More than 11.1 million Americans now have permits to carry concealed weapons, which are up from 4.5 million in 2007. The surge in the number of Americans with permits to carry concealed weapons coincides with a significant drop in violent crime in the U.S.
The number of concealed carry permit holders is likely much higher than 11.1 million, because numbers are not available for all statues that issue permits, such as New York. And four states and the vast majority of Montana don’t require residents to have a permit to carry concealed handguns within the state – most of those permits are issued to carry outside the state. The murder and violent crime rates are lower in the 25 states with the highest permit rates compared to the rest of the U.S. Florida has issued the most concealed carry permits at 1.28 million.
Many field service representatives tell me that they carry a concealed weapon in the field. I have a concealed weapon carry permit and I usually carry a Bersa 380 semi-automatic handgun or a telescoping baton when I am out and about town. I expect to visit the shooting range in Melbourne, Florida next week with a friend who was a police officer in Miami. When I get a haircut in Clermont, I know that my barber has a handgun under his shirt in his waistband.
According to FBI crime statistics quoted by NBC’s TODAY Show, home invasions in America are happening at the alarming rate of 135 per day.
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