Shot by police to death, US, UK, and Japan

Gun control matter has been an important issue for decades in the US. It is not limited to the criminals with guns, but also cases in which criminals are shot by the police.

Recently, Independent reported that the fatal shooting case by the police last month in the US is more than those in 95 years in the UK. Thus, 78 people were shot to death by police in November 2015, while only 51 people have been killed since 1920 in the UK.

Independent: US police shot more people dead last month than British officers did in 95 years

These data should be cautiously interpreted. The population of the US is five times in the UK. The crime rate is also different. Nonetheless, it is no doubt that criminal in the US is highly likely to be shot by police compared to the UK.

In Japan, it is extremely rare that the criminal is shot by police. Over a decade ago, a man running by a car after the theft was shot to be dead by police. The shooter was prosecuted, but was pronounced not to be guilty. There are a few other cases in which the criminal was shot to be dead, but each of them was extraordinarily terrible. It suggests the safety of Japanese society.

On the other hand, not a few people insist that criminals should be more harshly punished. I hardly understand their opinion. There is no evidence that harsh punishment can reduce the crime rate. It is obvious that fear of death is no more prevention from crimes, considering the current situation in the US.

On the contrary, Europe is being examined. In some EU countries, providing the proper level of education and welfare resulted in the reduced rate of perpetrating. But, they are exposing to the risk of terrorism by ISIS or other extremists. Their ideology is far from acceptable. It should be considered that, however, some of such terrorists were influenced by extremism because they were suffering from serious poverty. We have to choose which should be provided to the criminals, punishment or welfare.