend within Sydney's Underworld
29 January 2012
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
Criminals are assembling illegal weapons in backyard firearm factories after importing them piece-by-piece over the internet.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the parts are being sourced from legitimate gun dealers in the US and pieced together in NSW after arriving in the mail undetected.
Detective Superintendent Ken Finch, commander of the Firearms and Organised Crime Squad (FAOCS), said a number of unrelated individuals had already been arrested and charged over the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Suggested Mexico Allow Illegal Guns to Cross Border to Cartels
28 January 2012
Washington Post / AP
WASHINGTON — Newly released Justice Department emails sent to Capitol Hill for a congressional inquiry into a gun-smuggling operation indicate that the head of the department's criminal division suggested letting some illicit "straw" weapons buyers in the U.S. transport their guns across the border into Mexico where they could be arrested.
According to the emails turned over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Friday night, the Justice official,... (GunPolicy.org)
Normally Law-Abiding Mexicans Take Up Illegal Guns for Protection
28 January 2012
National Public Radio (USA)
In Mexico, where criminals are armed to the teeth with high-powered weapons smuggled from the United States, it may come as a surprise that the country has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world.
Law-abiding Mexicans who want a gun to defend themselves have no good options. Either they fight government red tape to get a legal permit, or they buy one on the black market.
After an outbreak of violence, one embattled community in northern Mexico called... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil: 4.3 Million Guns Sold in 5yrs, 40,000 Gun Deaths in 2009 [Portugues]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: domestic manufacturers alone sold 4.3 million guns in Brazil over the past five years. Nearly 40,000 people died in 2009 in episodes involving firearms, including homicides, suicides and accidents, according to latest figures provided by the Ministry of Health. A study by Pablo Dreyfuss, who was a leading expert on the subject, showed that 90% of these deaths are the result of crimes and the risk of dying from injuries caused by firearms in Brazil... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil, the Worlds' 4th Largest Arms Manufacturer and Exporter [Portugues]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Tanslated summary: Brazil, fourth largest exporter in small arms and around 4,5 million arms exported in the past five years.]
De maneira pouco transparente, governo incentiva crescimento da indústria. Ênfase é nas armas leves: Brasil é 4º maior exportador mundial. Levantamento inédito do Exército revela que nos últimos 5 anos, exportamos 4,5 milhões de armas.
Uma pequena lata metálica, arranhada e atirada ao chão, gerou o primeiro vexame diplomático... (GunPolicy.org)
