Why shall issue carry may not help big cities
Those who know me know that I’m a big proponent of shall issue concealed carry. Permit class was a date (and a good one) for my wife and I. We do when we can and when we’re allowed to.
One troubling thing, however, is the reality that shall issue carry doesn’t seem to have greatly reduced crime in cities where it was allowed. Why is that?
Well, let’s add things up. You have $400 or more for a decent weapon, up to $200 for the holster, $100 for carry permit class, $100 for the permit, $100 for ammunition and range fees each year to keep proficient….
...and quite frankly, you’re going to find that many/most inner city residents—especially those who are in the worst neighborhoods—aren’t going to be able to afford such a move. Those who can, by and large, are not going into their neighborhoods. Hence, they’ll stay as dangerous as ever.
So I’d argue that shall issue carry is a great way of depressing crime in most areas, and it may keep crime to the worst areas—people will be afraid to victimize neighborhoods outside their own. But it may not be terribly effective in deterring crime in the neighborhoods hardest hit.
