Crimes in America, the State of Illinois - Essay Example

Crimes in America Introduction The of Illinois has several legislations that seek to govern the spread of criminal activities. Just as any other state in the country, Illinois has had a history of rising violent crimes ranging from mugging to murders. In order to curtail the trend that rose in the early 1960s, the state government formulated several laws that sought to regulate the purchase, sale, possession and use of firearms. Most of the regulations sought to control the number of firearms among the civilians thus making it easier to investigate any violent crimes involving the use of guns. The authorities realized that by minimizing the number of civilians holding and permitted to use firearms, they would contain the spread of violent crimes (Lott 12). Prior to 2013 before the enactment of the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, Illinois was arguably the only state that did not permit even the licensed gun holders to carry such guns into public places. It would be illegal for such persons to conceal the guns with them while in public places. However, the state changed the law to permit gun holders to conceal the firearms with them while in public places since they faced potential threats from such places. In an attempt to regulate the use of firearms and to minimize the threat such people posed to those around them, the state government felt that there are effective and efficient police officers in all the public places. It would thus complicate the work of the police if the members of the public also carried their own firearms. However, through a court petition, licensed gun holders succeeded in compelling the state to change the legislation to permit them carry their weapons even in public places. The state also has stringent regulations that govern the issuance of guns to civilians. Anybody applying for guns must prove the eminent threat or any feature whether social or economic that makes them potential target to any source of threat. Additionally, they pay an amount of money before a sixteen-hour effective training on the use of the firearms. The state government must also assess their mental stability before proving and clearing them town guns. The government reserves the right to forfeit the guns on any basis including and not limited to mental stability of the applicant and past criminal records of the applicant. However, the state constitution states that the government will not infringe on the civilian’s right to own guns only that such interested public must prove to the authorities that they deserve the guns by passing all the set qualification procedures. Reducing the number of civilians with firearms in the state was the surest way of containing criminal activities. The government would therefore provide specific licenses to interested gun owners a document called Firearms owners identification card. With the identification card, the police among other state authorities could trace a gun or a bullet to a specific individual. This way, it became more difficult for such individuals to rent out their guns to criminals who would use such in carrying out criminal activities. To make such investigations easier, the government reduced the number of authorities permitted to lease guns to the public. It thus became the mandate of the government through the different police departments within the state. With such an effective and efficient gun management system coupled with the detailed filing system and training to the civilian applying for guns, the government rested assured of effective and timely use of the firearms. The policy that sought to reduce the number of civilians licensed to hold guns helped reduce marital wrangles and homicides as most of the gun holders would use their firearms in social squabbles such as family disputes. The laws required the gun holders to account for both the guns and bullets and produce both at any moment at the request of the police officers among other state authorities. The constant supervision on the state of the guns and bullets thus invoked caution among the licensed gun holders a feature that helped reduce the crime rates in the state. The strict management of the sale and purchase of guns preceded a dedicated media campaign that encouraged the public to submit any illegal firearms within their possession. The law thus banned any second hand sale of firearms thus curtailing street dealings on firearms by illegalizing such guns. This way it became a criminal offence to obtain a firearm through any other means besides from the authorized authorities within the state. The state formulated stringent punishment for any civilian who would not provide the legal documentation for the guns within their possessions. The laws reduced the crime rates within the state as they reduced the number of lose guns among the civilians (Knox and Chris 33). Besides the liberal yet stringent gun management legislations in the country, crime patterns in Chicago the capital of the state has persisted with a particular pattern. Among the most common crimes in the city, include murder and other forms of violent crimes. Just as with any other industrial and middle economy city in the United States of America, California has exhibited a rising demand for stringent policing system as a means of curtailing the crime rates. The crime rates in the city rose in the early 1960 but as the state developed legislations that are more stringent the pattern declined in the 1990s and the 2000s. The crimes in the city range from shoplifting to violent robbery most of which result in the deaths or injuries of the victims. The number of murders and the violent crimes count has decreased drastically through the years following the creation of several institutions that seek to stabilize the security of the city. The formulation of several security policies and creation of several law enforcement agencies sought to reduce the number of illegal guns in the city thus containing the prevalent of violent crimes (St, Jean 112). In retrospect, the state of Illinois has worked hard through time with the view of improving accountability in the use of guns and firearms in all the major cities in the state key among which was Chicago. The state government developed several authorities that worked in collaboration with the federal security agencies with the view of reducing the number of guns held by civilians. The exercise incorporated the implementation of all the policies that governed the management of guns and small firearms by the civilians in order for the state not to infringe on the public’s right to own small firearms. By doing this, the state implemented the set policies thereby reducing the prevalent of violent crimes in the city among other regions in the state. Works cited Knox, Neal, and Chris Knox. Neal Knox: The Gun Rights War : Dispatches from the Front Lines 1966 Through 2000. Manassas, Va: MacFarlane Press, 2009. Print. Lott, John R. More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. Print. St, Jean P. K. B. Pockets of Crime: Broken Windows, Collective Efficacy, and the Criminal Point of View. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. 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