NCJ Number
141539
Date Published
1992
Length
45 pages
Annotation
Thirty New York City probationers charged with gun possession completed interviews that used a 30-item questionnaire designed to determine their reasons for gun ownership and the ease of obtaining guns.
Abstract
The probationers were all part of the caseload of the author, a probation officer for New York City. Sixteen were Hispanic, 11 were black, and three were white. Twenty-nine were males. They ranged from 17 to 44 years of age, with an average of 22. Sixteen were either employed or in school, and 17 were not high school graduates. The average number of prior arrests was 1.8, with a range of zero to 8. Results revealed that the probationers were able to obtain guns easily on the street for a modest price. Eighteen denied that the gun was theirs. Eleven of the other 12 cited protection as a reason for their illegal possession of guns. Nineteen said that friends, acquaintances, or a relative had guns also. Findings of this analysis as well as a literature review suggest that with more than 200 million private firearms in the United States and with a high proportion of homicides with guns occurring within families, this issue is of great importance. (Author abstract modified)