[1010RD]

What was the overall drop in population over the same time period?

[cripplecreek]

If anything the population is rising marginally. I know the statewide population went up a bit last year.

[cripplecreek]

Also helping to drive the crime rate down.

Detroit police chief: Legal gun owners can deter crime

Link only due to copywrite whiners but there are some very interesting comments from Chief Craig. He says that after 28 years as an LA cop he was pretty strongly opposed to armed citizens but when he became a Chief in Maine they changed his attitude pretty quickly. Maine is one of the safest places in the country and Craig attributes it largely to people being armed.