FOR
FOR WEEKS
FOR WEEKS WE'VE REPORTED ON INCREASES IN GUN VIOLENCE AND THE RISING NUMBERS OF HOMICIDES
IN HAMPTON ROADS. THERE TRENDS
THAT POLICE DEPARTMENTS TRACK
EACH SUMMER >>
.INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER IVAN
WATSON TOOK A DEEPER LOOK AT
GUN AND CRIME DATA TO PUT THE
CRIME INTO SOME CONTEXT. >>
POLICE CHIEFS LIKE CHESAPEAKE'S
KELVIN WRIGHT SAY SUMMER GUN
VIOLENCE IS UNFORTUNATELY
EXPECTED. THESE ARE THE MONTHS
THAT >>
WE KNOW THIS TAKES PLACE BUT WE
DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHY IT
TAKES PLACE. HOW FRUSTRATING IS
THAT FOR YOU AS A CHIEF THAT >>
IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING. I
THINK OFFICERS WE HAVE A VERY
DIFFICULT TIME MAKING SENSE
OF IT. CHIEF WRIGHT >>
SAYS ABOUT 75 PERCENT OF THE
GUNS HIS OFFICERS COVER ARE
EITHER USED IN A CRIME OR OWNED
ILLEGALLY BY SOMEONE WHO IS NOT
ALLOWED TO HAVE A GUN >>
.HOWEVER, THEY HAVE COME INTO
POSSESSION OF FIREARMS THEY'RE
NOT AFRAID TO USE THEM. SO >>
TRACKING GUNS AND HOW THEY MOVE
FROM PERSON TO PERSON IS
CRUCIAL >>
.WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE
WHO LAWFULLY POSSESS THEM THAT
THEY PROPERLY TAKE CARE OF THEM
,TRACK THEM IF THEY ARE STOLEN
OR LOST THAT THEY REPORT THEM
AND THAT IF YOU HAVE THEM IN
YOUR CAR DON'T LEAVE YOUR CAR
UNATTENDED OR UNLOCKED. IN
RECENT >>
YEARS GUN SALES HAVE SHARPLY
INCREASED IN VIRGINIA.
BACKGROUND CHECKS ARE OFTEN
USED TO TRACK GUN SALES EVEN
THOUGH IT'S AN IMPERFECT
SYSTEM. NOT EVERY BACKGROUND
CHECK IS A SALE AND SOME SALES
INCLUDE MULTIPLE GUNS IN 2019
>>
THE VIRGINIA FIREARMS
TRANSACTION CENTER RECORDED 4
HUNDRED EIGHTY 4 THOUSAND 5
HUNDRED FIFTY BACKGROUND
TRANSACTIONS WITH VIRGINIA'S
NEW UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECK
LAW. FTC LEADERS EXPECTED ABOUT
A 10 PERCENT INCREASE IN 2020.
INSTEAD THEY REPORTED A 61
PERCENT INCREASE WITH MORE THAN
780000 TRANSACTIONS RECORDED
LAST YEAR. MORE PEOPLE ARE ALSO
CARRYING CONCEALED GUNS
CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT
APPLICATIONS SPIKED FROM AROUND
60000 EACH YEAR TO 200 92000 IN
2018 AND THEY'VE STAYED WELL
ABOVE HISTORICAL LEVELS EACH
YEAR SINCE THEN. ANDREW GODDARD
,A DIRECTOR FOR A NONPROFIT
WORKING ON GUN VIOLENCE
PREVENTION, SAYS THE DATA SHOWS
MORE GUNS FOR PROTECTION SOUNDS
REASONABLE BUT HASN'T BEEN THE
ANSWER. >>
WE'VE NOT SEEN A REDUCTION IN
CRIME. WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS
THAT HAVING MORE PEOPLE IN ALL
PLACES WITH MORE GUNS AT MORE
TIMES LEADS TO MORE DEATHS AND
MORE INJURIES AS >>
GUN OWNERSHIP HAS INCREASED.
VIRGINIA SO HAVE GUN RELATED
DEATHS. VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH DATA SHOWS GUN
RELATED DEATHS HAVE INCREASED
FROM ABOUT 850 PER YEAR TO MORE
THAN A THOUSAND EACH YEAR.
ABOUT 64 PERCENT OF THESE
DEATHS ARE SUICIDES. >>
A LOT MORE PEOPLE ARE BUYING
GUNS BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID AND
THEY'VE GOT THE IDEA THAT IF
THEY HAVE A GUN THEY'LL BE IN A
BETTER POSITION TODAY TO THE
TUNE OF BAILABLE SHOWS THAT
EXACT OPPOSITE TO THAT IF YOU
BRING A GUN INTO THE HOME
YOU'RE RAISING THE POSSIBILITY
OF SOMEONE IN THE HOME BEING
INJURED OR KILLED BY THAT GUN
>>
.MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC
STUDIES HAVE CONSISTENTLY SHOWN
THAT HAVING A GUN IN THE HOME
IS ASSOCIATED WITH A GREATER
RISK FOR SUICIDE AND A GREATER
RISK OF BEING THE VICTIM
OF HOMICIDE >>
.WE CAN'T SHOOT OUR WAY OUT
OF A GUN VIOLENCE PROBLEM.
THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. AS >>
FOR TRACKING ILLEGAL GUNS, ATF
DATA SHOWS 82 PERCENT OF GUNS
RECOVERED FROM A CRIME ARE
SOURCED FROM VIRGINIA >>
.WE'VE GOT >>
TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR
CRIMINALS TO GET THEIR HANDS ON
THE GUNS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THEN WE WON'T NEED TO HAVE ALL
THE GUNS TO PROTECT OURSELVES
FROM THE CRIMINALS. >>
CHIEF CALVIN WRIGHT SAYS
TOUGHER PENALTIES COULD BE
APPROPRIATE FOR PEOPLE >>
WHO HAVE AND USE GUNS ILLEGALLY
PLUS SAFE STORAGE AND HANDLING
IS KEY CITIZENS >>
WHO SAFEGUARD THEIR PROPERTY
BETTER. THAT REDUCES THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT GUN TO BE
STOLEN AND THEN FIND ITS WAY
INTO THE HANDS OF SOMEONE WHO'S
GOING TO USE IT FOR VERY
NEFARIOUS PURPOSES >>
IN CHESAPEAKE. IVAN WATSON
REPORTING FOR 13 NEWSNOW JEFFRI
>>
SAYS A NEW VIRGINIA LAW
RESTRICTING THE REASONS FOR
TRAFFIC STOPS IS MAKING IT MORE
DIFFICULT FOR POLICE TO LOOK
FOR GUNS DURING STOPS. HE SAYS
THERE IS A REGIONAL