Hospitals will be forced to report all firearms injuries treated in accident and emergency wards, under plans drawn up by police chiefs. The programme is being devised amid growing concern over gun crime and fears that police are unaware of the full scale of the problem. Some medical experts believe a number of gun victims, particularly those involved in gang violence, avoid involving the police. In a recent case in Birmingham, a hospital failed to notify the police... (GunPolicy.org)

A lecturer who allowed a student to bring a plastic toy rifle into a college for use in a photography project has been sacked for breaching health and safety regulations. Richard Browning, 40, from Doncaster, was dismissed as a photography teacher at Doncaster College in South Yorkshire last Monday. The student, a 16-year-old girl, had brought a two-foot green and black rifle to the college last November to photograph it for her HND course. Mr Browning's dismissal... (GunPolicy.org)

Canada's gun control legislation has been designed to protect the safety of all citizens. And yet some Canadians are asking of gun-control legislation what they never ask, or expect, of any other criminal-justice reforms. Although there is more evidence in favour of the effectiveness of gun control than there is in support of many other, less controversial legislative initiatives, a vociferous gun lobby continues to oppose this agenda of public safety. The available... (GunPolicy.org)

CINCINNATI — A joint effort between Cincinnati police and several federal agencies wants to give more time behind bars to those convicted of gun-related charges. Twenty cases have been tried as part of Project Disarm, which was launched in 2001 in an effort to crack down on increasing gun violence in the city. Ten cases were tried in Hamilton County courts, with those convicted receiving an average of 8? months in prison. The 10 cases tried in federal court received... (GunPolicy.org)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state's legislative leaders have shot down the concealed carry bill, for now. House Speaker Larry Householder and Senate President Doug White said on Thursday the bill allowing Ohioans to carry hidden guns isn't a priority this year. Householder said lawmakers have too much else to worry about, starting with the state's budget deficit. "As far as the future of the state of Ohio and how we move forward, I think that particular issue is one that... (GunPolicy.org)

KISSIMMEE — Since firing the accidental shot that killed his son Kyle, Don Charles Spirit said he has felt guilt close in on him like the walls of a jail cell. Medicine and counseling don't help, Spirit said. There is no escaping that memory of his high-powered Browning rifle firing while he pointed out rust on its muzzle. Eight-year-old Kyle was struck in the head. The deer-hunting trip outside of Kenansville on Nov. 14, 2001, had turned into a nightmare. Now real... (GunPolicy.org)

Recently I visited Potomac Arms, a gun shop on the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia. Making my way past the samurai swords and shotguns, I found the 17-inch Anzio Ironworks .50-caliber "take-down" rifle — named because it can be disassembled in less than 25 seconds — on display. Another brand of .50-caliber, an ArmaLite, was available in the back, a clerk told me. Buying either gun would not be difficult: Under the Brady Bill, I'd need to show identification,... (GunPolicy.org)

Technology does not solve all problems, but it can be a big help when it comes to so-called smart guns. Last month, New Jersey became the first state to require that new handguns be equipped with devices to prevent anyone but the owner from firing them. The main beneficiaries will be children who find loaded guns in the home. They would be unable to accidentally shoot themselves or others. The guns are not currently on the market. After the first manufacturer... (GunPolicy.org)

UGANDA has hired a South African security firm to help it control the proliferation of illegal small arms in the country. The firm, known as Safe Africa International has begun carrying out initial studies to identify strategies to control illegal small arms, which are blamed for rising insecurity, murders and robberies in the country. The co-ordinator of the Uganda National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Richard Nabudere, said last week that Safe Africa... (GunPolicy.org)

WEST NEW ANNAN, Nova Scotia — The federal gun registry is chasing a Nova Scotia man beyond the grave to make sure he registers a restricted firearm. Albert Byers died Dec. 9, 1974, but that didn't stop the government from writing him a letter recently to get him to register his handgun. "I guess they don't check that sort of thing," said his great-nephew, Glenn Byers, whose parents received the notice in their rural mailbox. They are probably the closest living... (GunPolicy.org)

The people of Pureni and Iwanda in the Southern Highlands Province want nothing more that peace, normalcy and the return of vital government services like health and education so they can progress in life. That was the message they delivered to Minister for Inter-Government Relations Sir Peter Barter and Police Commissioner Sam Inguba when they surrendered more than 150 home-made guns, bows and arrows and marijuana plants to Police at two peace ceremonies on Thursday... (GunPolicy.org)