Statistics released by the Home Office on Thursday have shown a rise in the number of firearm offences. There has been a 3% climb in gun crimes and the use of imitation weapons has gone up by 35%.
 | ASK THE EXPERT Chris Fox, President of the Association of Chief Police Officers answered your questions in a live interactive forum. |
However, the figures which cover the 12 months to April this year show a drop in the number of shooting-related deaths.
How can gun crime be tackled? Are you concerned about the statistics? Have you been a victim of gun crime? Send us your comments and experiences.
This debate is now closed. Thank you for your comments.
Your comments:
A large proportion of our television programmes (particularly imported programmes from America), portray a world where guns are used to settle differences. I think we need to take a stronger line on reducing the screening of such programmes and introduce more stringent censoring. We have even seen guns introduced in UK-produced "soaps". What sort of message does this send out?
Barry, Stone, UK
Strange, isn't it, how following "Dunblane", the witch hunt of law-abiding hand gun holders which was supposed to be the panacea that brought gun related crimes to an end in this country, gun crime has reached an all-time high. Over-reaction to minority pressure groups has a nasty way of biting back in the long term.
Eric Warmington, Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Prisons and punishment are a short term imperfect answer to stop the most serious kind of crime when the offender himself or herself represents a physical danger to the rest of society. We live in a money orientated society in which people are tempted to use short-cuts to get what they want. I tend to believe that leaving aside mental cases, crime is a cultural thing, a consequence of the breakdown in values in a failing society in which prostitution, homosexuality, drug abuse, pornography and all kinds of depravity seem to have become acceptable.
Carlos Cortiglia, London, UK
|  If you really all want life sentences for serious offenders, then be prepared to pay more taxes  |
To all the people advocating 'prison for life' sentences: Do you know how much it costs to keep a prisoner locked up for a single year? �30,000. Yes, it costs that much. The government's current policy on crime is based on cost-reduction. That's why we have things like "weekend prisons" today. The Home Office doesn't have unlimited amounts of money to spend. If you really all want life sentences for serious offenders, then be prepared to pay more taxes.
Negi Springfield, UK Simple. Let the Government give drug addicts their drug of choice free of charge. We are already paying for the drugs through crime and health costs. It would be far cheaper to get the drugs from source and give them out. The addicts would get safer unadulterated, drugs and be happy in their little world of oblivion and the drug dealers, those who use Guns to enforce their empires, would be left with nothing to defend.
Phil, Liverpool
Sure legalising drugs may reduce gun crime, but how many people want cocaine, crystal meth, LSD, Marijuana etc as easily available as cigarettes? Just imagine how much money the NHS would be spending on helping addicts, and could you imagine all the cigarette butts on the street being replaced by needles of possibly HIV+ addicts? Doesn't seems like such a good idea now does it?
Ilene, London, England
Criminals who want guns will always be able to obtain them. The only way to bring the rise in crime (including crime involving firearms) is to make the penalties passed down by the courts more severe. The police must be sick of seeing offenders being let off so lightly by the judges and the system. We condemn societies such as Singapore where they have tough penalties, but the law-abiding citizens there are safe. Is it better for the criminal to pay for the crime, or law-abiding citizens?
Ken, Canada
Any Prison sentence will be largely ineffective, guns are inevitable on the street, with the Gang and Drug Culture that is seemingly being imported from the US, the prospect of a high prison sentence only adds to the cosmopolitan aspect of carrying a Gun. End the mindless Police bureaucracy let them do their jobs - let them tackle the drug problem, and maybe communities will feel safer.
Simon, Birmingham
| Punishments in this country for crime are just not enough of a deterrent |
In general the punishments in this country for crime are just not enough of a deterrent. Governments are forever looking at ways to cut costs so they look at reducing prisoner numbers by offering lenient sentences. It's about time that we punished serious crime with serious sentences - taking someone's life (a most precious thing) is punished with only years instead of decades or life� As far as I am concerned if you walk around with a gun or a knife and get caught, you should be given a real life sentence - why else would you carry a gun or knife other than to do real harm to someone.
Dean, London
I would say without fear of contradiction that almost 100% of gun carrying is related to drugs. In some cities (and mine is one), certain (quite large) areas are no go for ordinary people - and probably almost no go for the police. Until this (drug culture) is brought under control there's no point in clamping down on guns, they're just the symptom not the cause. This government has failed to tackle drugs and we are all paying the penalty. Never mind the war on terrorism, we need a war on drugs!
Peter, Birmingham, UK
| Something drastic needs to change |
Gun crime, in my city at least, seems to be associated with gang culture and drugs. The most sensible thing to do in my eyes is take the power they have over certain communities away from these people. They don't carry them to look cool, they carry them to present an image of power and control. This is what needs to change, take away those things that make them feel in charge, the drugs. Why does the government not see how this is all related? Men, women and children are being killed and injured in my city every week, something drastic needs to change. Tougher sentences mean nothing if no-one is being caught.
Anon, Nottingham The fact that criminals are getting away with crime is the real issue - Guns are just another step up their ladder. Until crime does not pay and more criminals are locked up and kept there, there is no deterrent.
Angie, UK
| The more the police crack down on drugs the more valuable they become |
If the Government carries on creating an environment where drugs have a high street value then what do they expect? The streets are not paved with gold but unless they legalise all drugs then they create a product ready made for criminals and even ensure the value always goes up not down. The more the police crack down on drugs the more valuable they become; this just makes the streets a more dangerous place for children. Why on earth can they not understand this ?
