NCJ Number
206439
Date Published
2004
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This chapter examines the ways in which the popular ownership of guns in South Africa can affect levels of citizen safety and security in a transitional society characterized by high levels of predatory crime and interpersonal violence.
Abstract
The chapter first reviews the theoretical and empirical cases for and against gun control, followed by an analysis of how these arguments might apply under current conditions in South Africa. The author concludes that there is no clear persuasive rationale or empirical evidence for either strict gun control or large-scale citizen gun ownership. The most obvious agreement among the contending parties is that guns should be kept out of the hands of those who are most likely to use them for criminal purposes; however, the practical difficulty of doing this while providing noncriminal citizens with easy access to guns is obvious. Still, in the absence of universally persuasive theoretical arguments and empirical evidence, policy decisions must still be made by the government as an act of faith that good results will outweigh negative consequences. The author concludes that the government might want to err on the side of more restrictive rather than less restrictive gun policies. Although it is uncertain to what extent the loosening of controls on gun ownership might increase the levels of predatory crime, it is likely to increase the lethality of attacks in extreme interpersonal conflicts. Existing uncertainties about the correct policy regarding gun ownership make it imperative that more research be conducted into the key issues and how they apply under South African conditions. 17 notes and 21 references