According to data just released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (August 26):

From 1993 to 1999, the firearm homicide rate dropped 44% from 7.08 (per 100,000) to 3.09. Firearm homicides are dropping faster than non-firearm homicides, which we reduced 40% (2.87 to 1.16)

The raw number of firearm homicdes dropped 40% from 18,253 to a preliminary estimate of 10,893. The raw number of nonfirearm homicides dropped 37% from 7,400 to a preliminary estimate of 2,732.

Overall violent crime dropped 10.4% in just one year from 1998 to 1999. Overall homicide dropped 8%.

(Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv99.htm)

If we have another year like that — and all indications are that we will — we’ll have cut violence in half from 1993 to 2000.

If we have a few more years like this, we’ll be down to English levels homicide rate (and we’re already lower in all other levels of violent crime).

Our violence reduction efforts are working wonderfully. Not only is the reduction in violence continuing — IT IS SPEEDING UP!

We do not need new laws.