Study: Concealed Carry Permits Rise as Murder Rate Falls

A new report released by the Crime Prevention Research Center suggests that the murder rate has fallen in the United States while the number of concealed carry permits has risen dramatically.

As the Washington Times notes, the study says that the number of concealed carry permits increased from 4.6 million in 2007 to over 12.8 million this year, and there are no signs of slowing down. 1.7 million new permits were issued over the past year, which translates to a 15.4% increase in just one year. This marks the largest-ever single-year increase in the number of concealed carry permits.

The report also reveals that 5.2% of the adult population in the United States has a permit. In five states, more than 10% of the adult population has obtained a CCW license. Since 2007, the percentage of women carrying permits has increased by 270%, and for men by 156%.

The fact that seven states no longer require a concealed carry permit is a major contributing factor to why the legal carry of concealed handguns is growing faster than the number of permits, the study revealed.

According to the Times, researchers credit the increase in permits with the election of President Barack Obama. Indeed, the number of concealed carry permits grew from 2.7 million in 1999 to 4.6 million in 2007, or at a rate of about 240,000 per year. After Obama’s election, the number of permits soared to about 850,000 per year from 2007 to 2011. From 2011 to 2013, the number increased again to 1,550,000. In 2014, it rose to 1,700,000.

Meanwhile, the report from the Crime Prevention Research Center also states that the murder rates fell from 5.6 to 4.2 percent per 100,000 between 2007 and 2014, representing a 25 percent drop in the murder rate while the percentage of the adult population with permits increased by 156%.