Table Of ContentThe following is excerpted from the talk.politics.guns FAQ:
SWITZERLAND
Switzerland places a far heavier reliance on decentralized government, and individual
responsibility, which, when combined with a greater degree of social control than
Americans would likely tolerate, helps keep the crime rate low. Switzerland's current
constitution, which was adopted in 1848, reflects the influence of the United States, in that
it for the first time recognized individual rights, rather than only the rights of the various
cultural, linguistic, and religious groups which form the basis of cantonal (state)
distinctions. Crime has increased slightly in recent years, but much of Swiss crime is
attributable to the drug trade and to foreigners. Swiss citizens are generally_very_law
abiding, and the Swiss have not seen the need for the sorts of harsh justice and broad police
powers seen elsewhere. There is no death penalty, and sentences in Switzerland are usually
short for all crimes except murder. All prisoners must serve at least two-thirds of their
nominal sentences. Judges are popularly elected in some cantons. Violent movies can be
banned, and racist and anti- Semitic acts, speech or publications are strictly prohibited.
Arrests can only be made with warrant, and suspects must be charged within 24 hours after
arrest. Foreigners who have been denied political asylum, however, can be held in
administrative detention for up to a year if they are considered a risk to escape deportation.
Foreigners can also be stopped by police on the street and asked for their identity papers.
Police permits are required for public meetings, but are generally issued unless there is the
likelihood of violence. Some cantons have official state-sponsored churches, but taxes to
fund them are optional. Though narcotics are illegal, the laws have only recently been
enforced with any severity. Swiss banking secrecy laws have led to the Swiss confederation
becoming a center for drug money laundering. Zurich's notorious Platzspitz "Needle" Park
was closed several years ago for public health reasons, and because international publicity
about the park had attracted drug dealers and criminals. Other Swiss cities with similar
parks have also sought to close them to drug users, and some drug abusers are instead now
being given their drugs under medical supervision, as a public health measure. Violent
crime is still rare, despite the widespread availability of weapons.
Switzerland requires mandatory military service for its men, but there is only a small
standing army. The Swiss rely upon a militia system for defense of the confederation, and
because of this, ownership of all types of military weapons is more widespread even than in
the United States. The front line troops of the_Auszug_must keep their fully-automatic
military assault rifle and seventy-two rounds of sealed ammunition at home during their
term of service from age 21-32. The current issue militia weapons are the SIG Sturmgewehr
90 (.223) and SIG Sturmgewehr 550/551 (.223) assault rifles, and the SIG-Sauer P220 9mm
semi-automatic pistol. Even after their service in the _Auszug,_Swiss men still remain part
of the militia, either in a home guard (_Landwehr_), or reserve capacity (_Landsturm_)
until age 42 (52 for officers). Practice with weapons is a popular recreation, and is
encouraged by the government, particularly for the members of the militia. "Ordnance"
ammunition is subsidized and available for sale at shooting ranges, and there is a regulatory
requirement that ammo sold at ranges must be used there, but this is never really enforced.
Sale of all ammunition is registered at the dealer if purchased at a private store, but it is not
registered if purchased at a range. All types of ammunition are available for commercial
sale, including calibers for military-issue weapons, and hollowpoints. Ammunition sales are
registered only at the point of sale by recording the buyer's name in a bound book. Semi-
automatic rifles are registered at the dealer and with the police in those cantons having
registration at all, otherwise only full-automatics and other military guns must be registered
with the government. Unlike the United States, handgun purchases aren't even registered in
some cantons. Restrictions on the purchase of non-lethal weapons like pepper spray, which
had been in effect in some cantons, have been eased.
Purchase of handguns is licensed on a "must issue" basis at the cantonal (state) level, with
"firearms purchase certificates" issued to all adult residents without criminal records or
history of mental illness. Handguns and semi-automatic rifles are registered using the same
"triple-sheet" form in those cantons which have any registration, with one copy going to the
police, one to the dealer, and one to the owner. One canton doesn't require a license for
handgun purchases, and purchase of hunting guns and most types of semi-automatic
shotguns and rifles usually require no permits. Since actual military guns are issued freely
(albeit with a licensing and registration requirement at the cantonal level), controls on other
guns can be comparatively mild. There are no restrictions on the carrying of long guns, and
only fifteen of the twenty-six cantons require carry permits for handguns (which usually
require that "necessity" for carrying the handgun be demonstrated). Laws have been passed
which restrict the purchase and carry of weapons by non-Swiss citizens like Turks and
people from the embattled area of the former Yugoslavia. There have been calls for more
"gun control" from some quarters in Swiss society (including Swiss anti-gun criminologist,
Martin Killias) but the tradition of Switzerland's armed citizenry is being kept alive by the
activist gun owners organization ProTell (named after Swiss hero and marksman William
Tell), which is associated with the Swiss Riflemen's Society, much as the NRA-ILA is
associated with NRA in the United States. There are also several other shooting sports
organizations.
Swiss information updated with the kind help of Emmanuel Baechler
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