Coordinated efforts by the Police Department and Bristol County District Attorney’s Office have resulted in a significant reduction in gun crimes and increase in seizure of illegal firearms in the city. [More]OK, that seems a straightforward enough claim. How do they figure?
In 2008, that category of calls ["shots fired"] remained nearly the same.Well that's not a "reduction" then, is it?
There was a more than 50 percent decrease in the number of illegal guns seized by police, from 51 in 2006 to 24 in 2007, and a significant dropoff in 2008, with only 18 by mid-December.Excuse me? That's a decrease then, not an "increase." Less is the new more? I suppose you could argue that's because they're gathering them all up and there are no more to be found, but might we also wonder if there's another reason...?
I'm not saying violent crime using firearms hasn't decreased. We've seen a nationwide reduction in recent years. It would take someone like John Lott to explain why.
What I'm saying is, I don't see anything in this article to support the thesis we're presented with and expected to accept at face value--that such crime has actually been reduced in Fall River/Bristol County due to the policies being credited.