According to the Sacramento Bee, from November 2008 to May 2009, gun dealers in Sacramento County sold nearly 5,000 more guns than they did during the same period one year ago, an increase of 40 percent. This is higher than the state’s average increase of 32 percent.
This increase should not come as a surprise. Prior to giving up their pay raise, the Sacramento Police Department would have needed to eliminate 67 jobs to meet their budgetary needs. The picture is grimmer for the Sheriff’s Department. The image of increasing crime was first painted when the County proposed to lay off 300 deputies and became more intense after the Sheriff’s math mistake.
Add up all the fear of increasing crime, the crime that currently exists, and the message there will be a lack of public safety, it starts to make sense why people would take measures to protect themselves and their families.
