Gun sales up in 12 Swiss cantons

Applications for gun permits in Switzerland increased by 20% between 2014 and 2015, according to a survey conducted by Swiss public television, SRF.  The survey, published on Wednesday, showed that in the 12 out of 26 cantons surveyed, the Swiss are increasingly interested in purchasing pistols, rifles and other firearms for private use. The greatest increase – more than 70% – was measured in canton Vaud, with more than 4,200 applications in 2015, compared with 2,427 in 2014. There is a general climate of uncertainty and an increased fear of intruders, said Pierre-Olivier Gaudard, head of crime prevention for canton Vaud.  But Martin Boess, director of Swiss crime prevention, warned against the false sense of security that guns bring.  “When there are more guns in circulation, there is a greater danger for society,” he said in an interview on the 10 vor 10 news programme. “That’s shown by experience in places like the United States. When there are more guns, ...