So, what has that done for safety from violent crime? Of course, that is the entire purpose behind restricting freedoms from law-abiding citizens, isn’t it?
According to the Los Angeles Times, violent crime statistics as reported by the Department of Justice (DOJ) show it is rising in California and has been for nearly a decade. The outlet revealed data marking “increased use of firearms in homicides and aggravated assaults.”
The Times reported 2020 data showed gun-related homicides soared a staggering 40.6% over 2019, and assaults leapt 29%. And the momentum continues today.
“The trend continued in 2021, with each category of crimes increasing 8% before dropping off by about as much in 2022, the most recent year for which data were available. But the rate for 2022 remains noticeably higher than pre-pandemic figures. Guns were used in 71.2% of homicides and 21.8% of assaults in 2022, compared to 68% and 16.9%, respectively, in 2019.”
All the while, California’s gun laws take the back seat to no one for being oppressive. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) recently signed a slew of new ones into effect which are already being challenged by Second Amendment advocacy groups.
Just last week Newsom signed what he called a “first-in-the-nation” measure to implement an excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition. He said the goal is to improve school safety.
He is even spearheading the push for a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This would enshrine California’s gun laws across the nation, apparently with the intent on spreading the results the Golden State reaped from its efforts at home.
Does the rest of the nation want to be like California?
Mass shootings in the state in the past year include those at a dance hall in Monterey Park, a mushroom farm in Half Moon Bay and a Trabuco Canyon bar. Experts note the disturbing trend in the state despite draconian gun restrictions.
“It is particularly in the past few years that we have seen an increase in violent crime involving firearms,” reported Magnus Lofstrom of the Public Policy Institute of California. The numbers soared before sliding back a bit, and Lofstrom added it is “a little bit encouraging that it came back down.”
Many experts blamed the pandemic and the accompanying social unrest of 2020 for the spike in violent crime. It must be noted, however, that numbers still surpass pre-pandemic crime levels even as they have slipped from their peak three years ago.
For example, the DOJ reported that violent crime and property crime edged upward in 2022. Even as the homicide rate slipped by roughly 5%, it remained almost 24% higher than in 2017.
The Public Policy Institute of California reported similar numbers. Violent crime last year came in 13.5% higher than 2019 and 26.4% higher than 2014. Homicides last year declined 6.1% but were still 25.3% higher than 2019, the year prior to the pandemic.
Despite the state’s extended crackdown on the people’s gun rights, many of its largest counties saw guns misused by criminals at alarmingly high rates.
Almost 40% of violent crimes reported in Alameda and San Joaquin counties involved firearms in 2022. Sprawling Los Angeles County saw 27% of its violent crimes involved firearms.
What is clear is that the anti-gun agenda of Newsom and his California allies has been a massive failure. And now the state wants to export its sweeping gun control measures from sea to shining sea. The rest of the nation should say “no thanks.”
