New Study Debunks Propaganda: Concealed Carry Laws Don’t Increase Crime, Say Experts

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From [HERE] The debate over concealed carry weapon (CCW) laws is as heated as ever. With out-of-control crime and a flood of illegal alien criminals, citizen concealed carry is needed now more than ever, as recent self-defense events illustrate. Well-funded Gun control advocates tirelessly argue that these laws lead to more crime, but a new research paper “How Does Concealed Carrying of Weapons Affect Violent Crime?” by John R. Lott and Carlisle E. Moody is making waves by challenging these claims head-on. Here’s what you need to know about their findings, especially if you support gun rights.

The Claims: More Concealed Carry Holders, More Crime?

Anti-gun activists often say that right-to-carry laws, which allow citizens to carry concealed firearms, lead to two main problems:

  1. More Stolen Guns: They argue that more people carrying permitted guns means more chances for those guns to be stolen and end up in the hands of criminals.

  2. Interference with Police: They claim that armed citizens make it harder for police to do their jobs, reducing their effectiveness and potentially increasing crime.

The Research: Setting the Record Straight

Lott and Moody set out to test these claims using solid data. Their research doesn’t just lump all CCW laws together. Instead, they look at specific factors, like the percentage of the adult population with a permit and the number of stolen guns in each state. Here’s what they found:

  1. Stolen Guns: Using data Lott and Moody obtained with help from Congressman Thomas Massie, the study shows that CCW permit holders are NOT a significant source of stolen guns. The research found that the coefficients on CCW permits per capita were approximately ZERO, meaning there was no significant relationship between the number of permits and the number of stolen guns. This slam closed the argument that more CCW permits equal more guns for criminals.

  2. Police Effectiveness: The study also found NO evidence that CCW permit holders reduce police effectiveness. The clearance rates (arrest rates) for violent crimes, such as murder, rape, robbery, and assault, showed no significant difference related to the number of CCW permits. In fact, many law enforcement officers believe that armed citizens can help reduce crime. This directly counters the claim that more people carrying guns make it harder for the police to do their jobs.

Supporting Data

  • Revocation Rates: In the 19 states with comprehensive data, the average revocation rate of CCW permits for any reason is one-tenth of 1%. This indicates that permit holders are highly law-abiding.

  • Driving Violations: Data from Michigan shows that non-permit holders are 2.4 times more likely to drive drunk, 34.1 times more likely to drive under the influence of a controlled substance, and 10.6 times more likely to drive recklessly compared to permit holders.

  • Police Opinion: A 2013 survey by PoliceOne found that 76% of law enforcement officers believe legally armed citizens are very or extremely important in reducing crime. Additionally, 91.3% support civilians carrying firearms if they haven’t been convicted of a felony or deemed psychologically incapable.

Why This Matters

For gun rights supporters, this research is a big deal. It provides strong evidence that right-to-carry laws don’t lead to the negative outcomes that anti-gun activists claim. Instead, it supports the idea that law-abiding citizens carrying firearms can coexist with effective policing without increasing crime rates. [MORE]