Whereas in 2011 numerous people in Switzerland voluntarily gave up their firearms, today more and more people are purchasing guns Keystone

Applications for gun permits in Switzerland increased by 20% between 2014 and 2015, according to a survey conducted by Swiss public television, SRF.

This content was published on December 31, 2015 - 11:00

swissinfo.ch and agencies

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.

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, there are more accidents with guns.”

In Switzerland, with more than eight million inhabitants, there are about 2.5 million legal weapons, around half of which are used for Swiss military service.

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