Gun crime
Gun crime trebles as weapons and drugs flood British citiesBy David Bamber, Home Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:36am GMT 24/02/2002
GUN crime has almost trebled in London during the past year and is soaring in other British cities, according to Home Office figures obtained by The Telegraph.
Police chiefs fear that Britain is witnessing the kind of cocaine-fuelled violence that burst upon American cities in the 1980s. Cocaine, particularly from Jamaica, now floods into Britain, while the availability of weapons - many of them from eastern Europe - is also increasing.
Detectives in London say that the illegal importation of guns started after the end of the Bosnia conflict and that they are changing hands for as little as £200. During the 10 months to January 31, there were 939 crimes involving firearms in the Metropolitan Police area compared with 322 in the 10 months to the end of January, 2001 - an almost three-fold increase.
Gun crime trebles as weapons and drugs flood British citiesBy David Bamber, Home Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:36am GMT 24/02/2002
GUN crime has almost trebled in London during the past year and is soaring in other British cities, according to Home Office figures obtained by The Telegraph.
Police chiefs fear that Britain is witnessing the kind of cocaine-fuelled violence that burst upon American cities in the 1980s. Cocaine, particularly from Jamaica, now floods into Britain, while the availability of weapons - many of them from eastern Europe - is also increasing.
Detectives in London say that the illegal importation of guns started after the end of the Bosnia conflict and that they are changing hands for as little as £200. During the 10 months to January 31, there were 939 crimes involving firearms in the Metropolitan Police area compared with 322 in the 10 months to the end of January, 2001 - an almost three-fold increase.
I live in an area which has high crime rates, especially related to guns, knifes and gangs, and it seems to be getting worse. The young children around are picking up bad habbits like swearing, socialising in large groups and playing violently. If anything the government should educate the younger generation, because they are the future and if they should be a better society, they should target broken homes, offer more youth clubs or activities to do during holidays, this may help reduce crime rates.
