ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 14, 1997 TAG: 9704140103
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NORFOLK
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS|
People rushed to buy thousands of guns before stricter laws were passed, so the demand for new guns has dropped while old ones remain easy to get.
Since 1994, gun sales by licensed dealers in Virginia have dropped significantly, but the decline has had little impact on gun-related violence.
Sales by licensed dealers plunged by more than 46,000 statewide, or 20 percent, from 1994 to 1996, according to state police estimates obtained by The Virginian-Pilot.
However, the percentage of murders and robberies in which guns were used in the South Hampton Roads region increased slightly, the newspaper said.
Critics of gun control say firearms legislation doesn't target the real problem: gun violence. They contend that laws on guns won't stop crime, because most criminals trade for or buy guns illegally.
Even gun-control advocates acknowledge that legislation restricting buying and selling guns may be too little too late.
``With 200 million guns already out there, how many more guns do people need?'' said Alice Mountjoy, president of Virginians Against Handgun Violence. She contends that the controls deter unqualified gun buyers.
``People may also be thinking twice about buying guns if they have something on their record.''``Those checks are doing what they are supposed to be doing.''
Nearly 2,000 felons were turned away in Virginia last year by criminal background checks, state police records show.
But that's a drop in the bucket compared with the almost 200,000 retail sales last year, said National Rifle Association spokesman Chip Walker. The numbers show the futility of gun control in reducing crime and simply reflect a supply-and-demand issue, he said.
LENGTH: Short : 43 linesby CNB