"Security is a very dynamic state of society and previously there were no restrictions for some things, but since the easy availability of bow-string weapons has turned out to increase the security risk due to a terrorist attack, the security situation is also changing and the legislator is obliged to consider measures to limit the availability of such of weapons," Darko Obradović, program director of the Center for Strategic Analysis, told Vreme.
The Law on Arms and Ammunition foresees four types of weapons, and category C includes, among other things, more powerful air weapons - with a projectile faster than 200 meters per second or a caliber greater than 4,5 millimeters, weapons with a string or a spring, such as a crossbow, and those weapons whose tendon tension force is greater than 450 newtons.
Category C weapons can be purchased without prior approval, but the buyer must report the purchase to the local police station within eight days.
Weapons from the D category are not subject to any restrictions, and we are talking about cold weapons, gas sprays, devices for causing electric shocks, weaker air weapons and weaker weapons with a string whose tension force is less than 450 newtons.
Category D weapons can be acquired and held without any permit or obligation to report to the police.
The backlog of society analysis
Obradović explained that the possibility that a weapon with a string, such as a crossbow, can be easily bought in stores is a remnant of a previous analysis of social circumstances that have changed over time.
He recalled that at the time when the Law was passed, it was not considered a security risk to own light weapons.
As an example of changes in circumstances and laws, he cited the example of traveling by plane, and reminded that before there was no control, and that you entered the plane like a bus.
Obradović pointed out that the security measures of physical and technical barriers and control of access to the plane appeared when the plane became risky for terrorist attacks, primarily for hijackings.
Publicly sent message
"It's the same thing with light bowstring weapons used for archery. The moment its availability is operationalized with the aim of killing a Serbian policeman, and probably with the intention of confiscating the weapon from the dead policeman after using a crossbow, we see that string weapons threaten our society as the public message is sent that these weapons can be deadly, even though previously knew that the weapon was lethal," Obradović said.
He emphasized that therefore, since the security situation is changing, the legislator is obliged to consider measures to limit the availability of such weapons.
"Limiting the availability of such weapons will only partially reduce the risk, because it does not matter to those who engage in terrorism whether they obtain the means by which they want to commit a crime legally or illegally," warned Obradović.
"The situation makes the criminal"
He explained that a terrorist attack has two components - motivation and operational ability, and pointed out that "the situation makes a criminal" and emphasized that it does not matter if the terrorist bought a crossbow, because he could have used a car or made a Molotov cocktail for the attack.
"In Serbia, it is very difficult to obtain weapons legally. "The legislator previously assessed that all crossbows with a string whose tension force is less than 450 newtons are not dangerous, but you can also buy a knife in any market and attack someone," Obradović said.
He pointed out that the essence is in the intelligence component of the security system, which should penetrate into the intentions of the individual, since it is not possible to limit all the means for the execution of a terrorist act.
"The essence is early detection of an individual's preparation and intention to commit a terrorist act," Obradović said.
He reminded that many countries, like France, have limited the availability of weapons, but that terrorists have started using machetes and trucks in pedestrian areas, and the like.
