illegal firearms in public perception play a marginal role. Although there is a continuous reporting of discoveries of large quantities of illegal weapons and a variety of crimes committed with illegal weapons, but the topic still not achieved nearly the same interest as the private legal gun ownership. is nature, it is difficult to estimate the stock of illegal weapons in Germany - estimates range from 20 to 40 million .
The particular danger of illegal firearms is therefore accepted as a U.S. study finds because "firearms are durable goods ... a well-maintained will last indefinitely AK-47 ... the modern assault rifle or pistol represents, a mature technology, 'says current weapons holders need to regularly update Do Not their stock to remain competitive".
Illegal firearms are to be the possessed without a permit and / or out . This may be weapons of war (eg the War Weapons Control Act - weapons of war list Part B - captured fully automatic machine guns or guns to get the civilians with the exception of a few experts, no purchase permit) or other firearms for which different types of to be tested needs and weapons possession card is (for example, bolt action rifles, automatic rifles or pistols and revolvers of certain specifications for the needs of hunting, sport or culturally and historically valuable collections). The legitimate drive these weapons is not a firearms license possible, but outside their fenced-in property - in very closely limited - only for hunting or in the case of a firearms certificate issued in addition to a few thousand people at risk generally permitted.
In the following, we occupy ourselves with the possession, carrying and use of firearms, for which no legal weapons permit. are not considered prohibited weapons that are not firearms, such as Faust, Butterfly and case knives and steel rods, blackjacks, etc.
Organized criminals or smugglers Klein:
Basically any weapon in any amount for purchase
crime relevance
The annually published police crime statistics for different crimes with firearms related (including the threat) not between legal and illegal, not between private and business arms, and not between "sharp" Firearms and gas and blank firing weapons. Looking at the long-term course of the crime, is so clear that the number of crimes committed with firearms since 1993 context (since the collection within the entire Federal Republic made) has dropped considerably. In only about 0.2 percent of all crimes, a gun - unknown what their origin - is used.
In the same period the number of legal weapons in private hands has increased. This can be despite the lack of available data find that less Legal weapons does not necessarily bring about more security. The same conclusion can be drawn from the United States of numbers - which is remarkable here is that states with a very liberal and those with very restrictive gun laws do exist (eg, total prohibition in New York and Washington DC). Here too no relationship between strict gun laws and internal security to determine - the number of homicides with firearms in New York and Washington would, rather a different language.
The Institute of Forensic Psychology at the University of Bremen, the data from the Federal Ministry of Interior used from 2005 , indicates that only 2.5 percent of the cases in which firearms are used in the context of crime, legal private weapons are used. And experience from the UK shows a different picture, as often on talk shows and on similar occasions claimed: not less legal weapons cause fewer illegal Weapons and no less committed crimes with weapons.
A the author of the present official report on crime in England and Wales occupied from 2008 for a 12-month period to September 2007, the number of 10 182 "firearms offenses," what a four percent increase over the same period of previous year. Among them were 49 killed, 368 seriously injured and 2718 slightly injured victims. In 4284 cases were handguns used. This situation report is expected according to the widespread assumptions of the success of the firearms ban in the UK do not give .
The last published German National Situation "gun crime" deals with the 2007 . In it the figure of 14 466 seizures of weapons is called. Of these, 5950 are possessed illegally, 581 and 3622 acted illegally imported illegally. 626 were found, 1114 used in crimes, 158 illegally manufactured or processed. Only 2392 were held illegally and 23 were left illegally (and each possessed legal). Accordingly, the sentenced BKA investigation: "The Impact of gun crime in Germany is focused on the illegal possession and carrying of weapons . However, the number of crimes committed using firearms has been declining since 2005, also came in approximately 74% of the cases of the year most permit free firearms such as gas / alarm and air weapons are used. "
for the lack of perception of the risks of illegal firearms are a number of reasons responsible for such
- was spectacular crimes such as the School Shooting of Winnenden (although the murder weapon stolen from a legal gun owners and thus possessed illegally and out was )
- the media-collection campaigns by police and regulatory agencies in particular with regard to undeclared inherited weapons.
Simplicity and accordingly the profile, with the legal weapons possession and ordered to be restricted or will be, as opposed to reduce illegal weapons which usually require complex police operations .
may also marketing and lobbying by manufacturers of systems that nature intended for illegal weapons pose no market relevant to the formation of public opinion.
This misperception is far fatal , when the illegal weapons usually either
a) specifically or generally purchased to commit crimes , or
b) for trade in people who follow these intentions .
your general Impact is therefore a multiple higher than for weapons purchased as a sport, hunting or gun collection object , so with a very different motivation.
