German Police Used Only 85 Bullets Against People in 2011

[sarisataka]

43. There may be a better way but

the number of shots fired by police has little to do with the homicide rate. I suspect property and drug crimes involve the police shooting more often than crimes against persons.

Guns laws may have an effect on how often police shoot but I think a higher standard of police training plays a very important factor. Police in gun free NYC routinely rack up high numbers of shots fired in individual incidents. If the police were engaging a street gang, then it might be applicable but it seems to always be against a single person who, as often as not, was unarmed. To knowledge that the person potentially is carrying a gun may be a factor but would also be true in Germany.

As others have pointed out, the American experience currently is more guns and less violence. It does not follow that tighter laws would lead to less violence; nor is there any proof more gun ownership would further reduce crime. It may be both sides are wrong and there is nearly no relationship between guns and violence despite what logic tells us should be true.

My opinion is it would be more beneficial to look into how Germany prevents and counters violence to reduce the US homicide and violent crime rates.