Why ccw

The increased prevalence of concealed weapons could lead to increased crime and violence if disagreements, perceived threats, and conflicts are more likely to result in casualties when a handgun is readily available. Alternatively, concealed-carry laws could lead to reductions in the prevalence or severity of violent crime and mass shootings either because the prospect of encountering an armed victim serves as a deterrent or because victims will more frequently be able to use a gun to defend themselves Fortunato, Whether those who carry concealed weapons pose an elevated or reduced risk of crime or violence is the subject of debate Violence Policy Center, ; Lott, Whitley, and Riley, A comparison of criminal conviction rates among holders and nonholders of concealed handgun licenses in Texas found that license holders were less likely to be convicted of crimes, but the license holders' convictions were significantly more likely to involve deadly conduct and intentional killings Phillips et al.

The likelihood of encountering an armed victim may further lead to increased gun violence by inducing more criminals to carry and use firearms. Alternatively, these laws may result in criminals deciding to pursue other types of crime, such as larceny, where the probability of encountering armed resistance is lower Kovandzic and Marvell, Relaxed restrictions on concealed carrying could produce a range of effects associated with increasing the percentage of the population that is armed.

Indeed, Rowhani-Rahbar et al. In states with more-restrictive may-issue laws, only 9. In contrast, in states with shall-issue and permitless-carry laws, more than 20 percent of handgun owners did so. Data on the number of persons with concealed-carry permits are not readily available for many states. But recent estimates suggest that the number of concealed-carry permit holders in the United States was around 14 million in Rowhani-Rahbar et al.

We identified only one study that analyzed how changes in the number of concealed-carry permits related to changes in various types of violent crime Kovandzic and Marvell, The authors analyzed data from 58 Florida counties spanning —, providing coverage of the period before and after the passage of Florida's shall-issue law in Although this study did not analyze the effect of the shall-issue policy change, it did examine how changes in the number of concealed-carry permits over time and across counties corresponded with changes in various types of violent crime.

The authors found uncertain effects of changes in per capita concealed-carry permit rates on violent crime. There is likely to be little effect of concealed-carry laws on hunting or recreational gun use.

However, shall-issue policies may encourage more individuals to obtain firearms, thereby increasing handgun sales Steidley, To assess these or any other effects of concealed-carry laws, one would ideally like to know whether there are greater increases in gun ownership and carrying in states following passage of shall-issue or permitless-carry laws compared with states that have more-restrictive laws, but such data have not been collected systematically over time.

The direct effects of increased concealed carrying by private citizens on suicides, unintentional injuries and deaths, and defensive gun use should be strongest for incidents involving handguns and that occur outside the home where the laws apply. Similarly, for violent crime, one would expect concealed-carry laws to have greater effects either negative or positive, depending on the role of deterrence on assaults or homicides occurring in public venues compared with those occurring within the home.

Should the effects of concealed-carry laws be driven primarily by expanding the prevalence of gun ownership, then their effects could extend to both private and public areas for such outcomes as suicides, firearm homicides, and unintentional injuries and deaths.

As of January 1, , 16 states have laws allowing people to carry concealed weapons without first receiving a permit; that includes Vermont, which has never required a permit for concealed carry.

Many states have reciprocity clauses in their concealed-carry permit laws, meaning that they recognize the concealed-carry permits issued by some but not necessarily all other states United States Concealed Carry Association, Often, states honor permits only from other states with laws similar to their own. There are some states, however, that recognize concealed-carry permits from states with less-restrictive laws. For instance, Delaware has a may-issue law but recognizes the concealed-carry permits from several states with shall-issue laws USA Carry, View the full project bibliography.

Updated April 22, May Increase Violent Crime. May Decrease We found no qualifying studies showing that concealed-carry laws decreased any of the eight outcomes we investigated. See Alaska Stat. State , ; Ida. Code Ann. See Ala. Laws Ann. District of Columbia , F. See Calif. Code Tit. Laws Ch. Adler, W. Bielke, D. Doi, and J. Ahmedani, Brian K. Hunkeler, Ursula Whiteside, Belinda H. Operskalski, M. Justin Coffey, and Leif I. Albert, Adelin, and John A.

