Ohio Sees Decrease in Violent Crime Following Implementation of Constitutional Carry Law
A recent study conducted by the Center for Justice Research indicates a decrease in violent crime throughout Ohio after the implementation of a constitutional carry law.
The law, which allows law-abiding citizens in Ohio to conceal carry a handgun in public without the need for a government-issued permit, was enacted in June 2022, making Ohio the 23rd state to adopt constitutional carry.
Since the law went into effect, armed crime has seen a decline across Ohio’s eight largest cities. Incidents involving firearms dropped by 9.6% in Columbus, 9.6% in Cleveland, and 10.6% in Akron. Only two of Ohio’s major cities, Cincinnati and Dayton, experienced increases in crime incidents that involved a firearm.
The study also delved into the impact of permitless carry on law enforcement. Surprisingly, the research found no substantial change in the number of firearm-related deaths and injuries among officers in all eight major cities.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost commented on the study, emphasizing the need to address the real problem of crime in certain neighborhoods while acknowledging that responsible exercise of Second Amendment rights should not be unfairly targeted.
“This is not to downplay the very real problem of crime in many neighborhoods in our cities – you don’t need a research team to see that gun violence destroys lives, families and opportunity,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. “The key takeaway from this study is that we have to keep the pressure on the criminals who shoot people, rather than Ohioans who responsibly exercise their Second Amendment rights.”
Gun rights activists who applauded the state’s decision to allow law-abiding citizens to defend themselves shared that this news comes as no surprise.
“This may come as a surprise to gun-control advocates, but not to us.” said, Dean Rieck, the Executive Director of Buckeye Firearms Association.
“Those who oppose gun rights believe anyone with a gun is a potential murderer. But that’s phobia, not fact,” Rieck explained. “The facts show that the vast majority of violent crime is consistently committed by a tiny fraction of the population. Most ordinary people will never commit a crime of any kind.”
