The following is an excerpt from the San Antonio Express news for
March 23, 1999, beginning on page one and continued on page four.
Title on page one: Handgun foes cite study on arrests
Title as continued on page four: NRA, DPS blast study on gun
owners’ arrests
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
Arrests of Texans licensed to carry concealed handguns have risen
sharply in the third year since the licensing law took effect, according
to a new study by critics of the law.
Nearly half of all arrests of Texas gun license holders occurred in
1998, according to the study by the Violence Policy Center. Susan
Glick, an analyst for the group, argued the number of criminal cases
indicate Texas handgun laws should be amended.
“If legislators had realized how many murderers and sex offenders
would carry concealed handguns, this law would never have passed,”
Glick said.
In all, 2104 holders of concealed handgun licenses were accused of
crimes between Jan. 1, 1997, and Dec. 31, 1998, according to Texas
Department of Public Safety records cited in the study.
The criminal cases represent 1 percent of the 183,753 people who
had active handgun licenses at the end of 1998. License holders
represent about 1.4 percent of the state’s general population.
Glick acknowledged the percentages were very small, “but the fact of
the matter is that we were promised before these laws were passed
that nothing like this was going to happen.
“The gun lobby says (the numbers) are insignificant. It’s not
insignificant to the families of these individuals who have been hurt.
These (license holders) are supposed to be law-abiding citizens,” she
said.
But National Rifle Association spokesman Bill Powers said a 1997
study by University of Chicago research John Lott showed concealed
handgun ownership reduces overall crime.
Examining FBI data, Lott suggested crime rates dropped in counties
where concealed handgun ownership existed.
“The fact is, the vast majority of states now allow ordinary citizens to
carry a weapon if they choose, after going through serious
background checks,” Powers said.
Texas license holders were charged with 431 felonies and
misdemeanors in 1997, according to DPS records. Criminal offenses
in the group jumped 41 percent in 1997 and another 89 percent in
1998, while the number of active licenses increased only about 13
percent from 1997 to 1998.
Glick said Texas licensees were chosen for the study because Texas is
the only populous state with a concealed handgun law that requires a
state agency to track arrest that lead to suspension or revocation of
licenses. The DPS doesn’t record whether the licensed weapon
was used during the commission of the alleged crime.
DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange said that as of Feb. 26, 684 licenses
have been revoked. another 234 licenses are under suspension, she
said.
“Another thing (the Violence Policy Center) is not telling you is
some of these offenses may have happened many years ago. We can
only wait 60 days before we issue a license. If the FBI doesn’t get
back to us (on background checks) by then, the license is issued,”
Mange said.
Powers said such flaws make the study useless.
“This study -- and I use that word loosely -- is full of holes. The
Violence Policy Center is well known as a lobbying arm of Handgun
Control Inc., and their agenda is to promote Swiss cheese studies,”
Powers said.
One prominent case cited by the center involved Diane James, a
license holder from Seguin who aided her husband in the April 1997
abduction of a San Antonio woman they kept in chains for the
purpose of being their sex slave.
James’ husband was killed in a shootout with police, and she’s serving
a 15-year sentence for aggravated kidnapping.
Glick said the study will be used to aid gun control groups fighting
pending legislation in Colorado and Missouri.
[/quote]
All bold text emboldened by Dennis. Bold titles as in original.
The following table accompanied the article:
Crimes by concealed handgun license holders in Texas
The following charges were among the more than 2,000 crimes
committed by Texas concealed handgun license holders since the law
went into effect three years ago.
Number of charges - Crime
15 - Murder or attempted murder
6 - Kidnapping or false imprisonment
28 - Rape or sexual assault
103 - Assault or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
442 - Driving while intoxicated
30 - Indecency with children
140 - Drub-related charges
70 - Sexual misconduct
Source; Violence Policy Center, Texas Dept. of Public Safety
(Express-News graphic)
--------------------------
COMMENTS:
1) Some of the suspensions or revocations occurred due to
incomplete, erroneous, or misleading CHL applications. Previous
crimes were omitted by the applicant, later discovered by DPS, and
the CHL was revoked. Such revocations apparently were included by
VPC in an intentional attempt to mislead and overstate the problem.
Therefore, the percentage of CHL holders involved in crime must be
less that the stated one percent.
2) (Deleted by Dennis)
[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited March 27, 1999).]