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Merrill, and D. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Section Code of Federal Regulations, Title 28, Section Code of Federal Regulations, Title 38, Section 1. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 39, Section Cohen, Amy P. Collazos, D. Collins, T. Greenberg, M. Siegel, Z. Xuan, E. Rothman, S. Cronin, and D. Colquhoun, D. Conley, Timothy G.

Conwell, Y. Duberstein, K. Connor, S. Eberly, C. Cox, and E. Cook, Philip J. Cook, P. Braga, B. Harcourt, ed. Ludwig, and A. Ludwig, S. Venkatesh, and A. Parker, and Harold A. Pollack, and K. Cooper, Alexia, and Erica L. Department of Justice, November Cordner, G. Corrigan, P. Corsaro, N. Cox, D. Snell, Analysis of Binary Data , 2nd ed. Cox, Georgina R.

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Dausey, and R. DeSimone, J. Markowitz, and J. Desmarais, S. Van Dorn, K. Johnson, K. Grimm, K. Douglas, and M. Dezhbakhsh, Hashem, and Paul H. Diamond, Peter A. Kurland, Emily F. Ross, Bindu Kalesan, Kristin A. Dixon, L. Donohue, John J. Cook, eds. Doob, A. Draper, Norman R. Duda, M. Fish and Wildlife Service, Grant 14—48——92—, Duncan, O. Durlauf, S. Wilson, ed. Eck, J. Elbogen, Eric B. Michael Siegel, et al. Among states with shall issue laws, some states provide the issuing authority no discretion to deny a permit if the person meets these requirements.

The strongest seven concealed carry permitting systems require CCW applicants to demonstrate good cause as to why the applicant needs a permit. In addition, ten states also require the applicant to be of good character before a permit is issued. Seven states require CCW permit applicants to demonstrate good cause or a justifiable need to carry a concealed weapon.

Indiana requires that the applicant be of good character and reputation. Delaware also requires that the training include live fire-shooting exercises on a range, including the expenditure of a minimum of rounds of ammunition, and identification of ways to develop and maintain firearm-shooting skills.

Finally, Rhode Island requires applicants to obtain a certification that they are qualified to use a handgun of a caliber equal to or larger than the one they seek to carry. The certification can be obtained by passing a firing test conducted by a range officer or pistol instructor. Such thorough training requirements help ensure that only highly trained individuals are allowed to carry concealed firearms in public areas.

Almost every state imposes at least some restrictions on the locations in which concealed weapons may be carried. For more information, see our page on Location Restrictions. State concealed weapons permits vary in duration and renewal processes. The strongest laws limit the duration of permits and require applicants for renewal of a permit to undergo a complete background check and complete safety training and testing.

Strong state laws also require the immediate revocation of a permit if the permit-holder becomes ineligible for the permit or violates a law regarding firearms. State laws also vary regarding the carrying of concealed weapons by individuals who have obtained a permit from a different state. The strongest state laws limit the carrying of concealed weapons to individuals who have obtained a permit from that state.

Examples abound of concealed-gun carriers attempting — and failing — to thwart crimes, often with deadly consequences. Last year in Portland, Ore. The police saw the gun held by the permit holder — a Navy veteran, postal worker and father of three — and in the confusion shot and killed him.

In in Arlington, Texas, a man in a domestic dispute shot at a woman and then tried to drive off. In , a permit holder pursued a man who had robbed a phone store in south suburban Crestwood, firing at the fleeing suspect.

A police officer pursuing the suspect had to duck for cover, not knowing where the shots were coming from. Although the Chicago case involved a female concealed carry holder, women are at greater risk when guns are in the home. A study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine journal found that women living in a household with a gun are nearly three times more likely to be murdered than women with no gun in the home.

In , women were over 50 times more likely to be murdered by a man with a gun than to use it to kill a man in self-defense, according to the Violence Policy Center. Guns in the home also heighten the risk of suicide, and accidental gun injuries and deaths.

With gun-related deaths topping nearly 40, in in the U.