Gunfire-graffiti: overlooked crime in the UK.
Maitra, Dev R.
Seiber, M. (2011) Waterside Press. pp.159. (pbk). 16.50 [pounds
sterling] ISBN 978-1904380719
The term 'gunfire-graffiti' refers to instances where
physical damage has been caused to public property through the use of
firearms. In Gunfire-Graffiti, Seiber ambitiously attempts to explore
this area of crime, a topic which has received little academic
attention. In fact, it is an area which has received equally limited
attention in the public press, a point Seiber makes in the penultimate
chapter of the book. Whilst the author clearly illustrates his expertise
on firearms through the detailed explanations provided, this text is
clearly a non-academic work, which is perhaps most clear during the
Chapter entitled 'A Trip to Cumbria'.
However, this is not to say that Gunfire-Graffiti does not make a
valuable contribution to this area of study. The book's opening
chapter provides a clear explanation of its main terminology, and
provides a lucid precis of its contents. Chapter 2 is equally clear,
presenting numerical data on the number of guns in the United Kingdom,
and explaining legislation around the ownership of firearms as well as
their history. Interspersed within this narrative is a detailed
exploration of the different categories of firearms, something repeated
in the book's closing chapter. It is this area where the
author's expert-knowledge clearly shows, adding to the overall
clarity of the text.
Chapter 3 is where Seiber begins to tackle the subject of
gunfire-graffiti itself, and although much information is presented,
there are more questions than answers: "we do not know who the
culprits are or what motives they have" (p 49) ... the answer to
this question is unknown" (p. 50). It is unfair to expect the
author to provide all the answers in an area of study where there has
been very limited previous research. However, the reader would be
forgiven for expecting at least some of these questions to be resolved;
this is an area where the text could have been significantly improved.
Nevertheless, Seiber does provide a comprehensive account of the wider
issues surrounding firearms in the United Kingdom, such as their illegal
importation (Chapter 4) and the lack of a gun-culture in the country
(Chapter 6). In between these two chapters is the most detailed
investigation of gunfire-graffiti (Chapter 5), where specific examples
of such instances are presented, and complemented with photographs. This
is something which is carried on later in the book (Chapter 8), although
this portion of the text is somewhat spoilt by the author's
detailed recollections of the scepticism he received from official
channels.
The closing chapters of Gunfire-Graffiti provide varying levels of
insight into the subject. Chapters 8 and 11 primarily document the
difficulties Seiber faced in convincing various public and private
bodies that the problem of gunfire-graffiti deserves serious attention.
Although this is an important aside to the book's contents, it
would probably have been judicious for the author to spend less time
documenting such travails. Nevertheless, there are certainly points of
interest presented in the book's latter portion. For example,
Chapter 9 documents previous mass-shootings in both the U.K. and United
States. The key insight of this chapter, however, is the inclusion of
details concerning gunfire-graffiti. In particular, Seiber provides
little-known facts concerning the Hungerford Massacre (U.K., 1987) and
the Columbine High School Shootings (U.S.A., 1999). Through describing
how
the assailants had all participated in gunfire-graffiti prior to
their respective crimes, Seiber illuminates an area which has received
surprisingly limited attention. Although there could have been more
detailed discussions around these areas, their inclusion still enriches
the book. An area where the author does conduct a detailed analysis is
regarding a report on gunfire-graffiti conducted at the University of
Cranfield (Chapter 12). This is followed by a meticulously detailed
explanation on shotgun slugs, which again demonstrates the author's
expertise on the practicalities of using firearms.
The most significant weakness of the book is the Chapter entitled
'A Trip to Cumbria'. Developing the previous mention (Chapter
9) of the shootings carried out by Derek Bird in June 2010, the author
presents an excessively descriptive chapter. The result, however, is a
narrative of his investigative activities rather than penetrative
arguments/insights around the topic of study. Although this chapter by
no means devalues the entire book, it is worth noting that its lengthy
and clarity could have subjected to significant alterations. Overall,
Gunfire-Graffiti attempts to provide a detailed introduction to a topic
which is seldom discussed in either criminological texts or the wider
media. Seiber concedes that the book "does not conclude or draw a
line under this type of gun crime" and that it has "so far
merely scratched the surface" (p.149). The fact that
Gunfire-Graffiti is more for general interest rather than academic study
should not be seen as a criticism, and is merely an observation: in
spite of this lack of academic theories, the text leaves the reader with
a far clearer understanding of the subject-matter. The author is clear
in outlining his prior knowledge and experience around the topic of the
book, as well as candidly presenting his biases. All of this leads to
the reader not being deceived as regards the author's intentions.
However, this text would have significantly benefited had the author
been more discerning on what contents to include. Seiber's
frustration at being dismissed by police forces and media outlets
regarding the seriousness of gunfire-graffiti is palpable. However, the
text ought to have included less of these complaints, and more of the
author's clearly expert knowledge on guns and gunfire-graffiti.
Dev R Maitra, PhD Candidate in Criminological Research, University
of Cambridge
