NCJ Number
48270
Journal
JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL LAW, CRIMINOLOGY AND POLICE SCIENCE Volume: 53 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1962) Pages: 476-483
Date Published
1962
Length
8 pages
Annotation
TO EXAMINE MOTIVATIONS AMONG BLACKS FOR CARRYING WEAPONS DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM POLICE REPORTS AND FROM A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH 50 BLACKS CONVICTED FOR CARRYING A CONCEALED WEAPON IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.
Abstract
SUBJECTS WERE THOSE ARRESTED AND CONVICTED FOR CONCEALED WEAPON OFFENSE IN 1958. BASED ON STATEMENTS MADE TOO ARRESTING OFFICERS, OFFENDERS' EXPLANATIONS FOR WEAPON-CARRYING FELL INTO THREE CATEGORIES: WEAPON JUST PURCHASED OR FOUND;NO KNOWLEDGE OF HOW WEAPON CAME TO BE ON PRISON OR IN CAR; OR WEAPON NEEDED FOR PROTECTION. HOWEVER, THE INTERVIEWS REVEALED QUITE DIFFERENT MOTIVATIONS FOR WEAPON-CARRYING AMONG THIS GROUP OF OFFENDERS. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT NO OFFENDER CITED FEARS OF INTERRACIAL VIOLENCE OR POLICE BRUTALITY AS REASONS FOR WEAPON-CARRYING. ONLY ONE OFFENDER CITED EMPLOYMENT AS THE REASON FOR CARRYING A WEAPON, AND THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY HIS EMPLOYER. TWO OFFENDERS, ARRRESTED DURING A BURGLARY OR ROBBERY, CLAIMED THE WEAPON (KNIFE) WAS ESSENTIAL TO THEIR PLANNED OFFENSE. THREE OFFENDERS STATED THAT THE WEAPON WAS NECESSARY FOR GANG FIGHTS AND DISPUTES. FOUR OFFENDERS REPORTED CARRYING WEAPONS TO FORCE PAYMENT OF A DEBT. IN FIVE CASES, THE WEAPON WAS PART OF A OF A PLAN TO SHOOT A SPOUSE AND/OR THE SPOUSES'S NEW LOVER. SELF-DEFENSE AGAINST AN ANTICIPATED ATTACK WAS THE MOST COMMONLY CITED REASON, GIVEN BY 35 OF THE OFFENDERS. A NOTABLE FINDING WAS THAT 90 PERCENT OF THESE OFFENDERS WERE MIGRANTS FROM THE RURAL SOUTH, THAT ALMOST ALL HABITUALLY HAD CARRIED A WEAPON PRIOR TO MIGRATION, AND THAT 70 PERCENT WERE ARRESTED FOR CARRYING CONCEALED WEAPONS WHILE DISTURBING THE PEACE. IN GENERAL, THE BLACK WEAPON-CARRIER COMES FROM ALL AGE GROUPS (17-75), IS POORLY EDUCATED, PERFORMS UNSKILLED OR SEMISKILLED WORK, IS A RESIDENT OF THE MOST DEPRIVED AREAS, IS A MIGRANT FROM THE RURAL SOUTH, HAS A PRIOR CRIMINAL RECORD PRIMARTLY INVOLVING CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, AND PREFERS A GUN TO OTHER WEAPONS. THE MAJORITY (70 PERCENT) REFLECTED A DEVIANT METHOD OF ACHIEVING A SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE GOAL: WEAPON-CARRYING FOR THE SOLE PURPOSES OF SELF-DEFENSE. THIS SUGGESTS THAT GUN CONTROL/WEAPON CONTROL LAWS ARE NOT THE CRIME PREVENTION PANACEA THAT IS OFTEN ASSUMED. (JAP)