[Boston Capitalist]

In most states, only one or two per cent of the population get permits, and I doubt that is enough to deter a lot of crime. If that number were up to 10%, though, the odds would be that most busses, most stores, etc. would have at least one gun in them. That would make things much scarier for a criminal.

[mil-vet]

Actually, in every case where right to carry has occurred, crime rates have decreased. ALL cases, 100%, no exceptions.

Gun control alpha hotels don't want this to become general knowledge because it shows them to be the chicken little panic mongers that they are, not to mention full of manure!

[Doctor Stochastic]

In most states, only one or two per cent of the population get permits, and I doubt that is enough to deter a lot of crime.

The criminals may not know which 2% are carrying, though.

[SQUID]

Agreed. With all due respect to the men and women in blue, they are at the scene after the fact most of the time. That alone is hardly a deterrent to a criminal mind because the criminal will calculate get-away time.

Maybe we should consider mandatory military service for 1 or 2 years after high school no?

[SauronOfMordor]

In most states, only one or two per cent of the population get permits, and I doubt that is enough to deter a lot of crime.

A professional criminal (ie one who supports himself thru robbery and muggings) has to do a LOT of crimes per year to get enough cash. Somebody who did two or three stickups a week would encounter an armed citizen within a few months.

[Atlas Sneezed]

"In most states, only one or two per cent of the population get permits, and I doubt that is enough to deter a lot of crime. If that number were up to 10%, though, the odds would be that most busses, most stores, etc. would have at least one gun in them."

Actually, if there are 20 people on the bus, and 2% of the population is carrying, then the criminal faces a 40% risk of facing an honest gun. Not very attractive odds.

[ExSoldier]

" I doubt that is enough to deter a lot of crime."

You'd be wrong. In 1987...the first year that Florida passed it's model legislation that the rest of the states now follow...I was in the first wave of permit holders. THAT year saw crime drop against Florida residents by 24% and I was in a very unique position to see first hand the effects: I was a State of Florida Probation & Parole Officer. My "clients" were scared spitless. Each and every one of these dangerous felons took the risk of being arrested as a simple "cost of doing business." But faced with an armed citizen, afraid for the lives of his family? More than one said that it wasn't worth his life. In fact about 99% expressed similar views. BTW, in states without a ccw permit in that year, crime went UP.

Instead, the crimes against foregin and domestic tourists went up about a thoiusand percent. Remember the scandals of the dead English and German tourists in and around south Florida? It made national news and smeared Florida's rep worldwide. Then some smart Governor (JEB) signed into legislation a law allowing targeted reciprocity with other states especially those with a border in Florida. GW did exactly the same thing in Texas and then expanded the program. As did JEB.

Now, foreign tourists are still a target, but most bad guys leave the domestic (especially those license plates from the DEEP SOUTH) alone! It's one very important reason I only vacation in the south...where my FL ccw permit is valid.

[El Gato]

In most states, only one or two per cent of the population get permits, and I doubt that is enough to deter a lot of crime.

Oh I don't know. If 2% of the population is armed, or two percent of the adult population say, in a group of 50 people the probability that at least one person was armed would be 63 percent. If you go to 3 percent armed the probability goes to 78 %. I suspect a 30 or 40 percent chance of getting shot is a pretty fair deterent. At 2% armed the chance of one or more being armed in a group of 20 is 33%.

Of course you have to add all those peaceable citizens who are armed, but not licensed. That could be an apreciable number, depending the state and the stituation, even considering only legally armed folks.