The claim about CHL holders of Texas having a higher arrest rate than average Texans is false. Take a look at the article below. Phil Lee
http://www.tsra.com/arrests.htm also from Packing Following is a rebuttal to the LA Times Story. Just goes to show you that the truth will come out if one is diligent!! San Antonio Express-News The malicious "License to Kill" press releases issued recently by the Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C., misrepresent the truth about concealed-handgun-license- holders in Texas. Analysts at the Violence Policy Center cite arrest statistics to argue falsely that the handgun program in Texas is a failure. However, an unbiased comparison of arrest rates of concealed-handgun-license-holders with arrest rates of all adults in Texas proves that the 214,000 Texans with the licenses, as a group, remain the exemplary citizens they were when they received their licenses. (The basic data for this comparison comes from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Census Bureau. The arrest rates were calculated using average annual population figures and average number of annual active concealed-handgun licenses). First, the center's implication that there should never be an arrest among the 214,000 concealed-handgun-license-holders in Texas is ludicrous. The arrest rate of clergy is not zero. Second, the center does not differentiate between felony arrests and misdemeanor arrests. Of the 3,679 total arrests among concealed-handgun-license-holders in Texas for a four-year period from 1996 to 2000, 889 are felony arrests. The remaining 2,790 arrests involve less-serious misdemeanor charges. Third, arrest does not mean guilt. Of the 474 felony arrests that have been resolved, fewer than half resulted in convictions. Fourth, the data show that average annual arrests for all crimes among all adult males in Texas (9,508 per 100,000) is 14 times greater than the rate for concealed-handgun-license-holders (671 per 100,000). The violent-crime arrest rate of all adult men in Texas (306 per 100,000) is five times greater than the violent-crime arrest rate of concealed-handgun-license-holders (62). Furthermore, since Jan. 1, 1996, a total of three concealed-handgun-license holders have been convicted of murder, attempted murder or manslaughter. Only at the Violence Policy Center do three convictions in four years add up to a "License to Kill." Since 80.5 percent of concealed-handgun-license-holders in Texas are men, these comparisons are valid, and it is clear that the center's insinuations of a crime wave among this population are false and absurd. To the disappointment of the Violence Policy Center and other gun-control advocates, the Texas model for other states, such as Colorado, that are considering licensing concealed handguns. It proves that citizens who are screened by state and federal law enforcement and properly trained can be trusted to carry concealed handguns for their own protection and the protection of others. Why does the Violence Policy Center continue its attack on Texas? The answer probably lies in an unwillingness to present the whole truth, not to mention a callous and dangerous disregard for the lives and safety of the people of Texas by extremists for whom gun control has become a religion. Carl M. Hubbard, Ph.D. is a professor of business administration at Trinity University. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Paul Barnett Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 3:15 PM Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Cops rip GOP claim that hidden guns are no threat > "An analysis of Texas data reveals that between 1996 and 1999, Texas > permit holders were arrested for weapons-related offenses at a rate that > was 66 percent higher than that of the general population," Stammen said. The accuracy of this point was questioned in another forum, and I'll repost what I wrote: I think it's actually correct. The key word is "arrested". Think back to 1996-1999. That was the first three years of the CHL law in Texas. There was a lot of confusion about interpretation of some of the provisions, especially in some police departments. You might remember an analysis I did of that data: there were a significant number of arrests, but very few convictions. I believe a lot of CHL holders were arrested by law enforcement officers that didn't know the law. The DA would subsequently drop the charge or it would be dismissed by a judge. But, the original statistics published by the DPS were distorted by the VPC into this sound-bite, without any understanding of what was really happening. So, while it is true, it's not the complete story. And without the complete story, it's misleading. And I believe it is intentionally misleading. The short version: of course CHL holders are going to be arrested more often for weapons-related offenses.... they are the ones carrying weapons! It's the equivalent of saying that licensed drivers get more speeding tickets, in comparison to people that don't have driver's licenses. _______________________________________________ To post, send message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/firearmsregprof _______________________________________________ To post, send message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/firearmsregprof