March 23, 1999, beginning on page one and continued on page four.
Title on page one: Handgun foes cite study on arrests
Title as continued on page four: NRA, DPS blast study on gun
owners’ arrests
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
Arrests of Texans licensed to carry concealed handguns have risen
sharply in the third year since the licensing law took effect, according
to a new study by critics of the law.
Nearly half of all arrests of Texas gun license holders occurred in
1998, according to the study by the Violence Policy Center. Susan
Glick, an analyst for the group, argued the number of criminal cases
indicate Texas handgun laws should be amended.
“If legislators had realized how many murderers and sex offenders
would carry concealed handguns, this law would never have passed,”
Glick said.
In all, 2104 holders of concealed handgun licenses were accused of
crimes between Jan. 1, 1997, and Dec. 31, 1998, according to Texas
Department of Public Safety records cited in the study.
The criminal cases represent 1 percent of the 183,753 people who
had active handgun licenses at the end of 1998. License holders
represent about 1.4 percent of the state’s general population.
Glick acknowledged the percentages were very small, “but the fact of
the matter is that we were promised before these laws were passed
that nothing like this was going to happen.
“The gun lobby says (the numbers) are insignificant. It’s not
insignificant to the families of these individuals who have been hurt.
These (license holders) are supposed to be law-abiding citizens,” she
said.
But National Rifle Association spokesman Bill Powers said a 1997
study by University of Chicago research John Lott showed concealed
handgun ownership reduces overall crime.
Examining FBI data, Lott suggested crime rates dropped in counties
where concealed handgun ownership existed.
“The fact is, the vast majority of states now allow ordinary citizens to
carry a weapon if they choose, after going through serious
background checks,” Powers said.
Texas license holders were charged with 431 felonies and
misdemeanors in 1997, according to DPS records. Criminal offenses
in the group jumped 41 percent in 1997 and another 89 percent in
1998, while the number of active licenses increased only about 13
percent from 1997 to 1998.
Glick said Texas licensees were chosen for the study because Texas is
the only populous state with a concealed handgun law that requires a
state agency to track arrest that lead to suspension or revocation of
licenses. The DPS doesn’t record whether the licensed weapon
was used during the commission of the alleged crime.
DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange said that as of Feb. 26, 684 licenses
have been revoked. another 234 licenses are under suspension, she
said.
“Another thing (the Violence Policy Center) is not telling you is
some of these offenses may have happened many years ago. We can
only wait 60 days before we issue a license. If the FBI doesn’t get
back to us (on background checks) by then, the license is issued,”
Mange said.
Powers said such flaws make the study useless.
“This study -- and I use that word loosely -- is full of holes. The
Violence Policy Center is well known as a lobbying arm of Handgun
Control Inc., and their agenda is to promote Swiss cheese studies,”
Powers said.
One prominent case cited by the center involved Diane James, a
license holder from Seguin who aided her husband in the April 1997
abduction of a San Antonio woman they kept in chains for the
purpose of being their sex slave.
James’ husband was killed in a shootout with police, and she’s serving
a 15-year sentence for aggravated kidnapping.
Glick said the study will be used to aid gun control groups fighting
pending legislation in Colorado and Missouri.
[/quote]
All bold text emboldened by Dennis. Bold titles as in original.
The following table accompanied the article:
Crimes by concealed handgun license holders in Texas
The following charges were among the more than 2,000 crimes
committed by Texas concealed handgun license holders since the law
went into effect three years ago.
Number of charges - Crime
15 - Murder or attempted murder
6 - Kidnapping or false imprisonment
28 - Rape or sexual assault
103 - Assault or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
442 - Driving while intoxicated
30 - Indecency with children
140 - Drub-related charges
70 - Sexual misconduct
Source; Violence Policy Center, Texas Dept. of Public Safety
(Express-News graphic)
--------------------------
COMMENTS:
1) Some of the suspensions or revocations occurred due to
incomplete, erroneous, or misleading CHL applications. Previous
crimes were omitted by the applicant, later discovered by DPS, and
the CHL was revoked. Such revocations apparently were included by
VPC in an intentional attempt to mislead and overstate the problem.
Therefore, the percentage of CHL holders involved in crime must be
less that the stated one percent.
2) (Deleted by Dennis)
[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited March 27, 1999).]