NCJ Number
183654
Journal
Social Science Quarterly Volume: 81 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2000 Pages: 523-537
Date Published
June 2000
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study tested several underlying assumptions regarding the impact on violent crime of statutory provisions designed to increase the number of persons permitted to carry concealed handguns.
Abstract
The authors hypothesized that significant differences in crime and the number of permits to carry concealed handguns would exist across geographic areas, and that concealed-handgun permit holders would reside in areas not prone to high levels of violent crime. The study used aggregate-level data at the zip code level for Dallas, Tex., along with individual-level data on permit holders, a type of data that is used for the first time. The study found stark differences across zip codes regarding the number of concealed-handgun permits, sociodemographic characteristics, and violent crime rates. Permit holders were overwhelmingly white males and resided in areas with little violent crime. Those areas with high violent crime rates were the least likely to contain a high number of residents with concealed-handgun permits. Recommendations are offered for future research. 6 tables and 10 references