Oh, that anti-gun media
Crime may be dropping in US, but gun possession is rising
Are they implying that increased gun possession reduces crime? No. Are they implying that gun possession is equivalent to crime? Probably:
By focusing on largely local gun-possession cases, federal prosecutors and bureau agents are increasingly less likely to investigate and prosecute federal gun offenses that target corrupt dealers and traffickers, records show. Law enforcement officials say the results are everywhere: Criminals are obtaining guns more easily.
”The gun problem in this city seems to me to be completely unchecked,” said Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin P. Clark.
Ashcroft declined to comment about the growth in violent, gun-related crimes, according to Justice Department spokesman Mark Corallo.
The Bush administration, the Justice Department, and the ATF, which Justice oversees, have thrown their weight behind a controversial antigun crime initiative called Project Safe Neighborhoods, which took effect in 2001.
The program upended a decadelong focus on curtailing illegal gun dealing before the weapons reach the hands of criminals. It is the result of lobbying by the National Rifle Association and others, which have had easy access to top policymakers in the Bush administration. That includes meeting with ATF’s new director, Carl J. Truscott, he said in an interview.
Criminals don’t obey the law, by definition.
