What is the source of the analysis? What crime statistics were used (both by VPC and TSRA)? Is there an online source for the info?
> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Phil Lee > Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 6:19 PM > To: firearmsregprof > Subject: Cops rip GOP claim that hidden guns are no threat > > > 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 _______________________________________________ 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
