What's with all this crime?

You've probably been reading or hearing about the shocking crime wave in Washington DC where a crime emergency has been declared. This is a huge tourist destination and this doesn't bode well for the tourist industry. It's also kind of ironic that the terrible crime is happening under the noses of America's legislators who rarely address America's poor unless they are cutting programs for them.

At least 14 people have been killed in Washington already this month, and in the last 30 days robberies have risen 14 percent and armed assaults have jumped 18 percent. Last year, homicides in the city fell to a 20-year low of 195.

Police Chief Charles Ramsey's emergency declaration allows commanders more flexibility to adjust officers' schedules and reassign them to high-crime areas.

Just hours after the declaration, two groups of tourists were robbed at gunpoint on the National Mall, both by men dressed all in black. (forbes.com)

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) are bragging that "Florida Gov. Jeb Bush "nailed it" when he told reporters in Tallahassee - in reaction to the state's drop in crime - that armed citizens are part of the equation..." Oh they are just tickled that they have less crime than Washington, DC.

[...]Florida is one of 40 states with "right-to-carry" statutes that give citizens the ability to carry concealed handguns with the proper license. Last year, Florida also passed legislation that enables citizens to "stand their ground" and fight back when attacked in a public place where they have a right to be.

"Gov. Bush has once again demonstrated progressive thinking, and a clear understanding about what works to stop criminals in their tracks," said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. "Legally-armed citizens are a threat to nobody but criminals, and Florida's crime statistics prove that the presence of firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens benefits the entire community. In explaining why crime rates have dropped, we think Gov. Bush nailed it."

Oh really? While violent crime is down overall in Florida, it seems that Jacksonville's crime is up this year.

FOX30 News checked with cities across the nation and found some interesting statistics. San Francisco, which is about the same size as Jacksonville, has seen 45 murders in 2006. There have been only 8 murders this year in Austin, TX, which has about 90,000 people less. Per capita, Jacksonville has had more murders than New York City and Los Angeles.

While the report shows Florida is as safe as it was in 1971, more than a million people have been arrested. Most of those were domestic violence and drug arrests.

Since January, the city has seen more than 70 murders and if the current track continues, there could be more than 130 murders by the end of the year

Further delving shows that Jacksonville dealerships are caught up in a crime spree. They will be passing the expenses on to local car buyers.

So what's the deal? Does having the right to carry concealed weapons really make you safer? In DC, they have gun control laws, but the criminals manage to get their hands on them anyway. Same in New York City but to a much lesser extent. Why are there so many crimes in DC? Could it be, um, I don't know... poverty? Oh wait, no. There is no connection between poverty and crime say the oh so optimistic American conservatives.

Not sure if Jeb Bush will see to it that more people in Jacksonville carry guns to "solve" the crime problem there. He really should be embarrassed that one of his cities is more dangerous than New York. In NYC, Mayor Bloomberg would wholeheartedly disagree with Gov Jeb Bush and he's started a new gun control campaign. While NY is actually pretty darn safe for such a large city and one of the safest cities in the country, murders are up a little bit this year.

Once a week gun violence claims the life of a New York child. That was the disturbing statistic put out today in a new report at City Hall.

Peter Vallone Jr., City Council, "No actually murders are up a little bit this year and shootings are up so gun violence is a huge problem in this city."

The City Council, at the urging of Mayor Bloomberg, is now poised to approve four new gun laws. They allow only one handgun purchased every 90 days. New York gun dealers face a twice-a-year inventory, anyone convicted of a gun crime faces a new police registry and painting guns to like toys will be illegal.

"Gun Control" in NY doesn't mean that they will take away a person's right to own a gun. I could get one if I wanted to. It's illegal to shoot politicians so there is no reason for me to have one at the moment. If New Yorkers all carried guns, there'd be a bloodbath on every corner. I support gun control because I prefer to call someone an 'asshole' without worrying too much that I will get shot. And don't forget, NYC is the World's Friendliest City. :)

NYC suffered a blow back in October 2005, when The New Federal Law Shielding Gun Manufacturers From Lawsuits and Bush signed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (in pdf format) because it thwarted NY lawmaker's attempts to control the flow of illegal firearms into the city from states where weaker gun control laws were in effect.

I don't think that has anything to do with the increase in violence here though. If there were no guns, there are always knives and box cutters. People are pretty desperate all over the country because some of the middle class has descended into poverty since the bushistas took over. The poor aren't faring too well. Why take a crappy minimum wage job when you can rob your fellow American or tourist at gun point or go into the drug business?

I don't know the answers. I don't know if more guns or less guns has anything to do with the crime rate. I am inclined to believe that it doesn't have a huge effect on the crime rate.