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Guns are at fault for a rise in homicides in the nation's second-most dangerous city, and are causing a "crisis," its mayor said.

"The level of violence in our city is at a crisis level," St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said at a press conference in its City Hall on Friday. "I think it is apparent to most of us that we are awash in guns," Krewson said. "They're being used to settle differences, defend territory, retaliate, take cars, do holdups."

The "crisis" she referred to was the city's reaching its highest number of homicides this year –– 197, she said (but 196 on the police department's website) –– since 1995, when that number was 204. The majority remain unsolved. As a next step, Krewson announced a gun buyback program –– citizens bring in their guns, the plan goes, and in exchange, receive grocery store gift certificates. It's set to begin as early as next week.

But critics say the city's problems run deeper than guns, and that the city has tried this approach several times only to see crime continue to creep upwards. (Studiesreflect that view.)

"I think she's trying something she feels is going to be effective, but in reality we just know that they're not," State Representative Bruce Franks told Newsweek. In 1991, the city did a major buyback program, in which thousands of guns were taken off the streets. That same year, Franks' brother was killed by a gunshot.

"A lot of those turned out to be antiques," he said. "We're seeing, go turn your guns in and then what?" Franks said the city should focus on adding resources to communities with high crime rates, which he said would make guns "irrelevant."

Continue Reading: Guns are causing a "crisis" in St. Louis, the second most dangerous city in America, mayor says
 
"Guns are at fault for a rise in homicides in the nation's second-most dangerous city, and are causing a "crisis," its mayor said."

Just like forks are at fault for the rise in fatties. Nothing new here, folks.
 
Uninformed constituents eat this crap up thinking it will make a difference. More treating of the symptoms without addressing the root causes.
 
Personal responsibility loses more ground.
Find this comment offensive? Sorry, it's my devices fault.
 
Crime in St. Louis... nah, can't be. Maybe they should be more concerned about riots. Turn in your Molotovs folks!!!

Years ago and I were heading to the East Coast in a U-Haul truck, we pulled into East St Louis right across the bridge over the Mississippi River. We got out as I started to fuel the truck and we noticed that we were not alone and a crowd was forming. My son comes out of the store and says Dad we need to leave, NOW!!!:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

This situation right here could have been like a Ferguson type of deal because we were obviously the wrong color.
 
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Years ago and I were heading to the East Coast in a U-Haul truck, we pulled into East St Louis right across the bridge over the Mississippi River. We got out as I started to fuel the truck. We noticed that we were not alone and a crowd was forming. My son comes out of the store and says Dad we need to leave, NOW!!!:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

This situation right here could have been like a Ferguson type of deal because we were obviously the wrong color.

Reminds me of when I worked for AT&T in the Los Angeles Basin. Often I had to travel in Compton, Downey, Torrance, Garden City, Paramount, and Wilmington. My car was often blocked or stopped by marauding youths. I was chased while walking back to the office in Paramount. But one time I got confused on directions and found myself in Watts. YIKES!!!

When USCG boot camp west was still in Alameda, we got Christmas leave and rented a hotel room in Oakland. Went out to find beer and discovered we were the wrong color in the wrong territory. YIKES!!
 
I grew up in St Louis and a few nice (gentrified) spots aside, it's pretty much a dump. I left @ 17 (1984) and my family eventually all got out too. Decades of Dem control have made it unviable.

BTW, my Dad was a St Louis county cop for 25 yrs, part of it in the 2nd precinct (Ferguson)... it was crap back then, too.
 
Reminds me of when I worked for AT&T in the Los Angeles Basin. Often I had to travel in Compton, Downey, Torrance, Garden City, Paramount, and Wilmington. My car was often blocked or stopped by marauding youths. I was chased while walking back to the office in Paramount. But one time I got confused on directions and found myself in Watts. YIKES!!!

When USCG boot camp west was still in Alameda, we got Christmas leave and rented a hotel room in Oakland. Went out to find beer and discovered we were the wrong color in the wrong territory. YIKES!!

I hear ya, I too had worked in a lot of shady areas down in Cali when the work dried up here in Wa. La Puente (by City of Industry) was a place to avoid even during work hours. I had to have a security team funded by GTE (at the time) when I was working in manholes...:eek::eek::eek: Yikes is right & I was armed as well... cough cough....
 
Ah, La Puente... know it well. Twas within my work area. Also West Covina. Our main office was in the City of Commerce and I covered all of L.A. County. Really liked working in East L.A. because of the food but I had to have my 6' 6" buddy Jose Gallardo as an escort. Not kidding you.

Was raised in Pomona, home of the fabulous human bung named Mike Tyson. Crazy place.
 
Ah, La Puente... know it well. Twas within my work area. Also West Covina. Our main office was in the City of Commerce and I covered all of L.A. County. Really liked working in East L.A. because of the food but I had to have my 6' 6" buddy Jose Gallardo as an escort. Not kidding you.

Was raised in Pomona, home of the fabulous human bung named Mike Tyson. Crazy place.

Yep, glad I live through it and vowed never to return.
 
What they have there is a failure to control their criminal base, just like Chicago, Detroit, New York, Boston---- insert any big city that's been under the Democratic control for decades.
What is sad is that they're blaming and trying to restrict the law-abiding citizens who own guns, how stupid is that?:mad:
^^^This... This is the root problem, decades of uninterrupted democrat control...
 

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