Community Guns?

[MrShotShot]

So I was traveling in Connecticut earlier this week on business and there was talk of a recent shooting in the Hartford area on the news.

The Chief of Police was being interviewed and he stated that they may never know who shot this fella and that, more than likely, the weapon used was a "community gun." He went on to explain that a "community gun" was a firearm that "someone" hides in an abandoned house (for example) and that it is available for others to come in and use to commit crimes. Sort of like a library book I guess.

Since then, I've thought about it more and more and the whole idea just seems proposterous. It seems to me that this sounds a great deal like an urban myth that is being perpetuated by anti-gun types like "cop killer bullets" and "saturday night specials".

Has anyone heard of this or, better yet, know of any proof that such a thing exists?

[RDW]

Thats a new one to me!

[HK4U]

No. Can't say that I have ever heard that.

[toreskha]

That's absurd. This is a sort of burden of proof fallacy. He's making a likely unproven accusation (that people systematically hide guns in abandoned houses for others to use in crimes) that cannot be easily disproven. Certainly, people may dispose of a gun used in a crime in an abandoned house, shrubbery, or an old car. Thus, any gun found almost anywhere (except the bottom of the river) could be called a "community gun" by law enforcement, because who's to say it's not being passed around like a $2 hooker? Well, if no one can prove it's not, then it must be, because that's the best way to scare everyone. :icon_rolleyes:

[kwo51]

! gun per gang good idea. New plastic bullets in it also

[MrShotShot]

That's absurd. This is a sort of burden of proof fallacy. He's making a likely unproven accusation (that people systematically hide guns in abandoned houses for others to use in crimes) that cannot be easily disproven. Certainly, people may dispose of a gun used in a crime in an abandoned house, shrubbery, or an old car. Thus, any gun found almost anywhere (except the bottom of the river) could be called a "community gun" by law enforcement, because who's to say it's not being passed around like a $2 hooker? Well, if no one can prove it's not, then it must be, because that's the best way to scare everyone. :icon_rolleyes:

Bingo.

I did some searching last night when I got home and can find very little mention of these "community guns." There's this mention, one by the Boston chief, and one by the Jacksonville chief. I'm more convinced that this whole issue is a fabrication to, as you say, scare folks and/or to explain away the police department's problem when they can't seem to find a weapon that was used in a crime.

Not to mention, who in their right mind would want to use the "community gun" to rob a liquor store only to get caught and get nailed for a half dozen shootings and murders that were committed by one of your neighbors using the "community gun"?

[Ruger Lady]

That sound like something the Brady Bunch would make up. If they didn't, they will sure enough jump on it to scare more people.

[Scarecrow]

although I would not put it past criminals to do something so stupid, as most of them are beyond stupid themselves, can't really say I buy it. I mean how lame of a story. would not believe something so idiotic without good hard proof of it.

[toreskha]

Bingo.

I did some searching last night when I got home and can find very little mention of these "community guns." There's this mention, one by the Boston chief, and one by the Jacksonville chief. I'm more convinced that this whole issue is a fabrication to, as you say, scare folks and/or to explain away the police department's problem when they can't seem to find a weapon that was used in a crime.

They've recently begun to talk more of an anti-gun game in Jacksonville. This is probably because of an utter inability to clean up a vast ghetto that comprises much of downtown, the northside, and much of the westside.

I agree that it's a less-than-ideal situation to have active criminals running around with firearms. However, that's not the root of the problem; they're not committing crimes simply because they have a gun, but because they're not law-abiding citizens in the first place. This is a complex sociological problem, and cannot be simply traced to guns, drugs, money, certain types of music or anything else people have tried to singularly link it to.

[kwo51]

Good place for the sports arena,Get robbed to park and hang out. The super bowl went good with helos and door gunners flying around. Enough guns in the rest of duval con to fix down town.