Violence Policy Center

About the author: The Violence Policy Center is a gun control advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.

In his book More Guns, Less Crime, John R. Lott Jr. cites Texas as an example of a state in which concealed-carry laws have effectively reduced crime. As a result, the National Rifle Association and other pro-gun groups are praising Texas's concealed-carry law as a model for other states. However, analysis of arrest records in Texas reveals that, contrary to gun activists' claims, "law-abiding citizens" are not the only people who have received gun permits in Texas. Thousands of Texans with concealed-carry permits have been arrested for rape, homicide, assault, drunk driving, and drug possession. These arrest data show that, instead of reducing crime, Texas's concealed-carry law has armed criminals and threatened public safety.

In 1995 the Texas...