Neil D, Birmingham, UK Simple solution, get caught with an illegal firearm, 10 years minimum!
Andy, UK
Stop glamorising violence in the media, and portraying it as normal and inevitable behaviour. We don't all aspire to live in the ghetto.
Mark, Glasgow, UK
| Stricter gun control is patently working |
Let's get things in perspective, shall we? The number of gun-related murders has actually dropped by 15% to 81. There is now a mandatory 5-year minimum sentence for carrying an illegal firearm which is no doubt why the number of imitation firearm incidents are up. Stricter gun control is patently working.
Dan, Windsor No doubt the government's response will say "outlaw all guns for legal ownership" as they did in 1997, and look at the results! The government needs to stop making these pointless vote-winning laws because at the end of the day, kids like Danielle pay the ultimate price, the general public get treated with suspicion, and criminals get away scot-free. Come on Labour, pull your socks up!
Max, Bedfordshire, UK
The government could probably start by setting a better example. We've invaded Iraq under false pretences, guns blazing, saying it's the only solution to an undesirable situation. Q. What sort of message does that send to young people? A. If you've got a big gun, you set the rules.
Stuart, London, UK
It's not a gun issue, but more of an organised crime/ drug related issue. That is where the police need to focus on and if tacked properly, you will see the percentages of gun crime reduce drastically.
Richard, London
Guns are a symptom of the rise of gangsta culture and until they stop being status symbols there's not a lot that we can do.
Wendy, UK
| The sentence should be life, no chance of parole |
Simple - if you commit a crime using a firearm even a replica one, the sentence should be life, no chance of parole. Secondly if armed police shoot a suspect who is carrying firearms even replica ones why investigate the police officers? After all if you are daft, drunk or drugged up enough to carry replica firearms and act in a manner that threatens public safety you get what you deserve!
Michael, Darlington, UK Home Office Minister Hazel Blears said the government had to get across the message that "carrying a gun is not a cool thing to do". That is an absolutely stupid statement; people don't carry guns because it's cool. They use it as a tool of their trade, to strike fear into people. Our government is so out of touch with this nation of ours, they do not have a clue half the time on what is going on.
Spencer, Surrey
Firearms are made for one purpose. To kill, and not to defend oneself. Given that their use all too often results in violent death, it is time to bring back the death penalty for such killers.
J. Joseph, Basildon, Essex
I think that drugs play a huge part in gun crime. The drug laws are clearly not working in this country. A full legalisation of all drugs into a controlled environment would put the majority of these 'gangstas' out of business. Follow this with severe punishments for the slightest fire-arms offence.
Adam, Birmingham, UK
Send all those convicted of gun crime to Iraq. I think their opinion of guns and the status they bring will make them a tad less trigger happy.
Alexandra, London, UK
What gun crime? It is ridiculous; people are going up in arms over figures that indicate the gun problem in the UK is minuscule. People need to demand harsh punishment for ALL criminals, instead of concentrating on a wave of gun crime that simply doesn't exist.
Guillermo Power, Southampton, UK In reply to Guillermo Power, Southampton, UK. I have heard gunfire in the streets round my home twice in the last week. Maybe he should try taking his head out of the sand.
Richard, Hackney
Guillermo Power - I live on the edge of a pretty rough part of Nottingham (2 kms from where Danielle Beccan was shot) and work at its biggest hospital. On average I hear gunshots once a month. In three years I have personally witnessed 4 gun crimes. My hospital receives on average 2 shooting victims a week. Southampton may not have gun crime - we do. The problem won't be "miniscule" if the next bullet I hear comes through my window. Police rules of engagement should be relaxed... if someone is waving a gun around in public they should receive one shouted warning and then expect to be shot. These people pose a very real risk to the public and need to be removed by force.
Peter, Nottingham
We could take guns away from law abiding people. Oh, we already tried that and gun crime is still increasing. We could encourage people to inform on criminals. Oh, we tried that and gun crime is still increasing. Or we could put more police back on the streets, armed if necessary, in areas where gun crime is a problem but then who would do all the paperwork?
Tom, London
People will carry weapons when they feel unsafe, be it knives of firearms. The police need to protect citizens, and the best way of doing this is having a strong police presence so they can stop trouble when it starts, rather than turning up days later to take a report.
Jason, London
Automatic prison sentence for carrying an unlicensed gun. Life if it is fired. Simple!
DS, Newcastle
Clearly the do-gooders' ban on 'hand guns' isn't working. In 1997 law abiding citizens were denied an activity they loved while criminal gangs remained untouched. This was nothing more than a vindictive conspiracy between the anti-gun lobby (who have little knowledge of the subject) and the government.
Kris, Edinburgh
Treat possession of a gun as attempted murder. After all, why else would you want to own one? I fail to see why we cannot get tough on those who own guns - it would put out a strong message. The prospect of 20 years in prison could deter people. If Labour pussy-foot around on this issue (as they usually do), things will only get worse - very soon.
James Murphy, Dorset, UK
An instant 15 year sentence for anyone caught carrying or intending to use an illegal firearm. This will get the liberals up in arms, but I don't think it's them that are having their children and friends gunned down in the streets. This not only will send out a message that we as a society are not going to stand for this, but will also get rid of the idiots carrying them for a very long period of time too.
Chris, Preston, UK
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