Posted on 12/28/2004 3:23:29 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
| 'No Credible Evidence' That Carrying Concealed Weapons Laws Decrease Crime | |
| Press Release Contact: Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort P.O. Box 170393 Milwaukee, WI 53217 Phone: 414-351-9283 'No Credible Evidence' That Carrying Concealed Weapons Laws Decrease Crime According to a New Report From the National Academy of Sciences: Statement by Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Gun Lobby Shoots Blanks on False Claims That Wisconsin Families Will Be Safer If Residents Are Allowed to Carry Hidden and Loaded Handguns in Public Places MILWAUKEE -- A new report released from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), "Firearms and Violence," found "no credible evidence" that carrying concealed weapons laws decrease crime. The gun lobby has long claimed that carrying hidden and loaded handguns on the streets and in public will make families and communities safer, despite overwhelming opposition from Wisconsin law enforcement officials and Wisconsin voters. However, the new National Academy of Sciences report casts doubt on the research underlying the claims that carrying concealed weapons laws reduces crime. Although the NAS said more data is needed to assess CCW laws, the finding that there is "no credible evidence" that concealed weapons laws reduce crime concurs with similar findings from researchers across the country. The NAS report also found no "increase" in crime as a result of CCW laws, although previously researchers at Stanford and Yale law schools did find marginal increases in crime. "One would hope this report from the National Academy of Sciences would signal the end of the relentless agenda by the gun lobby to permit carrying concealed weapons in Wisconsin," said Jeri Bonavia, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort. "Many of the most esteemed researchers and professors in this country could find no positive benefit in passing carrying concealed weapons legislation. Common sense would dictate that since Wisconsin has such a low crime rate, and CCW is soundly opposed by law enforcement officials and the public, lawmakers should focus on issues that really matter to families such as strengthening our schools and providing jobs." The report, which examined a host of gun violence prevention measures including CCW laws, called for a comprehensive national effort to collect accurate data on gun ownership and gun violence incidents in order to evaluate the effectiveness of gun violence prevention measures. The National Academy of Sciences said researchers need accurate data on the number of guns manufactured and distributed, access to crime gun trace data, and more information on patterns of gun ownership and types of weapons owned in order to adequately assess policies to reduce and prevent gun violence. Gun violence prevention organizations have long supported efforts to collect more data to implement a national public health approach to reducing gun violence, but the gun lobby in America has systematically blocked those efforts that could lead to a reduction in crime and gun violence. |
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IOW, no liberal has yet admitted it. There is evidence A-PLENTY that CCW states have lowered certain crime stats, such as car-jackings and muggings.
You can be certain if there was even the slightest sliver of evidence that it INCREASED violent crime, they'd be shouting it from the rooftops. This tends to suggest that they didn't find any evidence of that, either.
While this question is irrelavant in the face of the fundamental basic human right to self-defense that is at the basis of concealed carry laws, these researchers may also be only looking at overall crime rates, rather than rates of specific types of confrontational crime.
If - because of concealed carry laws - a criminal decides to burglarize two empty houses instead of robbing a single person at knifepoint, the "crime rate" has increased, but I'd rather see a dozen cold burglaries than a single armed robbery.
helped bernie goetz not be a victim
"The consensus of the scientific community is that there is no credible evidence that aliens have ever visited Earth."
I know Lott and Kleck's work is genuine. What is this?
But on the other hand, there is absolutely NOTHING that even remotely suggests that crime went up among CCW carriers. So, it CCW carriers are not a problem, then why do anything to "fix" it?
That was outside of Orlando in the '60's as documented in Paxton Quigley's book "Armed and Female."
Burglaries dropped exponentially in Kennesaw, GA after a law was enacted that each household *shall* contain a firearm, per John Lott's book "More Guns Less Crime."
Yet the NAS comes up with their own agenda-laden "facts." It's not hard to figure out who is funding their "scientific studies."
Like to hear the response of these neighbors in Hartford, WI - JPFO www.jpfo.org
There you go, messing with their statistics.
http://johnrlott.tripod.com/op-eds/LATimesNASFirearms.html
No, but I'm willing to bet the authors of the study don't subscribe to "The American Rifleman" and they don't read the section about the "Armed Citizen."
In 1982, Kennesaw, GA passed an ordinance REQUIRING every home to have a weapon: they now enjoy a crime rate 75% BELOW the national average...see Armed and Secure .
I don't suppose they also discovered that 10 years of Clinton's Assault Weapon Ban had absolutely no positive effect on crime?
It's a Constitutional Right to Carry Arms, regardless of any stupid study. I think that we should all carry and then find out how many criminals were eliminated by Peace Loving Citizens who protected themselves.
There was a time in this country when EVERYONE carried a weapon on his hip, why should it make a defference now. The Sheriff appreciated a helping hand and even enlisted Posse's to track down the Criminals. We have become to beauracratic about this. We have the right to bear arms, concealed or not. Law abiding Citizens don't become lawless just by strapping on a Colt on their hip. Having a pistol on your hip certainly doesn't mena your looking for trouble, but it does mean you you have the ability to protect yourself, just like it always has.
This Just It:
A new report released from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), "Swimming," found "no credible evidence" that bathing increases wetness.
Finally, an article nailing you fascist, pistol-packing, 2nd Amendment quoting thugs. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! Go tell it sisters! :) Denote sarcasm before hitting the Report Abuse button.
I'd say crime has decreased significantly in these areas.
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