Texas Concealed Handgun License Murder Rates

Gun Watch ^ | 22 October, 2013 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Texas is one of the few states that tracks crimes committed by concealed carry weapon permit holders.  In Texas, the permit is called a concealed handgun license, or CHL.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has filed annual reports of the convictions of CHL holders from 1996 through 2011.   They wait two years to obtain final conviction information before publishing the totals, so 2011 is the last year that they have data for.

The number of CHL holders that commit murder or manslaughter is remarkably low.  From the DPS reports for 1996 through 2011  the number of murder and manslaughter convictions for CHL holders during that period totalled 30 over the 16 years. 

Link to Texas DPSpdf files, ConvictionRatesReports 1996 - 2011

DPS also reports on the number of active CHL holders for each year.   Those numbers were totalled to obtain the number of CHL holder-years.   The total number of CHL holder-years for the 1996-2011 is 4,295,434.  

Link to calendar year Texas DPSpdf files Reports on Active License and Instructor Counts1996 - 2012

The two numbers give us the ratio of CHL holder convictions for murder and manslaughter per 100,000 CHL holders.  That number is  .70 per 100,000.

The rate of  murder and manslaughter for the general population of Texas averaged for the years 1996-2011 is 6.0 per 100,000. 

Link to site with UCR Texas murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rates 1996 - 2011


©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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[marktwain]

Another datum that shows the the people who legally carry weapons are more law abiding than the general population.

From this simple comparison, one could draw the simple conclusion that carrying weapons makes a person less likely to commit murder.

Of course, it is more complicated than that. It is likely that the people who chose to exercise the responsibility of being armed legally, are self selected members of society that are more responsible than average.

It is probably a combination of the two factors.

[srmorton]

I am not at all surprised. Those that obey the law and obtain a permit for their weapons are not usually the type of person to intentionally commit murder, no matter what DiFi says.

[SC_Pete]

Historical data trumps sampling any day. Good stuff.

[mbarker12474]

What about Bible carrying Christians?

Persons who attend church?

Persons with red hair?

Democrats?

Food Stamp Recipients?

Corporate Executives?

Used Car Salesmen?

[Travis McGee]

More hard data for the MSM to ignore.

[Yo-Yo]

But, but, but, what about blood running in the streets? Every fender-bender turning into the O.K. Corral? Families dying because there is a gun in the house? I just don’t get it, this report shows none of that happening.

[Envisioning]

Ha! Ted Kennedy’s car has STILL killed more people than ANY of my guns (((ping)))!

[Tenacious 1]

But, but, but, what about blood running in the streets? Every fender-bender turning into the O.K. Corral? Families dying because there is a gun in the house? I just don’t get it, this report shows none of that happening.

Obviously this study is biased. It was probably funded by the NRA. It might even be racists to suggest that "non-CHL holders" are responsible for most violent weapons crimes. Somebody should call the ACLU and NAACP. Does NRAL know about this study?

[fwdude]

And no one can accuse Texas of concealing data that the Left covets so rabidly to work their own ends.

[Spirochete]

The hyperbolic left said blood would be running in the streets, that it would be like the Wild West.

[Tupelo]

Just a thought, but I would bet that Tombstone, AZ in 1881 (the year of the OK Corral gunfight) had a lower murder rate than Chicago, IL in 2012. AND a lower murder by firearm rate.

[rdcbn]

Just a thought, but I would bet that Tombstone, AZ in 1881 (the year of the OK Corral gunfight) had a lower murder rate than Chicago, IL in 2012. AND a lower murder by firearm rate.

---

In Tombstone, four men get killed in one day in a notoriously tough town and it creates a legend that survives to this day, some 130 years later

Four people get murdered in Chicago and it’s a slow Monday evening

[rktman]

I seem to remember that Tombstone had a “check your firearms” kind of policy put in place by Wyatt. Anyone know if this is correct? Lower population, lower murder rate. Plus not a whole lot of ebt card holders then either.

[556x45]

‘...are self selected members of society that are more responsible than average. ‘

This is my pick for the primary reason. I dont think carrying an inanimate object changes the carrier much if at all. I would say those who carry have more than the avg desire to contribute positively to society and are likely involved in other ways as well. I also imagine these same people seek out instruction beyond that required by the state b/c they feel it a duty to be competent/educated. In short they understand the awesome responsibility associated w/ this freedom.

[Tupelo]

“In Tombstone, four men get killed in one day in a notoriously tough town and it creates a legend that survives to this day, some 130 years later”

Four men killed in a good POLICE shooting. (as determined by the Spicer Hearing) I don't think that would be included in any murder statistics kept by Chicago or the FBI. Just shooting statistics.

[Tupelo]

Not to quibble but I think Morgan Earp was the town marshall. Wyatt was a part time deputy. So Morgan instituted the “no firearms carried in town” rule.

[Starstruck]

What a terrible headline.

[98ZJ USMC]

Completely agree. The discomfort that most liberals feel reading statistical data like this, makes me feel all happy inside. The saliva foaming rage that some feel, makes me positively giddy.

[Springfield Reformer]

So if I get these numbers right, a CC licensee is nearly 10 times LESS likely to commit murder or manslaughter than a member of the general population. At least in TX. We just got us a new “weapon.” Cool.

[TADSLOS]

In Tombstone, four men get killed in one day in a notoriously tough town and it creates a legend that survives to this day, some 130 years later

Four people get murdered in Chicago and it’s a slow Monday evening

Great observation.