The purpose acquisition significantly affected the danger
low crime statistics for the relevance of private legal weapons, there are however a number of expert statements . In a discussion before the Interior Committee of the German Parliament voted in 2002 the representatives of the Federal German Police, the police union agreed (GDP) and the right medicine in their positions substantially. Be articulated with GDP representatives "The private possession of firearms from the police point of view, we have heard several times, not the problem." The law's stated " hunters, collectors weapons or shooters are not our clientele, they do not emerge as perpetrators or kill . The authors of an article in criminology (2006) on "weapons possession and misuse of weapons in Germany," come to the same conclusion: "Is now a response made to the initial question is found, whether the legal gun ownership is in Germany a threat to internal security? It can be denied. This are the numbers of cases in most areas of crime is too low and make up a tiny proportion of total crime. " ;
Existing cases of abuse of legal weapons are - to quote the authors, the Federal Criminal Police Office - emotional acts, "a affectively motivated homicide is so committed regardless of what weapon the perpetrator in the situational context is actually available . ... Even the abolition of any legal ownership of arms would therefore not prevent this killing. "
purchase of illegal weapons
Illegal weapons are acquired
first By burglary / theft / robbery
- as police, customs, military and other authorities, in their storage, repair facilities, etc.
- in service weapons carriers flying their weapons, or at home
in private legal gun owners - -
Store Store at private clubs, the weapons centrally (eg in protecting homes)
- with foreign Armed forces (eg the U.S. armed forces)
second through illegal purchase
- of smuggled weapons into the Federal Republic
- of weapons abroad (even if there is legal) and contraband into the Federal Republic
- of illegally-made weapons or weapons made from weapons-free permit or other objects
- of found (or restored) or inherited legal or illegal weapons (including lost service weapons)
- of German and foreign service weapon carriers or persons with access to service weapons
- third of private legal gun owners
through their own production
- conversion of deactivated firearms or permit free
- conversion of other permit-free goods or new production from raw material
4th by inheritance and lack of notification and blocking
Some examples:
theft of weapons : In February 2010 were from a secure underground facility of the Bundeswehr in Mechernich stolen four functional guns that had been stored there for repair . In addition to burglaries and thefts of foreign military barracks and other military assets are lost police and military exercises and weapons in use or stolen by insiders. Overall 2000 to 2009 came the federal police and army lost 146 weapons - including 67 military weapons.
Military and police depots are usually around the Clock and alarm system not only structurally and technically assured, but also with armed guards and / or stripes - including dogs Strip - guarded.
The depots of shooting clubs are not guarded around the clock. Because of the noise and space requirements of a shooting range these devices are usually isolated and without direct local residents. A central storage of sporting and hunting weapons, for example, because of the inevitable irregularity of hunting is administratively impossible to achieve anyway, thus does not provide more, but less security. As a break in such a camp can equal a multiple of the personal possession of a firearm were seized without that - even with alarm - that effective protection is possible. A must be stored in these places, the perpetrators, it ensures capture a large number of weapons to the potential hazards is likely to increase significantly. In Switzerland, where in protecting homes often store large quantities of large-caliber weapons, the problem is therefore more pronounced. If successful, drop the perpetrators not only many weapons, but also ammunition in their hands. be
Änliche loaded the attacks on banks and jewelry stores, where broken including walls by motor vehicles and pulled the heaviest armored units from the anchorages and elsewhere opened by force, also provides a structural and mechanical protection is not a definitive proof solution, but rather the decentralization and anonymity of the legal firearms owners as well as the permanent habitation, and thus control of the weapons storage area.
grip so back not only the quadruple murder of Eislingen on a stolen small arms, but thieves stole the end of 2009 equal to 40 sporting arms and ammunition from the central warehouse of a shooting range in Gettorf. There were further declines in protecting homes in recent years including Neuried, Hornburg, Würzburg, Scharnebeck or Langenfeld.
weapons smuggling : The Customs Investigation Office in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg in charge and with regard to foreign trade law for Bavaria, set in 2009, six weapons, 128 other firearms, gun parts 1074 and 21 051 surplus ammunition requiring a license, 10 silencers and 1541 kg explosives safely. The customs investigation office of Berlin-Brandenburg presented 2009 26 firearms, 201 shot requiring a license ammunition and 100 grams of explosives safely.
The alarming on weapons smuggling, first, that often large weapons quantities are found in a single case (eg 2007: 2,000 military weapons parts from Serbia, and 500 self-loading rifles from Canada) has stated, and secondly, the BKA: "Due to the abolition of checks at internal borders assumed a much larger dark box.
