Gun Crime Declined After Constitutional Carry Adoption, Ohio Study Finds

"[T]he key takeaway here is that we need to focus on criminals, not responsible gun owners.”

by
posted on February 1, 2024
1Aconstitutional Carry Trend
Image courtesy of Bowling Green State University.

A study commissioned by the Attorney General’s Office of Ohio—published by the Center for Justice Research—identified a significant decline in Ohio’s gun-crime after June 13, 2022, when Constitutional Carry became law. Currently, 27 states recognize constitutional carry, in one form another, and the report’s verifiable statistics may attract others into joining that roll.

Gun crime dropped in six of Ohio’s eight largest cities after Constitutional Carry was enacted, according to the report. A trio of municipalities experienced the largest declines—Parma (22 percent), Akron (18 percent) and Toledo (18 percent). The study, which encompassed the two-year period between June 2021 and June 2023, included all firearm-related crimes and any gunshot-detection alerts that were later verified by law enforcement.

“I genuinely did not know what the study would find. I thought it would be useful either way,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said after releasing the report. He emphasized it doesn’t downplay the serious problem of violent crime, “But the key takeaway here is that we need to focus on criminals, not responsible gun owners.”

The study, which applied in-depth statistical analysis to figures from a variety of sources, concludes, “When comparing the average number of crime incidents involving firearms in each city and then compared pre- and post-PCL [Constitutional Carry], the results showed that four cities significantly differed before and after the enactment of the law. These were Columbus, Toledo, Akron, and Parma. We did not observe significant variations for any other city or when the cities’ values were combined and means tested.”

Melissa Burek, Director of the Center for Justice Research (CJR) and Julia Bell, CJR research coordination, were lead authors on the report, which was released Jan. 3. The pair hold PhD and Masters Degrees in Criminal Justice, respectively. Eric Cooke, also PhD, was contributing author.

“This study helps us understand the complex picture of crime rates and policy implementation,” Burek told 19 News, a Cleveland CBS TV affiliate. “It’s valuable data for informing future decisions.”

Latest

KelTec SUB2000 GEN3 Folding PCC
KelTec SUB2000 GEN3 Folding PCC

Wringing Out The KelTec SUB2000 GEN3 Folding PCC

With a rotating fore-end assembly, Kellgren's latest SUB2000 positively advances the design yet retains the classic appeal of the brand's legendary pistol-caliber carbine.

The Armed Citizen® Nov. 4, 2024

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Suppressor Sales Setting Records

Nearly 2.2 million suppressors were purchased by law-abiding citizens from May 2021 through July 2024, according to figures compiled by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

Preview: Underdog Glasses

Sunglasses are often misplaced, forgotten and lost, so Underdog resolves such dilemmas with its clip-on lenses.

New For 2024: Century Arms BFT74 & BFT556

Century Arms expanded its AK-style BFT rifle line in 2024 with two new models chambered for 5.56 NATO and 5.45x39 mm, respectively.

Preview: Armaspec SRS AR-15 Kit

This Armaspec upgrade to the AR-15’s standard buffer and spring includes a trio of interchangeable buffer weights that allow the user to tune it to his or her rifle/load.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.