New approaches to gun violence

The tragic shooting of Rhys Jones in Liverpool and the subsequent police investigation have, once again, brought a number of important aspects about British gun crime to the fore. One recurring issue has been the apparent reluctance of witnesses to come forwards. Fear of reprisals is often cited as a reason for this, although it is too often overlooked that the communities wracked by gun crime are often those with the least satisfactory experiences of policing and the least likely to have a great deal of trust and confidence in the police. It has also long been acknowledged that the fullest evidence of criminal wrongdoing is likely to be obtained from those closest to it, and this also poses particular problems when trying to address the issues arising.