Firearms crime: 'It only takes one bullet from one gun to kill'

WE ARE fortunate that we live in a city and a society where gun crime is relatively rare.

There are few weapons in circulation compared to countries such as the US, and those guns which have been kept here over the years have been targeted by various police amnesties held since the 1990s.

Second World War rifles, old shotguns and the like, often found dusty in sheds and in attics, still turn up occasionally. But by now it would seem clear that few weapons are left out there which are innocently held.

Which makes it all the more alarming that last year alone Lothian police took possession of 600 firearms which were surrendered to them. Some were air guns and replicas, but others were potentially lethal weapons.

Clearly, despite the relative rarity of gun crime, there is no room for complacency. Such was the level of concern a few years ago that, in 2005, the local police force formed its own armed response unit.

At that time armed officers attended a staggering 458 firearm-related incidents – almost 90 more than the previous year. Fortunately, these figures have fallen dramatically since then, to fewer than 200 a year.

But police warn that the demand for guns among the criminal fraternity remains high.

The vast majority of incidents they are handling today relate to wars between rival drug gangs in the city which have resulted in a series of high-profile shootings.

Police continue their efforts to strangle the supply of new weapons and have intercepted attempts to run guns into the Capital from English cities.

Again, we must keep a proper perspective on the scale of the problem here in Edinburgh. But it only takes one bullet from one gun to kill – and the victim could be an innocent bystander.

So these efforts to clear our streets of every single weapon must remain a priority.

Earthly delights

PLANS by the city council and the World Heritage Trust to create secret gardens in lanes off the Royal Mile are to be welcomed.

With the exception of the gardens in Princes Street and St Andrew Square too many green spaces in and around the city centre offer restricted access to the general public.

Transforming closes in the historic Royal Mile into hidden gardens can only serve to enhance the already beautiful aspects that tourists and locals alike enjoy.