Posted on 06/01/2009 10:57:11 PM PDT by appleseed
Missourians are rushing to arm themselves with concealed weapons at a record pace so far this year.
Criminologists and law enforcement officials say the increase may be driven by fear of increased crime due to the recession and the perception of potential loss of gun rights from a new Democratic president.
"People just don't feel safe, whether it's with the political structure or the economic situation," said Noelle Fearn, assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at St. Louis University.
In the St. Louis area, the surge is most marked in St. Charles, Warren, Lincoln and Jefferson counties, where applications for the first four months of 2009 are between 114 percent and 144 percent higher than for the same period last year, according to data provided by sheriff's departments.
In St. Louis, applications are up 49 percent this year, and St. Louis County's have risen 53 percent. Illinois does not allow concealed carry.
In Missouri, no central database exists for new permits, but the Highway Patrol tracks the mandatory criminal background checks it performs for new applicants.
The patrol did 14,333 checks in 2004, the first year the permits were issued in Missouri. The number never came close until 2008, when it spiked dramatically to 18,466. However, through the third week of May this year, the number of checks had already reached 14,088. Most applicants pass the background check and get a permit.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Self Reliant/Survivalist ping list
Don't go where you can't carry. Don't carry where you are subject to unconstitutional searches.
/johnny
It is a source of income for the states by renting us our rights.....best we can do for now until open or unlicensed concealed carry is approved in all 50 or 57 states.....:o)
Socialists are about control versus the deterrent of justice IMO.
They should know this , I no more own a fire extinguisher hoping my home will catch fire so I can use it than I do a firearm so I can shoot someone. Both are last resort tools of our times. They need to get over it . I am.
Stay safe !
I have been (concealed) carry without permit for 15 or so years.
I am now open carry and nobody says a thing. Have been in banks, Gold Shops, stores of all kinds.
I am not stupid enough to carry a gun into a school yard. For one thing I don’t go to school yards and secondly if I did I would conceal it.
Even cops have hardly given me much more than a glance.
There was a guy about a year ago carrying concealed w/o permit. Also had severl thousand in cash and some contraband. He was transporting his buddy to the ER after getting shot up. Weapon was stolen and had AP rounds. Could of went through a vest like a hot knife in butter.
I’m not open carry even if I could.
My point is, its our right to have and carry a weapon for self defense. Imagine the outrage if folks had to pay $5 every time they expressed freedom of speech. There are some really good ways to artfully conceal a weapon. In this day and age, I don't think I would ever openly carry a weapon unless of course it was your job and part of your uniform. Things are getting desperate. I don't want Mr. crackhead eyeballing my weapon and waiting for the chance to unload his AP’s in me just because he sees my weapon and figures he can get his next couple of fixes from it.
If the rates reported are consistent across the state, we would expect to have about 70,000 CCW endorsements in effect by 31 DEC 2009, about 12% of our states’ population.
Unfortunately, the DEM AG does not require the State Patrol or anyone else to maintain a database of CCW demographics or crime involvement-so no one can accurately state whether or not CCW endorsement holders are a positive influence or a bunch of legal gun toting criminals waiting to happen ( they know the truth from other states records and do not want to publicize good news about gun carrying citizens).
MO CCW Instructor, etc.
If the rates reported are consistent across the state, we would expect to have about 70,000 CCW endorsements in effect by 31 DEC 2009, about 12% of our states’ population.
Unfortunately, the DEM AG does not require the State Patrol or anyone else to maintain a database of CCW demographics or crime involvement-so no one can accurately state whether or not CCW endorsement holders are a positive influence or a bunch of legal gun toting criminals waiting to happen ( they know the truth from other states records and do not want to publicize good news about gun carrying citizens).
MO CCW Instructor, etc.
They’ll never admit that a responsible citizen that is armed is almost as effective as a police officer on patrol.
FYI, there is no NEED for the Supremes to consider 2nd Amendment “Incorporation”! FACT: The 2nd Amendment is SELF-incorporated to all government entities at every level. It is MORE ABSOLUTE than the 1st Amendment, or any of the others, because the wording forbids not only CONGRESS, but ANYONE from infringing on it. The 1st says “Congress shall make no law...”. The 2nd say “shall NOT be infringed!” Period! End of debate!
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