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Florida and Concealed Weapons Permits |
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Gregory Morris, 9/22/08 9:40:13 am |
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Florida CWPs on the rise.
Cut and pasted from my comment at Arms and the Law:It is pretty amazing that the CWP side of that ratio has basically kept pace with the population growth (between 300k-400k/year.) However, one reason the ratio has tightened from 1:36 to 1:35 is because the population growth has actually slowed over the last few years, while the relative demand for CWPs has only slightly increased.
The statistics are pretty amazing though. There are 514,225 holders of Florida type "W" concealed weapons permits. 664,480 permits total. 54341 of those are out-of-state. 20,020 issued just last month. Only 4,321 permits were revoked of the 1,382,676 issued in the last 11 [ed: should be 21] years. 16% of licenses are held by women. It is also interesting to note that around 80,000 of the current active licenses are held by the 66+ age group, and there are clear surges in CWP applications during the winter months when the generally older "snow birds" migrate down to Florida.
There are a few issues with the article though. First of all, the license costs more than $85. The state fee is $75 plus a $42 fingerprint processing fee. In addition, you have to pay to get your fingerprints done ($5-10), passport photos, and the course (which can be anywhere from $45 on up.)
Secondly, the paper makes a big deal about a "50%" jump over the last 3 years. I like to think of it as "nearly 0 to over 515,000 in 21 years." In fact, they've issued nearly 1.4 million since Florida began offering permits on a "shall issue" basis.
My biggest beef with the SPTimes, is that they include a lot of "scary" nonsense and appeals to emotion.
Example: That makes it almost impossible to say who is getting licensed and why. So? I don't see how requiring justification is going to make anyone safer. A valid "need" for a permit is assumed by law: Self Defense, which is the right of every person. Florida is an attractive place to own a gun and privately tuck it away. Kinda. Florida has a lot of stupid laws on the books that need fixed. CWPs exempt you from some of the worst laws, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. that makes Florida a 21st century Wild West. Hah! Show me the statistics! Florida's crime rate has dropped in the last 20 years. There is absolutely no proof that people with concealed weapons are more likely to commit crimes, and lots of evidence suggesting the exact opposite.
And of course the obligatory Brady Campaign bullshit: "You're talking about people carrying loaded, hidden handguns," said Brian Malte... And? Isn't that the point? Come on Brian, show me some evidence that this is a bad thing. I'm begging you. If you can prove to me that Concealed Weapons Permits make the average person less safe, then I will cut mine up and throw it in the garbage. "Even more frightening is if a law enforcement officer is called to the scene, they have to make a split-second decision on who the perpetrator is. There's no time to say, 'Stop shooting,' and check for permits." That's a straw man. A huge majority of shootings are concluded before police arrive. Even if that weren't the case, I have never seen evidence of this being a problem.
Perhaps the most useful part of this article is a quote by Attorney Jon H. Gutmacher: Legally speaking, having a license protects against the "hundreds of little pitfalls" of not having one... That's one of the big reasons to get a license, even if you don't want to carry a gun with you. The laws of the state actually make it a pain in the ass to be a law-abiding gun owner, unless you get the permit. |
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