Posted on 12/07/2005 1:51:51 PM PST by walkerk
San Francisco taxpayers spend at least $31.2 million responding to gun violence every year, including $14 million on police work and $6.2 million in unreimbursed medical costs, according to City Controller Ed Harrington.
Families in The City lose an additional $3 million in income annually when their relatives are killed by guns, Harrington says.
The estimates are part of The City’s response to a lawsuit filed last month by the National Rifle Association, one day after San Francisco residents approved a ban on handguns at the ballot box. The lawsuit charges that the ban violates “federal guarantees” and various state laws in California.
The City recently filed an opposition brief to the lawsuit, and both sides currently are waiting to hear what the California Court of Appeals decides is the next step.
As part of San Francisco’s response, Controller Ed Harrington asked the fiscal heads of 11 city departments — including police, public health and the medical examiner — for data related to gun violence. The analysis includes annual costs such as performing autopsies on handgun victims ($156,000), processing 911 calls related to firearm crimes ($89,000) and providing hospital services to victims of gun violence ($6.2 million).
“It was necessary to identify and examine the numerous ways The City provides services to all parties affected by gun violence,” Harrington wrote in the report. “These costs of firearm violence are ultimately borne by The City’s taxpayers and fee payers.”
The report also estimates the total loss families incur when a relative is slain or injured by a handgun. According to Harrington, “the loss of a fatality victim’s household income is significant because gun violence disproportionately affects people under 35 who would otherwise have many years to earn an income.”
The annual loss in income per fatality is about $38,000, the controller reports, or a total of about $3 million every year in San Francisco. Over a lifetime, those numbers swell to $1.6 million per victim and $124.7 million citywide. Even if a fatality does not occur, Harrington wrote, the costs of rehabilitation can be crippling.
E-mail: mlagos@examiner.com
More properly this is the annual cost of a disarmed and helpless citizenry.
Let's just see where the numbers go once their new gun bill goes into effect... Remember the 34.2 million...
This line is funny.....
Delusion isn't just what David Copperfield does.
When the guns are outlawed and you-know-who still has them it'll be interesting to see just how cheap that $34.2 million was.
I wonder how much they spend on human violence - if only they would ban humans than Sodom by the sea would be safe
Has there been a study of what "knife" violence, "baseball bat" violence, "fist" violence has cost the city?
I love it when gov't starts using the "cost" of something as an excuse to either limit that item or activity or force people to participate in some gov't "sceam".
How much did smoking cost the city last year in medical cost? How much did the city spend last year in medical costs for AIDS, HIV, etc... because people won't "wrap it" when going for the glory hole. How about a ban on gays in San Fran. to hold the line on city costs.
bttt!!
You can be damed sure every department got the message to fluff their numbers.
What is their definition of violence? some guy defending his house who blasts a scumbag?
I agree, but there is also the underlying issue of a generally morally challenged citizenry. No amount of law or controls can compensate for a fundamentally immoral population.
if they put people away for illegal gun violence and by that I mean...for the long haul....that is...you rob a store you get a year..you use a gun, add on 8 more...etc.. ...you will see less gun violence...it works elsewhere jussst fine.
but the socialist, bone smuggler, mind set of San Francisco wouldn't hurt the fragile psyche's of their felons by making the punishment equal the crime...so you get what you get.....
where is Dirty Harry anyway???
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1535949/posts
Interesting post just after this one.
"Freedom is just too expensive." Cry harder, liberal.
Lets see:
The cost of a criminal trial - $100k to $1M
The cost of incarcerating a criminal for 1 year - $40k
The cost of a law-abiding citizen capping a perp - $1 - $10
Maybe this is why Texas can operate within its budget.
what is the cost of the aberrant homosexual lifestyle and drug induced euporia
..."The cost of a law-abiding citizen capping a perp - $1 - $10"...
That just relects the policy of: keep shootin until they quit floppin. Just what my wife promises to do for me.
mc
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