Assault Weapons Ban: The Numbers
In 2004 an assault weapons ban for ten years expired. Did violent crime go up? The chart below speaks volumes I think. No not all of this is related to the assault ban, in fact I suspect it had little to do with it. It is important though because proponents of these bans and controls always say that crime goes up when gun laws are relaxed. Usually during recessions crime does go up. You also must remember that we also have almost 20 million more people so the fall is even greater on a per capita basis.
Population Total Violent Property Murder Rape Robbery Assault Burglary Theft Vehicle Theft
| 2004 | 293,656,842 | 11,679,474 | 1,360,088 | 10,319,386 | 16,148 | 95,089 | 401,470 | 847,381 | 2,144,446 | 6,937,089 | 1,237,851 |
| 2005 | 296,507,061 | 11,565,499 | 1,390,745 | 10,174,754 | 16,740 | 94,347 | 417,438 | 862,220 | 2,155,448 | 6,783,447 | 1,235,859 |
| 2006 | 299,398,484 | 11,401,511 | 1,418,043 | 9,983,568 | 17,030 | 92,757 | 447,403 | 860,853 | 2,183,746 | 6,607,013 | 1,192,809 |
| 2007 | 301,621,157 | 11,251,828 | 1,408,337 | 9,843,481 | 16,929 | 90,427 | 445,125 | 855,856 | 2,176,140 | 6,568,572 | 1,095,769 |
| 2008 | 304,374,846 | 11,160,543 | 1,392,628 | 9,767,915 | 16,442 | 90,479 | 443,574 | 842,134 | 2,228,474 | 6,588,046 | 958,629 |
| 2009 | 307,006,550 | 10,762,956 | 1,325,896 | 9,337,060 | 15,399 | 89,241 | 408,742 | 812,514 | 2,203,313 | 6,338,095 | 795,652 |
| 2010 | 309,330,219 | 10,363,873 | 1,251,248 | 9,112,625 | 14,772 | 85,593 | 369,089 | 781,844 | 2,168,457 | 6,204,601 | 739,565 |
| 2011 | 311,591,917 | 10,266,737 | 1,203,564 | 9,063,173 | 14,612 | 83,425 | 354,396 | 751,131 | 2,188,005 | 6,159,795 | 715,373 |
