Armed robbery has increased from just 464 cases in 1969 and police have sought to control the problem by concentrating their efforts on reducing levels of legitimate firearms ownership. Despite this, armed crime continued to rise. What the present figures show is the obvious truth that armed crime is committed by criminals using illegally held firearms. Using resources to target the law abiding simply will not work. Targeting criminals does work.
Armed crime does continue to rise in certain areas.
We hope the measures which some police forces have proved will work are to be adopted by all and that the resources currently wasted on policing the law abiding shooting community are better applied. Brian Carter, Secretary The Shooting Sports Trust. You might care to include these figures in any submissions you make. Consider that while armed crime was increasing to such an extent, the UK police policy of restricting legitimate firearms owners caused 250,000 shotgunners to quit the sport. Legal gun ownership plummeted to the lowest level since records were first kept while armed crime increased to the highest levels since records were kept.