NEWS RELEASE

March 14, 1995 For Immediate Release

COPS AND CROOKS AGREE: GUN CONTROL DOES NOT CONTROL CRIME

"Allan Rock should survey the real criminals in our jails and the police on the street."

Ottawa - Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, has spent the last year researching the question: "Does gun control reduce violent crime and improve public safety?" For anyone who cares to read, the answer is painfully obvious. In conducting his research, Breitkreuz came across some amazing, comprehensive and conclusive surveys. The results of surveys of over 2,000 convicts and 2,000 peace officers in the United States shows that both the police on the street and the crooks in jail agree on one thing, "Gun control just doesn't control crime," declared Breitkreuz.

"It's time the Minister of Justice quit pontificating and politicizing the issue of gun control and do the "comprehensive evaluation" the Auditor General has requested." Breitkreuz said, "The controversial gun control measures in Bill C-68 should be shelved until the independent evaluation is complete." He also suggested that the evaluation also include surveys of violent criminals in Canadian jails and police working out on our streets and highways.

What Real Criminals Have to Say about Gun Control

Here are a few quotes from a letter to the editor written by an inmate of a Florida prison about gun control: (1) "If guns are banned then I as a criminal feel a lot safer. When a thief breaks into someone's house the first thing to worry about is getting shot by the owner. But now it seems we won't have to worry about that any more." (2) "It is a fantasy that just because guns are outlawed we, the crooks, cannot get guns. The only people who can't are the ones we victimize." (3) "Drugs are against the law. Does that stop us? It's also against the law to rob and steal. But does a law stop us?" And finally, (4) I thank you the public for giving me this fine opportunity to further my criminal career."

In 1983, the National Institute of Justice funded a survey of two thousand criminals in state prisons across the United States: (1) 74% of the convicted criminals agreed that "one reason burglars avoid houses when people are home is that they fear being shot during the crime"; (2) 56% of the prison inmates agreed that "a criminal is not going to mess around with a victim he knows is armed with a gun"; (3) 57% agreed that "most criminals are more worried about meeting an armed victim than they are about running into the police"; and (4) 39% of the criminals surveyed said they had aborted at least one crime because they believe the intended victim was armed."

...continued on Page 2

-2-

What Police on the Street Have to Say about Gun Control

Alberta Reform MP, Grant Hill, conducted a survey of all eight RCMP detachments in his Macleod constituency. This what serving RCMP officers told him: (1) RCMP officers said that they spend between 70-90% of their time on paper work versus doing investigations; (2) Responding to the question, "Will the new gun laws change your workload," the RCMP officers responses ranged from hearty laughter to comments like, "I will do nothing but paperwork"; and (3) The frustrated RCMP officers said, "New laws are not needed, just enforce the current laws strictly."

Every year since 1988, the National Association of Police Chiefs has polled more than fifteen thousand police agencies in the United States. The majority of respondents have consistently said: (1) Their departments are understaffed and unable to adequately protect individuals; (2) Law-abiding, responsible adults should have the right to own any type of firearm for self-defence; and (3) Banning guns will not reduce crime.

In 1991, Law Enforcement Technology magazine polled two thousand police officers across the United States. Here is what they learned: (1) 85% of all peace officers surveyed felt gun control had little potential to reduce crime; (2) 91% of the street officers opposed banning semi-automatic, or so-called assault rifles - 66% of their superiors also agreed; (3) 94% of the street officers felt that private citizens should keep handguns in their homes and offices for self-defence - 93% of their superiors agreed; and (4) 76% of the street officers believed that licences to carry concealed handguns for protection should be issued to every trained, responsible adult applicant - 59% of their superiors also agreed with this statement.

"There is an amazing consensus between what the cops and the crooks know about criminal behaviour and the use of guns for criminal acts and for self-defence. While senior police officers in the USA agree with their officers out on the beat, here in Canada, the Chiefs of Police Association is out of step with their serving officers. This difference of opinion can only lead to a confrontation down the road," he predicted.

Breitkreuz, a former school teacher, concluded, "There are two lessons Allan Rock should learn from the available research. Lesson #1: Everywhere a registration system has been tried, it has been the police who finally recommended that the system was a waste of time and should be abolished. Lesson #2: Extremely restrictive firearm controls introduced in Great Britain in 1988 decreased the rate of legal gun ownership by 22% between 1988 and 1992. Despite this dramatic decline in legal firearm ownership, the violent crime rates in Great Britain increased by 29% and 109%, respectively, during the same period."

"It is obvious that Allan Rock and the Liberals are taking Canada down a road that leads to increased violence," concluded Breitkreuz.

-30-

Sources: Shot Down: A Consensus on Gun Control by Don B. Kates, Jr. - National Review - March 6, 1995

Criminal Statistics 1992(UK Home Office, Research and Statistics Department - December 1993)

For copies of these articles please call:

Yorkton: (306) 782-3309

Ottawa: (613) 992-4394