Essay Sample on Gun Violence in Baltimore

Thesis Statement: Despite the arresting of those owning illegal weapons, for gun violence to reduce, the government must address drug addiction.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Date of filing: June 2017

Background Information

Baltimore has been on the radar of having increased crime in gun violence. Apart from several people being arrested because of their involvement in gun violence, the majority of the culprits are said to be involved in drugs. It is on record that the guns that are used for violence in the city are mostly those that have been acquired illegally. Illegal guns have no clear records hence making the action of curbing the crime very difficult (Gabor, 2016). In the attempt to curb the criminal offense of gun violence in Baltimore, the authorities believed that chasing and arresting the few individuals who perpetrated the crime and confiscating their weapons would drastically reduce the crime. However, this has been inconsequential to the rates of crime still being registered.

Reasons for Extreme Gun Violence in Baltimore

Gun Violence and Illegal Weapons

There are a number of explanations that can be used to explain the high rates of crime in the streets of Baltimore despite police efforts to confiscate the number of weapons that are being illegally used. Research conducted by various organizations show that despite the police departments curbing the crime by arresting some few individuals who are alleged to be owning the illegal weapons, the arrests and confiscation of the weapons only register a very small percentage compared to the illegal weapons that are in circulation (Gabor, 2014). Therefore, it was recorded that despite the efforts of the police, there were still several illegal weapons that were circulating on the streets of Baltimore hence more strategies must be employed to fully eliminate the problem.

Police Brutality and Gun Violence

Another reason why the fight against illegal weapons wasn't bringing in positive results, was the negligence and brutality of the police. In most cases, when the police attempted to curb illegal use of weapons within the streets of Baltimore, brutality to citizens and sometimes death occurred. Therefore, citizens made a move to ensure that their security would be assured. Several people walk around with guns. Some of the guns are illegal while some are fully registered (Webster, 2013). Due to insecurity, the people decided to move around with guns for their own security. As such, gun violence is still rampant due to the number of people handling guns rising very fast.

Conclusion

Despite all the measures that the police have put in place in order to solve and curb the Baltimore gun violence issue. It is important to note that there are some activators that lead to the young people engaging in gun violence. One main factor is unemployment which has been making young people engage in drug addiction. Another issue that has promoted violence especially by use of guns is due to the poverty levels that have been registered (Gabor, 2016).

According to several leaders who were interviewed, they believed that the best way to curb gun violence is through establishing a drug treatment program that will see that the city is free of drugs. An economy that is marred by illegal drugs usually collapses (In Zandler, 2013). This type of economy is very dangerous to the smooth operation of a city as it supports crimes from murder to petty offense like theft. In order to address the drug problems in the area, first, the leaders working within the city must ensure that the young people are treated and gradually helped to rehabilitate from such acts (Webster, 2013). Another important factor is to understand the reason why young people engage in drugs and how they can be helped so they do not get tempted to try drugs again.

References

Gabor, T. (2014). Gun Violence and Public Life. doi:10.4324/9781315634265

Gabor, T. (2016). America's Gun Violence Problem. Confronting Gun Violence in America, 3-19. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-33723-4_1

Gabor, T. (2016). Gun Ownership in the USA. Confronting Gun Violence in America, 21-36. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-33723-4_2

In Zandler, J. C. (2013). Mass shootings and gun violence in America: Issues and perspectives.

Webster, D. W. (2013). Reducing gun violence in America: Informing policy with evidence and analysis. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press.