Easy access to guns is tough battle

Guns are worse than ever-It seems like every single person has a gun
USA Today

Gun-related crime has been at the center of rising violence throughout the nation during the past two years, according to an FBI report released earlier this week.

While homicides across the country were up only slightly — 0.3% in 2006 — analysts have been clearly troubled by the nearly 7% spike in murders in the nation's largest cities and a 6% increase in the number of robberies.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Research Forum, said the robbery statistics, which showed increases in every region of the nation, is a strong indicator of a broader access to firearms.

"The availability of guns are having an impact on the streets," Wexler said.

In New Orleans, where habitable housing is in short supply, the streets are awash in weapons.

During the first quarter of 2007, armed robbery in New Orleans was up 135% and murder 182% when compared to the same period in 2006, according to the New Orleans Police Department statistics. See: Easy access to guns is tough battle