Argus Leader: South Dakotans No. 1 in permits to conceal guns 7.4 percent of the state's population is licensed to carry concealed weapons.
I wondered how their crime rate compared with other states... so I took a look at the 2005 Uniform Crime Report, and the state by state data on violent crime.
| State | Violent Crime Rate per 100,0000 | murder rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 175.7 | 2.3 |
| California | 526.3 | 6.9 |
| New York | 445.8 | 4.5 |
| Massachusetts | 456.9 | 2.7 |
| Wisconsin | 241.5 | 3.5 |
| Illinois * | 551 | 6.0 |
| District of Columbia | 1459.0 | 35.4 |
I always like to view the the statistics... you know someone will wonder if guns cause crime. Well, if guns cause crime, and concealed weapons contribute to crime in public places why are places like South Dakota so much safer than places like Wisconsin?
And gun-free D.C.... What a disaster! (See also my previous post on D.C. crime.)
* Illinois doesn't like to present data to the FBI for inclusion in the Uniform Crime Report. So it is hard to know if the figures for Illinois are low or high. (And yes I know, D.C. is not a state.) [Hat tip to Say Uncle]
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