More Legal Guns

Mexico's secretary of defense, which regulates all legitimate gun sales in Mexico, says that more guns are being sought through legal routes than ever before. Since 2007, the number of private security businesses seeking firearms has jumped by 40 percent. Roughly 6,000 private citizens, frequently past victims of kidnappings or assaults, apply to buy a gun on an annual basis, only 200 of which are approved. The biggest source of legal-gun purchases are local police departments, who account for some 25,000 of the annual total, or somewhere between 60 and 75 percent.