Do more guns really equal less crime?

On Thursday, Republican State Rep. Joel Kleefisch, better known as the Lt. Governor’s husband, shared the story of how his wife was threatened 12 years ago as a reason why he’ll be glad when concealed carry becomes the law in Wisconsin:

“This is a great day for my wife. My wife will have the ability to protect herself,” he said.

Kleefisch said he didn’t know whether his wife will choose to carry a gun. But he said if she did, “That gun would be the great equalizer.”

Given the push by Republicans in the legislature to allow virtually anyone here in Wisconsin to carry a concealed firearm with a minimal amount of training, I thought it would be topical to take a look at an entry I wrote three years in which I asked if putting guns into the hands of more citizens would reduce crime rates.

I’ve heard a lot of conservatives talk about how Wisconsin’s citizens need more guns, as if our state’s lack of concealed carry laws have made our citizens somehow unsafe. “More guns” seems to be a common mantra among conservatives, but their rationale that more guns equals less crime simply doesn’t hold water if one takes a look at crime statistics.

For example, let’s compare crime rates per 100,000 inhabitants (2006) for Wisconsin as well as Florida and Texas, both of which allow residents to carry firearms:

Wisconsin:
• Robbery – 100.2
• Forcible Rape – 20.4
• Murder – 3.0
• Burglary – 485.8
• Vehicle Theft – 226.6

Texas:
• Robbery – 158.5
• Forcible Rape – 35.6
• Murder – 5.9
• Burglary – 917.3
• Vehicle Theft – 405.9

Florida:
• Robbery – 188.8
• Forcible Rape – 35.8
• Murder – 6.2
• Burglary – 944.6
• Vehicle Theft – 422.5

One look at the statistics and it’s obvious Wisconsin has much lower crime rates than states like Texas and Florida.

Now maybe you’re thinking, “But what about states that are more similar to Wisconsin, both in population size and demographics?” Well, here’s the crime rates per 100,000 residents (2006) for both Minnesota and Michigan:

Minnesota:
• Robbery – 105.1
• Forcible Rape – 31.8
• Murder – 2.4
• Burglary – 583.9
• Vehicle Theft – 258.9

Michigan:
• Robbery – 140.7
• Forcible Rape – 52.2
• Murder – 7.1
• Burglary – 753.9
• Vehicle Theft – 495.4

One look at the statistics for Minnesota and Michigan show they both have higher rates per 100,000 residents for Robbery, Forcible Rape, Burglary, and Vehicle Theft, and Michigan has a higher Murder rate while Minnesota’s Murder rate is slightly lower than Wisconsin’s. It doesn’t appear concealed carry laws have made for lower crime rates and increased safety in either state, so I don’t necessarily believe the argument that putting more guns into the hands of Wisconsinites will result in lower crime rates.