Former police firearms instructor, Terrence Lappe, has started offering firearms training to women and residents of Philadelphia as crime rates continue to surge. A new study by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) reveals that while the number of concealed carry permits in the U.S. has slightly decreased, the overall number of Americans carrying concealed firearms has likely increased. This is due to more than half of U.S. states enacting laws that do not require eligible residents to obtain a permit.
According to John Lott, the founder and president of the CPRC, this year marked the first time there has been a drop in the number of concealed carry permits since 1998. However, the study found that in constitutional carry states, where residents can carry concealed firearms without a permit, there was a decrease in permits. In states that still require permits, there was an increase.
The study, which obtained data on concealed carry permits, shows a 0.5% decrease in concealed carry holders across the U.S. this year. Lott argues that relying on concealed carry permit data is more reliable than gun ownership surveys, as gun owners may be hesitant to share personal information with surveyors.
Currently, 27 states in the U.S. have constitutional carry laws, allowing legal residents to carry concealed firearms without a permit. However, residents of these states can still obtain permits for reciprocity agreements with other states. Alabama, Florida, and Nebraska recently enacted permitless carry laws, making the U.S. a constitutional carry-majority nation. These states account for 65% of the land in the U.S. and 44% of the population.
The study also reveals that in states without constitutional carry laws, there was an increase in concealed carry permits. However, in constitutional carry states, the number of permits declined despite more people legally carrying firearms.
Currently, there are 21,846,557 active concealed carry permits in the U.S., with Florida having the highest number of permits at 2.56 million. Texas follows with 1.63 million permits, and Pennsylvania with 1.6 million. Alabama has the highest percentage of residents with concealed carry permits, at 27.75% of the state’s adult population.
Lott suggests that the cost of obtaining a concealed carry permit plays a role in the decrease of permits in constitutional carry states. In states like Chicago and California, where permits require significant fees and gun safety training, more people are inclined to purchase handguns and carry them without a permit.
Lowering the costs of obtaining permits also leads to a change in the demographic of permit holders, with more permits being issued in heavily minority and poor areas. Lott argues that those who are most likely to benefit from concealed carry permits are the most vulnerable to violent crime, such as poor Black individuals, women, and the elderly.
Women and minorities are increasingly turning to gun ownership, with the growth rate for permits among women being 111% faster than men over the past decade. The study also shows larger increases in permits for minorities compared to whites in states like Texas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina.
Lott believes that as more Americans arm themselves, crime rates are likely to decrease due to the increased risk for criminals. He argues that making it riskier for criminals to commit crimes by allowing victims to defend themselves is an effective crime prevention strategy.
The study also highlights the law-abiding nature of concealed carry permit holders, as they are convicted of firearms-related violations at a much lower rate than police officers and the general population.
In conclusion, the study by the CPRC reveals that despite a slight decrease in concealed carry permits, more Americans are carrying concealed firearms due to the enactment of permitless carry laws in several states. The data suggests that lowering the costs of obtaining permits and allowing residents to carry without permits has led to an increase in legal gun ownership, particularly among women and minorities. The study also argues that arming law-abiding individuals in high-crime areas can help reduce crime rates.
