When a burglar breaks in, should you thump him or give him a cup of tea? Answers to Mr Blunkett LAST YEAR, learned Government lawyers advised ministers that "as members of the public, burglars have the right to be protected from violent householders". How sapient! We lurk like spiders, we householders, luring simple-hearted burglars to their doom! A thief, slipping through a window wide awake and well prepared, must be given all possible protection against a sleepy... (GunPolicy.org)

Scotland Yard was facing a security crisis today as more than a quarter of its firearms officers indicated they are prepared to down their weapons and effectively go on strike. Around 120 armed officers in London have signed a motion saying they are willing to temporarily lay down arms in protest at the suspension of two colleagues who were involved in a fatal shooting. Inspector Neil Sharman and PC Kevin Fagan could face criminal charges after a second inquest into... (GunPolicy.org)

Mozambique is perhaps the least heavily armed nation in southern Africa according to a report by the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS). The report also found that gun crime was relatively unusual in Mozambique, and that rather than owning a gun for protection, civilians looked to improved public lighting and other measures to increase their personal security. In its report, "Hide and Seek, Taking Account of Small Arms in Southern Africa", the ISS... (GunPolicy.org)

More than 120 firearms officers in London are refusing to carry guns after two colleagues were suspended over a shooting, police representatives claim. Harry Stanley, 46, was shot dead in 1999 after police mistook a table leg he was carrying for a shotgun. An inquest on Friday returned a verdict of unlawful killing and PC Kevin Fagan and Insp Neil Sharman were suspended. Mr Stanley's widow, Irene, says other officers should go back to work as the verdict "has... (GunPolicy.org)

Law changes permitting the use of firearms in self-defence and the protection of property would encourage people to take the law into their own hands, Justice Minister Phil Goff said today. The Act Party's justice spokesman, Stephen Franks, yesterday released his draft Crimes (Self-Defence) Amendment Bill which he says will stop people in rural areas feeling helpless against an intruder. The bill seeks to restore the defence of provocation, which was removed in the... (GunPolicy.org)

People in rural areas should have the right to defend themselves and their property, says Act MP Stephen Franks. The law should be changed so they don't feel helpless in their homes. Mr Franks, the party's justice spokesman, yesterday launched his draft of the Crimes (Self-Defence) Amendment Bill, which seeks to restore the defence of provocation, removed in the 1980 Crimes Act. The issue has come to the fore following the home invasion and assault of Rotorua... (GunPolicy.org)

Data from a US mortality follow-back survey were analyzed to determine whether having a firearm in the home increases the risk of a violent death in the home and whether risk varies by storage practice, type of gun, or number of guns in the home. Those persons with guns in the home were at greater risk than those without guns in the home of dying from a homicide in the home (adjusted odds ratio = 1.9, 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 3.4). They were also at greater... (GunPolicy.org)