If you listen to some, anyone who feels the need to carry a dangerous firearm in public is paranoid, are going to cause more harm than good and the streets will run red with blood from our John McClain inspired delusions ("Die Hard" reference for those that don't get it). But a study by the Texas Department of Public Safety (our state law enforcement group) shows during 2011 CHL (Concealed Handgun License) holders were responsible for less than 0.19% of the major crimes committed. This includes gun crimes, child abuse, kidnapping, sexual assaults and the like. Out of 63,679 convictions, only 120 were legal CHL holders. And of those, less than half actual involved the use of a gun.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/RSD/CHL/Reports/ConvictionRatesReport2011.pdf
Let's go 1 step further; population of Texas in 2011 was 25.9 million, about 17 million of which are over 21. TxDPS reports show there were 518,625 active CHL holders that year, or about 3% of the population. But that 3% accounted for less that 0.19% of the major crimes. Sounds like a pretty safe group of people to trust to me.
I am not cast doubt on any group, but I wonder how these statistics stack up against other groups, including police and other law enforcement. Because I think the numbers would show that CHL holders are as responsible, or maybe even more responsible, than this group that we hold in such rightfully high esteem.
And I bet that the same holds true for every state that keeps these types of statistics. By definition we are the law abiding citizens, because we jump through the hoops and follow all the rules and actually GET the piece of paper instead of being a criminal that skirts the laws.
0 comments:
Post a Comment