Mike,
In North Carolina...when we instituted a mandatory seven year prison sentence (no plea bargain, no parole, no probation) for armed robbery....the robbery rate plummeted. Currently...armed robbery can fetch from 7-20 years in the State Pen. IMHO, a mandatory sentence of 30 years would be fair too.
When you begin to run statistics....some very politically uncorrect numbers will jump out at you particularly when filtered by RACE....
An example...when I was a police officer in Charlotte, North Carolina...stats noted 90% of violent crime was committed by 30% of the population based upon ethnicity. Blacks thus committed violent crimes at a rate three times of other races. Black men under the age of 25 are involved with the criminal justice system as prisoners, on parole, probation, work release, or under arrest awaiting trial to the tune of 60% of the blackmale under 25 population. Murder is the biggest killer of young black men....their killers are also black in the vast majority of the events.
The really sad thing is the Black Community in general, refuses to accept any responsibility for this situation. The breakdown of the family, traditional refusal to assist the police, rampant rate ofout of marriage births, drug use and trafficking, school leaving....all are factors that contribute to this and yet, the Black leaders refuse to address the issue.
As the UK encounters a less homogenous culture, so too will the problems occur there as it has here. The old days of the Bobby being able to deal with criminals with a kind word and a firm manner will disappear. Criminals are predators....and prey on the weak and defenseless....that runs across all political boundaries.
In this country...where we have allowed ordinary people to carry concealed firearms....the crime rate has decreased dramatically. To date.....the incidents of criminal acts by properly licensed people are very rare.....rare enough to be considered nil. Logically, it would seem arming the victims is the right method....criminals will always seek out easier pickings. That is why a strong Neighborhood Watch system works....and it is the same for armed citizens. Right now...in most places...the crooks are the ones with the guns which is absolutely backwards in my book.