There is very little silencer related crime in the USA, even less with registered (no license, just pay a tax) silencers which are the only ones that are legal to own. It is a matter of perception. Even many gun owners think of silencers as tools for the police military and criminals, not as safety devices.
But my current problem is not with silencers intended for use on portable firearms. It is devices that are not attached to the gun, like shooting boxes (for inserting the rifle barrel), sound isolated shooting enclosures, berms, baffles etc. Anything used to reduce firearm noise is illegal where I live. The State uses this statute to keep guns noisy and does not stand in the way when people move in close, then complain and file lawsuits.
The local government is very aware of the problems, but refuses to do anything about it. They could zone property to keep homes and schools away from shooting areas, or allow the use of devices to reduce noise. But any attempt to do something about the noise (other than ban shooting) is not allowed to be passed into law.
Ranb