Texas CHL conviction rates

[Jesse T]

Someone posted this in a comment on Lincoln Journal star's site.  I thought it was interesting and while you may have seen it before it is a good read for those who haven't.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/crime_records/chl/convrates.htm

it lists the conviction rates in texas of the general populace directly compared to the conviction rate of CHL holders.  Something to think about anyway.... Could be good ammo for some arguments.  

In the most recent year, less than a quarter of a percent of all convictions in texas were by concealed permit holders  Texas had 258,000 active licenses that year (314,000 2008)

SO by my math even just looking at CHL holders, 140 convictions in 2006 per 258,000 concealed permit holders... that is a rate of only .054%.  

Texas has a population of 24 million.  At a total of 61,500 convictions in 2006, that puts the general populace at a rate of .256%

So, by my count Concealed carry holders are 5 times less likely to be convicted of a crime than your average citizen.  Anybody want to tell me if I'm doing my math wrong?

[JimP]

What I want to know is how many LEOs are in Nebraska.  When Chief Cassidy goes spoutin off about how bad it is that CHP holders are out there in HIS City....... I want to know what the conviction rate of LEOs (or Unicam members: Nantkes has been busted for DUI at least twice!) compared to both CHP holders and the Genpop.......

I don't have a problem with Law Enforecement Officers.  I understand that there are good ones and bad ones, as in every group (we have had our drunken motorcyclist and the bucket killer in our group, The Unicam has Nantkes, and the State Patrol had their Klansman......), but I get tired of the public perception that Cops are Supermen who can and will save the day for them, personally.  That is just not so.  They are normal people with a difficult job to do: Keep the Peace, protect and serve the public, and enforce the laws.  It is a hard job- I could not deal with people at their worst day in and day out, always mindful that some of them would just as soon kill me as look at me.

This perception that policemen are the "Only Ones" qualified to defend themselves or others in a public place was very  evident in Senator Lathrop's questioning of Chris Zeeb at the hearing Wednesday...... the idea that anyone with a grand total of 5 days handgun training and a badge is by definition more qualified to defend himself in a public place than a handgun instructor/competive shooter is ludicrous.

Maybe I am comparing apples and oranges here...... maybe Sen. Lathrop, collectivist that he is (or so it seems to me) is concerned with the public perception and orderly conduct of things.  In his perfect world it would be preferable if a deranged gunman came into  my church and in an orderly fashion, executed all  35 people attending the service, because none of them were shot by one of us 'proles', as opposed to the gunman shooting several and a couple of people (including the gunman) getting shot in a worst case scenario shootout.  As for me, I'd much prefer to  have a chance of being hit by a stray bullet from a parishoner to hiding under a pew waiting for a bullet in the head.

[LawyerJan]

I cited a similar statistic in a letter to Sen. McGill.  I do my math the same as you Jesse but I'm not well versed in statistical analysis.  Could be that after some liberal college professor or other well meaning (read that misguided) statistician gets done with the computations, that we should all be locked up, just cause we associate with each other, oh wait there's a Constitutional Amendment about that too, wonder what limitation we might get on that?

Jim I was visiting with a cop doing courthouse security in an outstate courthouse, he said he doesn't like CCW, would rather we all open carried.  One extreme to the other.

[JimP]

Jim I was visiting with a cop doing courthouse security in an outstate courthouse, he said he doesn't like CCW, would rather we all open carried.  One extreme to the other.

I'll betcha 10 dollars to a bucket of dogsqueeze that the goblins would rather everybody open carried, too.......  the cops and robbers would like everybody but themselves disarmed- makes them powerful, or feel that way...... IMO, any cop that thinks only cops should carry should have to walk his beat WITHOUT a firearm: then he will understand what it feels like to be defenseless.

[Jesse T]

Some more "ammunition" from texas...

http://www.star-telegram.com/242/story/1293901.html

"In Texas, you're more likely to be killed by airplane parts falling out of the sky than by a concealed handgun permit holder."

[Rule#.308]

As an old man who has been a shooter since childhood and traveler all his adult life, I have a couple of observations I would like to make which in some ways correspond with JimP's.  First off from top to bottom my respect for most LEOs is as follows;
1 State Patrol, I have never met, been stopped by or had any other type of contact with one who was not 100% professional in any state I have visited.
2 Sherriff deputys, in most cases the only time you see these guys is on patrol, having someone stopped or doing radar work.
3 or last is the average city or village police officer who in many cases has an "I can and will kick your ass" attitude and either was the school bully or the kid who got picked on.  In Omaha they can start fights in the local "Cops only bar" and have no reprecussions.  They can assualt their lover and have the charges reduced to misdemeaner so they can still be cops and carry a gun.  We have all heard the saying "I put my life on the line every time I put on my uniform", I will argue if you really want to put your life on the line everytime you go to work, try a Quick Shop or any of the other Stop N Robs. 

Just because someone wears a uniform does not make him an expert on fire arms nor does it make them the brave crimestopper they like to portray themselves.  In the tragedy in Binghampton NY this week it was 2 HOURS after the shooting stopped before the police entered the building and they defend their inaction by saying all the victims were so badly wounded it would have not made any difference anyway. 

Yes we need police and I am not a cop hater, but the public should never FEAR the police or be intimidated by them.  As a case in point, I was pulled over in Omaha for going the wrong way on a one way street several years ago.  I had just picked up my son who was about 9 at the time from a birthday party in an area I was not familier with.  I was tired from a short nights sleep the night before so my eyes may have been a little bloodshot.  The cop made me stand on one foot then the other then count backwards then recite the alphabet backwards all the time telling me he thought I was intoxicated.  Finally after 20 minutes of making me do tricks in front of my son he sent me on with no ticket for the one way violation.  I have always wondered if city cops sit around the bar after work and laugh about how they made some poor slob look like a trained monkey in front of his kid.

[JimP]

 "In the tragedy in Binghampton NY this week it was 2 HOURS after the shooting stopped before the police entered the building and they defend their inaction by saying all the victims were so badly wounded it would have not made any difference anyway. "

Really?