Running Head: THE DEBATE OVER GUN CONTROL AND CRIME 1
The Debate over Gun Control and Crime Prevention
Haley M. Stafford
University of Louisiana at Monroe
THE DEBATE OVER GUN CONTROL AND CRIME 2
Abstract
This paper explores published articles, laws, and statistics with the interest of gun control
and crime prevention. Included in the discussion are relative events that have occurred where
guns were used in mass shootings and in single crimes. The purpose of this paper is for the
reader to develop an understanding of factors that lead to the availability of guns to persons who
have ill intentions. According to the 2015 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniform
Crime Report (UCR), 8,124 deaths occurred from a firearm in the year 2014. Homicide is one
crime that is often associated with guns. However, robberies, rapes, aggravated assaults, drug
crimes, and many other crimes include firearms.
Major events that have gained national media attention that occurred with the use of
firearms include school shootings, movie theatre shootings, and attacks on law enforcement.
These major events continuously spark national attention and debates over the controversial gun
control versus crime prevention. At the center of the debates, arguments over protected Second
Amendment rights versus mass killings and high homicide rates leave gun control caught in the
middle. Many stated have adopted their own gun laws, where some states have similar laws and
others are far-fetched. Methods that could be beneficial when controlling the amount of illegal
guns that are accessible in the United States are discussed as well as methods to determine who
is the best candidate to own a gun.
THE DEBATE OVER GUN CONTROL AND CRIME 3
The Debate over Gun Control and Crime Prevention
The United States is unlike any other countries when it comes to the ownership and use
of firearms. The United States allows its citizens to own firearms of all types, and has even
passed laws that allow the use of those firearms by civilians. Civilians can use firearms to protect
themselves and their property with articulated explanations to justify their actions. However, gun
control has been a major topic of discussion nationwide due to firearms being used in
unjustifiable manners as well as illegal firearms on the streets by persons who are not intended to
have them who commit crimes with the firearms. In order for crime prevention to occur, dealers
must ensure they are selling guns to qualified individuals and owners must be more responsible
with their guns to prevent the wrong person to have access to them.
The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution gives all American citizens the
right to bear arms (firearms). However, the states have individually created their own laws,
which often prohibit convicted felons from owning a firearm. Mentally unstable persons may be
prohibited from owning firearms. There are also age limits on owning firearms depending on the
firearm and its purpose or use. For example, some stated only allow rifles to be sold to persons
18 years of age or older, while handguns can only be sold to persons 21 years of age or older.
Some states also offer exceptions where juveniles can be in possession of rifles for the purpose
of using them for training or hunting.
Many states have passed laws governing the manners and locations in which firearms can
be carried and used. For example, firearms may not be prohibited to be carried onto a school
campus. Firearms may not be used within the city limits for recreational purposes. Firearms may
not be concealed without a concealed-carry permit. According to Federal Law, firearms cannot
be carried onto a plane. Firearms are not to be carried across state lines. There are many different
THE DEBATE OVER GUN CONTROL AND CRIME 4
laws for using and carrying firearms. There are Federal guidelines as well as specific state laws
that vary depending on the state. Laws have been put in place for the use and restrictions of
firearms. However, if a person illegally obtains a firearm, then they more than likely will use it
illegally and not follow laws. As long as firearms exist, there will always be a risk of the wrong
persons having access to them.
Firearms are purchased, sold, and traded at high rates each day. They are also stolen and
illegally transported in large quantities at alarming rates on a daily basis. Most criminals obtain
firearms through burglaries of vehicles and residences. However, there have been many cases
where organized crime rings obtain firearms illegally while they are being transported from
distribution warehouses to individual sellers. Langton, a statistician of the Bureau of Justice,
released a report in 2012 that found in the six-year period from 2005 through 2010, an average of
