Anybody out there still think the Detroit police chief was wrong to urge citizens to arm themselves?
Since Illinois started granting concealed carry permits this year, the number of robberies that have led to arrests in Chicago has declined 20 percent from last year, according to police department statistics. Reports of burglary and motor vehicle theft are down 20 percent and 26 percent, respectively. In the first quarter, the city’s homicide rate was at a 56-year low.
“It isn’t any coincidence crime rates started to go down when concealed carry was permitted. Just the idea that the criminals don’t know who’s armed and who isn’t has a deterrence effect,” said Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association. “The police department hasn’t changed a single tactic — they haven’t announced a shift in policy or of course — and yet you have these incredible numbers.”
Yes, it's risky to read too much into one report, which could show a real trend or just be an anomaly. But, c'mon, it's simple common sense. If it's widely known that concealed carry is legal, the bad guys won't know who is armed and who is not and might have second thoughts. Like they say, "When seconds count, police are only minutes away."
Don't look for anybody in the media make a big deal about this, even though they should:
The Windy City is one of the areas of the nation most plagued by violence and their efforts to make the entire metropolis a “gun free zone” have only fueled further violence by those who weren’t going to pay attention to the laws in the first place.
Yep. "Gun free zones" disarm the good guys and empower the bad ones. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
