Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko: Gun licenses not to increase crime rate

Stricter controls on licenses for guns that fire plastic bullets will not result in a cut in the crime rate, according to Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko.”What is the most common cause of guns being used? Mainly, it’s drunkenness. So are we going to ban vodka? Prohibitions on carrying such guns will not decrease crime,” the minister said in an interview with the newspaper Segodnya published on Tuesday.

“I can assure you; today more than 800,000 firearms are being carried legally by the public. These are of various types – hunting, military, guns that fire plastic bullets, and pneumatic weapons… Plus every year we issue more than 50,000 gun licenses. Does this lead to a substantial rise in crime? Honestly speaking, it does not,” Lutsenko said.