A Start To Illegal Gun Control

"Officers inform the adult resident (typically a mother) that the purpose of the program is to confiscate illegal firearms, particularly those belonging to juveniles, without seeking criminal prosecution. Residents are informed that they will not be charged with the illegal possession of a firearm if they sign the consent form. By agreeing not to file criminal charges, the police can focus their attention on getting guns out of the hands of juveniles and send a clear message that juvenile firearm possession is not tolerated by police or the community."

"The program has been criticized as depriving citizens of the right to protect themselves against crime.""

http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/gun_violence/profile15.html





This program makes complete sense, and finally an effective start to the control of illegal possession of guns in our neighborhoods. Sure it may only be a small dent in the problem, juvenile’s posses only 30% of what adults do, but still, that is 30% of the population we may be saving. According to the Uniform Crime Report of 2005, around 27k guns were seized from people who were 18 years of age and younger, imagine how many guns are still on our streets and in the hands of children who have not been caught by the police and not included in this numerical figure.

The criticism of this program is understandable. Yes, the seizing of guns may be looked upon as depriving citizens of their right to protection, but the program is focusing on teenagers who are not the most responsible to say the least. If a child feels like his or her life is in so much danger that they need a gun to feel safe, maybe they need to change their lifestyle, or request more patrolling in a certain neighborhood. With less crimes being committed because guns are off the street, more funds should be available for a better patrolling system in the most high crime neighborhoods. Let the police take out the criminals by arresting them, and avoid the number of deaths in the community who’s fate rides in the hands of minors.

If weapons are seized, it has never been a problem for the minor to purchase another gun the same day. It would seem pointless then to confiscate the guns in the first place if the black market is so accessible. By making the purchasing process for legal guns more strict and difficult, and the seizing of guns from minors, sooner or later the gun supply will slow down and eventually make it hard for minors to get their hands on illegal firearms in the black market. If the supply is not there, it would be very difficult to purchase an illegal gun, and if one was purchased, it would cost extremely more than it’s actual worth.

This program is just one that should consist of trial and error. Law enforcement should test this program in minor cities in different states and see how far it can go, and how statistic may change for the better or for worse.