The weapons smuggling appears to be solid except for small cases, part of the spectrum of activity of organized crime. It says in the aforementioned U.S. investigation that "Although clandestine cross-border movement does Occur, it is soft easier, to ship the weapons through regular commercial channels, relying on false or fraudently acquired paperwork and / or corrupt officials to Ensure Passage . Even the density of control of containers in German ports makes this statement credible.
accidental finds like a package from Asia carry a stun gun while disguised weapons finds (in this case in June 2010 including 15 pistols, a submachine gun, three hand grenades, four silencers and 7,000 rounds of ammunition and explosives), but they are only accidental finds dar. As before, the countries of the former Warsaw Pact, which had stored including exceptionally robust long and short weapons for its military in large numbers, a source of illegal firearms. In Ukraine there are statistically as per active soldiers are still in storage 54 small arms (a total of seven million), 29th in the Russian Federation
Despite the efforts of SFOR and subsequent operations to disarm, particularly by private individuals and groups who are suspected in the former Yugoslavia still about eight million small arms. Further reduction taking place of bearings, corruption and economic uncertainty had an outflow of weapons favor not only in crisis regions, remove the larger amounts but also in the EU, where higher production rates can be achieved.
construction / renovation of weapons : In January 2010 in Saarland, a 40-year-old man with a pistol grip Vorderschaftrepetierflinte, 15 shotgun shells and a fist and a knife case ensured that were hidden in the living room. The shotgun had been converted from a permit-free gun salute.
discovery of weapons : In February 2008, in Brandenburg during raids, found some with detectors, former battlefields of the Second World War, particularly the former boiler of Halbe, objects (including weapons) by four men. Were recovered a machine gun, seven bolt action rifles and 2 kg of explosives. An unknown number of weapons has been restored by them in part and sold.
Statutory regulation of weapons possession
affected not criminals
problem unreported affected not criminals
is mentioned, the high estimated number of one of the main problems of illegal weapons possession dar. While even without a central registry (launch 2012) all legal weapons at the weapons legally competent authority are registered (in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, the district police authorities), is it illegal weapons naturally not even valid estimates. The figures are between 20 and 40 million illegal weapons in Germany, and probably take the Interior Ministry and the police union with estimates of about 20 million weapons in the mid-2000s, relatively conservative assumptions. However, be plenty of great weapons finds occasion to assess their number is not too low, although usually not even the professionally organized criminals disguised weapons cache found to be . Bloomberg reported, for example, in January 2009 that mafia groups present in Italy since 2007, the strongest "economic power" of the country. 130 billion Euro income accounted Although the emphasis of 50 billion on drug trafficking, arms smuggling, however, scored impressive 5.8 billion.
Some examples - all from October 2010 :
- In Attendorn Solingen and has an extensive arsenal of machine guns, machine guns, revolvers, hand grenades and explosives seized in two homes. The 57-year-old owner is convicted of weapons smuggling.
- In Langenfeld chance in a garage a weapons cache with 50 short-and long weapons - including weapons of war - as well as large quantities of ammunition and explosives discovered. The tenant had not vacated the garage in time.
- in Berlin-Wedding was found in a former laundry room eleven short and nine long guns, including two machine pistols and several hand grenades and 2,000 rounds of ammunition. The owner is unknown.
- A week earlier also found in an apartment in Berlin, an arsenal of 77 firearms and 15,000 rounds of ammunition.
- In a barn in the Schwalm-Eder-Kreis were following a complaint of threatening with a weapon 16 long guns, six handguns, a silencer and ammunition found shot 2600. The 62-year-old owner shall also were involved with weapons.
- In a flat resolution and large Molzahn were discovered three rifles and two revolvers.
- In Bruchhausen, 19 handguns, five rifles, 40 firearms subject to parts and large quantities of ammunition and about 15 kilograms of black powder found, some of which were surreptitiously obtain false documents.
- When a motorcycle rider from the environment Rocker, who was in Halle on the road, including two handguns and two operable explosive devices were discovered in his home another weapon and ammunition.
- drug investigators have found in Mannheim, Rheinland-Palatinate and Saxony in ten drug dealers from ex-Yugoslavia, several kilograms of narcotics and 14 pistols and a shotgun. The weapons are probably out of Kosovo.
These precedents are not representative, but it is just published in the press one month cases, the research the author could. However, showed a random drawing on previous months and the previous year, that the number of cases is unusually high. The problem will get two points: Frequently it is random and usually finds it is not 'professional' and organized criminals.
many instances, the arrest relates to an offense not professional criminals, but often been criminally not or hardly visible perpetrators came with illegal weapons. In early November 2010, for example, a 44-year-old man who had shot his wife in Stuttgart with a handgun. In Hettenleidelheim the same period, a 48-year-old man was stopped by police with shots that had fired on a Soviet assault rifle and also possessed an illegal gun. Other hand, remain as agenda, relevant to the illegal weapons, such as distributed through the Federal Republic of murders at eight Turks and Greeks 200-2006, which presumably have a gun company Ceska committed with silencers, the Czech producer in 1993 Switzerland had sold, because of the severe lack of traceability or the murder weapon in the dark.
