MEP steps up anti-gun campaign with call for new laws from Brussels

Aug 25 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

LABOUR Euro-MP Arlene McCarthy last night stepped up her anti-gun campaign in the wake of the Croxteth Park tragedy. The MEP, whose constituency covers the area, wants Brussels to introduce new laws to stem the supply of guns ending up on inner city streets.

She said: “Following yet another senseless death of an 11-year old in Liverpool, we need to act to end the cheap and easy supply of guns.

“I have put down amendments to a European law on control and acquisition of guns, to specifically target those convertible weapons coming from Germany and Lithuania into the North West.”

Ms McCarthy has just returned from a fact-finding tour of the world’s gang capital, Los Angeles, learning about gang and gun-related crime. She was out on patrol in the south LA neighbourhood dubbed “Shootin’ Newton”, where last week there were 23 shootings.

Ms McCarthy said: “I am saddened to learn of yet another loss of a young life as a result of gun crime.

“Our local problems are not on the same scale and dimension as the city of LA, with its 430 gangs and 40,000 gang members, but I’ve learned that the strategies for tackling this are the same – Intervention and prevention; 10pm curfews are used not only to stop gangs congregating, but to prevent innocent young people from becoming the victims of gun crime.

“Intelligence-led policing working with the community provides the information to arrest and charge offenders.

“The community group I visited shares out concerns and objectives to keep children safe and protect them from the gun and crime culture.”