Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in a case originating in New York, which has opened the door for law-abiding citizens to carry a gun in public for protection.
In the Supreme Court’s 165-page opinion, it ruled that individuals have a constitutional right, under the Second Amendment, to carry a firearm in public for self-defense. This ruling affects New Jersey’s strict gun laws, which are a mirror of New York’s.
It is noted that certain people who are otherwise prohibited from possessing guns are still prohibited from doing so. Keep in mind this decision is about law-abiding citizens being licensed by the state to carry firearms.
This declaration immediately sent a shockwave through the gun control community. Gov. Phil Murphy, in a press conference, stated, “More guns on our streets will not make our communities safer.”
New York’s governor made the same statement in her press conference.
These statements do not appear to be born out. Statistics from several states, including New Jersey, show a correlation between civilians carrying guns and the reduction in violent crimes.
They demonstrate that where civilians cannot carry a gun, violent crime is much higher. They consider population, number of violent crimes reported and the number of concealed carry permits in those areas, utilizing the most recent numbers available.
In 1967, in response to a wave of sexual assaults, the City of Orlando, Florida, with a then-population of 272,000, started a program to train local women on how to use a gun. As a result, Orlando saw an 89% drop in sexual assaults and a significant drop in home burglaries, per the Orlando Crime Rate Report and cityrating.com.
In 1987, Florida passed legislation permitting civilians to carry guns, upon obtaining a state permit. Between 1999 and 2019, Orlando, now with a population of over 2.7 million, experienced a nearly 50% decrease in violent crimes,which is more than nine times as many people and half the violent crimes.
In 1987, Florida had a population of just over 12 million and the nation’s second-highest murder rate. That same year, Florida reported a total of 123,030 violent crimes. That number increased to 161,789 in 1996.
According to state records, by 1996, Florida had issued 1.2 million carry permits to civilians. The population was now over 13 million. From 1996 on, violent crimes in Florida have steadily decreased.
Today, Florida has a population of 21,208,259. It also has over 2.5 million carry permits currently issued to civilians, which is more than 10% of the population.
In 2019, Florida reported a total of 81,092 violent crimes, which is nearly a 50% reduction from 1996 and nearly double the population. This is according to the Florida Uniform Crime Reports, The Heritage Foundation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On March 15, 1982, the City of Kennesaw, Georgia, with a population of 5,500, passed an ordinance requiring every home to have a working firearm, unless otherwise prohibited.
The results surprised everyone. In the seven months immediately following, there was an 89% decrease in home burglaries. That law remains in effect today.
With a population now over 33,000, CNN, in 2018, declared Kennesaw to be “America’s safest town,” boasting a violent crime rate of under 2%. This is according to CNN, politicalvelcraft.org, Georgia Uniform Crime Reports, and the City of Kennesaw, Georgia.
Compare this to New Jersey. In 2019, New Jersey had a population of 8.8 million, the same as in 2013. Excluding retired police officers, New Jersey has less than 2,000 concealed carry permits issued to civilians. That equates to 0.002% of the population. Most of them were issued to armored car guards/drivers or private detectives. Very few were issued to anyone else.
In 2013, New Jersey reported a total of 192,914 violent crimes. In 2019, that number was 137,012, according to the New Jersey Uniform Crime Reports. A significant decrease, yet still significantly higher than Florida’s 81,092, with almost three times as many people.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The Heritage Foundation, guns prevent 2.5 million crimes a year. In most cases, the gun is never fired, and no blood is shed. The mere presence of the gun is enough to defuse and stop the crime from occurring.
Forty percent of felons admitted avoiding a crime when they thought a gun was present and 60% said they did when they knew a gun was present. Fewer than 1% of firearms in America are ever used in crime.
According to a 2017 survey published by the Washington Examiner, citing statistics from Florida and Texas, concealed carry permit holders are “extremely law-abiding.” The statistics showed that in those states, a police officer was six times more likely to be convicted of a misdemeanor or felony than a citizen with a concealed carry permit.
Recently, in Indiana, a man lawfully carrying a handgun stopped a mass shooting that very well would have resulted in far more loss of life than occurred. We must stop gun violence. The examples are instructive.
ED. NOTE: The vignettes above appear to indicate that the arming of law-abiding citizens deters crime. If you have an opposing view, please contact the Herald, and enable us to put your data-supported conclusions before the public.