To make an accurate count of crimes committed with illegal firearms is also that in particular in cases of murder and manslaughter, the accusation of illegal possession of arms is often not punished in favor of the more serious crime and therefore not included in statistics on convictions appears .
Illegal weapons are used
first by criminals to commit crimes or for self-protection in the commission of crime or against access by the police. The intent of these users is the weapons threaten, wound or kill use. According to police crime statistics there were dangerous and serious injury 2009 1.098 cases, which was shot in and 150 robberies with firearms use. Inexplicably, the weapons are not further differentiated.
second by traffickers with the intention of selling these weapons to be making a profit
third of political and religious extremists to commit attacks, for self-assurance to the authorities and opponents to commit crimes to fund or as part of their ultimate goals
4th of certain groups of people, primarily because of their lifestyle, their beliefs or their cultural imprint weapons for its self- want to own, with the actual usage is possible
5th People, the legal weapons from an owner or illegal weapons have inherited and are either on the requirement for registration and protection are not clear are not acting (eg very elderly spouse) or sentimentality accordingly, are not considered here because their aim is not to use the weapons.
Some examples:
The Wall Street Journal in July 2010 is assumed that in the European Union in all major cities arsenal of criminals disguised are housed. These camps are not only selling but also the commission of crimes so that criminals travel without weapons and take them only at the destination can receive. The paper assumes that traded assault rifles like the AK-47 already for 300 to 700 euros in the EU and refers it to Europol. It continues: "Europol says organized crime groups and street gangs are" routinely using firearms in populated areas, posing a significant threat to the general public and law enforcement personnel. " Firearms ... mostly come from suppliers in South East Europe. 'The establishment of firearms' pools 'in major cities in Western Europe has Significantly Increased the local availability of weapons to criminal hubs'. "
end of 2009 the police found in Flensburg, the largest up to that arsenal of rocker scene Schlewig-Holstein. In a workshop in the context of the club numerous machine guns, Shotgun, Revolver, and large quantities of ammunition were found.
One of the most taboo topics, the question whether certain social and / or ethnic backgrounds a special weapon preference pronounced and are also in a position - through links with the crime scene and / or abroad (particularly in countries with liberal gun laws and / or near areas of conflict) - this preference to the acquisition and possession of illegal weapons to take into account also . It must be - unlike in other cases referred to - not necessarily intended, the use of his arms, so that as the number of 22 percent of the 38,375 suspects in 2009 with member of Weapon took little meaningful. But is likely to serve more the reduction of prejudice, they are often in the population expressed "felt" socially and culturally analyze critical weapon preference.
of measures
The measures to curb the illegal possession of arms and arms are easy to enumerate, but in times as the amount of human and financial resources difficult to implement:
- It is particularly incomprehensible in view of strong public debate weapons, why the police crime statistics does not distinguish between crimes by legal and illegal firearms and the distinction legal service weapons and personal weapons. But should at least to a better understanding of the phenomenon of assessment "gun crime" after three years will be published again. A government secrecy interest in this subject is not recognizable.
- The focus of the duty against weapons smuggling - especially on a large scale (eg weapons from the former Warsaw Pact or former Yugoslavia) should be reinforced and complemented by stronger joint operations with foreign customs officials.
- The focus of the police and interior ministries in combating the problem area of illegal weapons should move away from the media-collection of inherited weapons in the direction of criminal illegal weapons or illegal traders.
- The same goes for police and other prevention programs, is called by those in a number of crime statistics - the "expert group amok" on measures against violence to the mobile phone campaign "Do not drink too much ". It is not a prevention program with a view carried out on illegal weapons.
- The problem of illegal weapons should be in the general public (eg through communication of the authorities) properly addressed, so that it will have the environments of people, illegal weapons because of a cultural, ideological or other character , tolerate this, less or the counter.
- The analysis and prevention of high-profile crimes such as school shootings, the attention of adapted devices firearm to the full range of factors on the offender and the offense will be extended (eg media coverage, the consumption of video games, use of psychotropic drugs, presence of mental illness, social behavior of the offender and his environment).
- When and international treatment of the phenomenon of small arms should be considered for a better understanding of the problem, its causes and effects, legal Weapons (distinguished in privately or publicly owned) of illegal weapons separately. It is grossly misleading, a strictly regulated and registered hunting rifle in Germany with an illegal supply of 500 AK-47 from Serbia to Liberia and then equated to Darfur.
commentary
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