FBI Report Shows Dramatic Violent Crime Drop as 29 States Adopted “Constitutional Carry” laws

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From [HERE] The FBI’s national crime report for 2023 shows a record-breaking decline in murders during a year when the number of states adopting so-called “constitutional carry” rose to 29, undercutting a popular—and obviously false—claim by the gun prohibition lobby that more guns result in more crime.

By no surprise, anti-gunners—including the national media—have ignored that fact. However, the popular HandgunLaw.us website has a complete list of all 29 permitless carry states with the dates their laws became effective.

According to the Brennan Center, “The bureau’s data closely aligns with predictions from independent experts, all of whom estimated steep drops in murders in 2023 and 2024 alike. Indeed, it’s clear that the 2020 murder spike that coincided with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has substantially (but not completely) receded.”

A careful glance at the FBI National Instant Check System raw data for background checks suggests continued strong firearms transactions over the past few years. The FBI report was released a week ago, yet there has not been a lot of national ballyhoo.

As noted by Brennan, “Nearly all metrics of crime declined in 2023, with murder dropping most precipitously by a record-setting 11.6 percent. When broken down by rate — the number of offenses per 100,000 people — that is a decline of 12 percent. As a result, the national murder rate now hovers around levels last seen in 2017, which is roughly 11 percent higher than where it stood before the pandemic.”

While the updated concealed carry permit holders report for 2023 is not yet available from the Crime Prevention Research Center, it should be noted that the estimated number of active carry permits and licenses declined slightly last year from 2022, likely because of the adoption of permitless carry laws. There is really no way to estimate the number of law-abiding citizens carrying defensive sidearms under the “constitutional carry” laws, but the fact that violent crime has declined while such laws expanded to 29 states raises significant questions about the necessity for restrictive gun laws.

According to the FBI, “national violent crime decreased an estimated 3.0% in 2023 compared to 2022 estimates:

  • Murder and non-negligent manslaughter recorded a 2023 estimated nationwide decrease of 11.6% compared to the previous year.

  • In 2023, the estimated number of offenses in the revised rape category saw an estimated 9.4% decrease.

  • Aggravated assault figures decreased an estimated 2.8% in 2023.

  • Robbery showed an estimated decrease of 0.3% nationally. [MORE]