Waxman offers much support for Israel, which is not surprising given the size of the Jewish population in his district. This is another constituency that supports gun control and that sees this as a vital issue for the protection of the community. The crime rate in the Los Angeles region and especially the gang problem adds to the desire for gun control to take much of the firepower that exists off the street. This is also seen as a pro-police issue, since most police in the region support the idea of reducing the number of guns in the hands of the public rather than increasing them as pro-gun groups like the NRA would recommend.