Posted on 11/02/2006 10:57:58 AM PST by kiriath_jearim
The price of illegally acquired guns has been rising in the city since the mayor began his campaign against "the scourge of illegal guns" in January, a police source said.
Many handguns are selling for about $200 more than they were, averaging about $700 to $1,000 apiece, the source said. Rifles are selling for about $300 more, averaging between $1,200 and $1,500, the source said.
The black market for guns operates like any other market, experts said yesterday, meaning that when pressures are put on supply or demand, prices tend to rise.
"It's a commodity like any other commodity," a former agent and manager at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, William Vizzard, said. Mr. Vizzard, a professor at California State University, Sacramento, said pressure exerted on gun traffickers by the BATFE and the New York Police Department have likely made many criminals turn to less risky ventures, such as cigarette smuggling.
He said New York City's violent crime wasn't increasing at a rate that would support the theory that demand for guns was increasing and thus pushing up prices.
Through October 29, homicides have increased to 471 from 455 during the same period in 2005, CompStat data show. Since the shooting of two police officers at the end of 2005 and beginning of 2006, Mayor Bloomberg has made it a priority to stem the number of illegally acquired guns on the city's streets.
In July, the NYPD reorganized its gun units under one division and created a new detective unit, the Gun Enhancement Unit, which interviews every person arrested with a gun.
The New York Sun reported early last month that the Gun Enhancement Unit had collected 220 pieces of intelligence by the end of September that assisted ongoing cases or resulted in new investigations.
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
MORE lies from the Reich of the BloomingIdiot!!!!
Of course....if TRUE....now more "dealers" will be incented to enter the trade..and the criminals will be forced to commit MORE crimes to afford the higher-priced arms.
Makes you wonder how much overtime the criminal class is going to have to put in in order to meet this increase in their cost of doing business?
Well, dang, I guess we DO need to raise the minimum wage after all.
Weeeell, Its not like the scum are spending their OWN money for the weapons...
WOW!!! Rifles are going for more then handguns! I wonder if they would consider trades? Better start cracking down on them there gun shows......
And as in any other market the higher prices will bring more product.
Let's see.. I'd like a set of Hogue Monogrips and Hi-Viz sights.
Yes, $700 for an illegal gun will certainly be too much for a local drug dealer making $20,000 a day. /sarcasm
I may have to take a drive up I-95...
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