New Scientific Study Proves: Concealed Carry lowers crime rates
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January 21, 2014 -A scientific study formally reveals what gun owners already know; Concealed carry reduces crime rates.
Anti-gun rights advocates falsely assume and then parrot that restrictive laws on weapons make states a safer place to live but recent research shows the exact opposite is true.
Mark Gius from Quinnipac University, published in Applied Economics Letters, shows that in states with more restrictive concealed carry weapons (CCW) laws there is actually an increase in gun related crime.
Over the period of the study the average murder rate was 3.44, data available in the full article indicates that states with more restrictive CCW laws had a gun-related murder rate that was 10% higher than the average. In addition to this finding, the Federal assault weapons ban seemed to make an even bigger impact, with murder rates 19.3% higher when this ban was in effect.
There are four broad types of CCW laws, unrestricted, which means an individual requires no permit to carry a concealed handgun. Shall issue, in which a permit is required but authorities must issue one to all qualified applicants that request one. May issue, in which authorities can deny a request for a permit and finally no issue, those states that do not allow private citizens to carry a concealed weapon.
Although there have been many studies on gun control, there has been limited research into assault weapon bans and CCW laws. Of those that do currently exist there has been a mix in the exact results, however, Lott and Mustard (1997) found those states with a less restrictive law saw a 7.65% drop in murders.
This new study examines data from 1980 to 2009, one of the biggest time periods in research of this kind. It also looks solely at gun crime, rather than violent crime which is the case in similar research. State level data on gun related murder is taken from the Supplementary Homicide Reports from the United States Department of Justice and the information on CCW laws was obtained from a variety of United States bodies.
In conclusion it would appear that limiting people’s ability to carry concealed weapons may in fact cause murder rates to rise. Gius does admit that more research is warranted in this area.
The purpose of the present study is to determine the effects of state-level assault weapons bans and concealed weapons laws on state-level murder rates. Using data for the period 1980 to 2009 and controlling for state and year fixed effects, the results of the present study suggest that states with restrictions on the carrying of concealed weapons had higher gun-related murder rates than other states. It was also found that assault weapons bans did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level. These results suggest that restrictive concealed weapons laws may cause an increase in gun-related murders at the state level. The results of this study are consistent with some prior research in this area, most notably Lott and Mustard (1997).
Mark Gius. An examination of the effects of concealed weapons laws and assault weapons bans on state-level murder rates. Applied Economics Letters, 2014; 21 (4): 265 DOI: 10.1080/13504851.2013.854294
Conceal Carry not just for men; Ohio see’s more woman training for then obtaining permits
Permits currently require 12 hours of instruction and are valid for five years. A so-called “stand-your-ground” bill that passed the Ohio House and is in the Senate would reduce the required hours from 12 to four and eliminate a requirement that a person attempt to flee a threatening situation rather than use force.
Roger Polk, 52, of Wadsworth Township, has one of the busiest training programs in the area.
Along with a few helpers, he estimates they have instructed more than 14,000 people since 2004.
A postal employee, Polk first taught a firearms classes as a Marine. When the Ohio CCW law was approved, he decided to offer low-cost classes. While some may charge $100 per person in small groups, his program is $46, but may be in groups of more than 100.
They come from across the state, sometimes on church buses, he said.
“Our motivation is very simple,” he said. “What we want to do is educate, train and arm as many law-abiding citizens as we can so that they can help protect our family when they are out and about.”
At first, the students were strong advocates for conceal carry, and most were men. Now, about half are women.
But, he said, “It is not for everyone.”
“Not all my family or your family, or whoever, wants to carry,” he said. “The more people we have who are educated, trained and armed in our community, the better chance we have — me and the coaches involved in the class — the better chance we have of those people protecting our family members.”
Polk said he has never had to draw his gun.
“That’s a good feeling,” he said. “I don’t want to change anybody’s mind. They don’t have to agree with CCW … But the people who want to be able to protect themselves and their family — I want to be able to make a decision whether I am going to live or die and I don’t want it all up to the bad guy…”
Pink guns on sale
Kris Gaugler, gun salesman at Ohio Supply & Tool in Wadsworth, also has noticed the changing demographics of gun ownership.
“I am seeing from 80-year-old women to fathers getting their 21-year-old daughters handguns,” he said.
Gun manufacturers are offering firearms that may be attractive to women, said Gaugler. His store carries a pink Mossberg semi-automatic .22 called a Plinkster.
Teresa Tharan, 51, a licensed practical nurse of Akron, said she was the victim of stalking, so she obtained a license in 2012 and purchased a weapon.
“I had never held a gun before,” she said. “I was kind of scared.”
She took a class at Commence Firearms in Cleveland, and almost all of the students were women, she said.
“I wanted to protect my home and my family and I don’t like how they are trying to take guns out of our hands,” she said.
She said that although she isn’t allowed to carry a weapon to her workplace, she feels safer overall.
“I feel like I am protected if something does happen,” she said.
Akron husband and wife Paul and Sharon Lorentzen are gun owners and both plan to take a CCW class in 2014.
Sharon Lorentzen, 62, said she was attacked more than four decades ago while driving across New Mexico.
“I got the crap beat out of me,” she said. “That never leaves you.”
Paul Lorentzen, 71, a retired architect, said he wants the freedom to carry while walking his dog at night in their Highland Square neighborhood.
“I think it could deter serious crime if they think twice that you may be armed,” he said.
Fear is a major factor, said Akron CCW instructor Rick Starr, 54, who also is a pastor.
He said he is “saving lives spiritually or saving lives physically” by teaching about 1,500 people over five years how to handle a firearm
“It is called carrying concealed because you want to keep it secret and not advertise it to the public,” he said.
He believes there are two forces driving the interest.
“Unfortunately one of them is fear — fear of crime — and the other is fear that we will lose our privileges to carry concealed and that the government will step in and stop us.”
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