The ongoing debate concerning the relationship between right-to-carry laws and crime rates is certain to continue among academics, advocates, and policymakers. Previous work has found mixed empirical evidence, which has conflicting policy implications. This paper examines whether allowing right-to-carry on college campuses in Utah and on two campuses in Colorado was 18 LIBERTARIAN PAPERS 6 (1), (2014) associated with any significant change in reported campus crime rates. We find no significant relationship between right-to-carry and the total crime rates, the violent crime rates, or the nonviolent crime rates on these campuses. Further, no significant relation was found between campus right-to-carry and the campus forcible sexual assault rates, robbery rates, or burglary rates. Although based on a marginal significance level of the right-to-carry variable of only 13.71%, there is weak evidence of an inverse relationship between campus right-to-carry and the aggravated assault rates on the campuses allowing right-to-carry. In summary, we find no evidence that allowing concealed carry of firearms makes campuses less safe. This finding is robust for all examined crime rates
Right-to-Carry and Campus Crime: Evidence From the Not-So-Wild-West
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Right-to-Carry and Campus Crime: Evidence From the Not-So-Wild-West
Category: Concealed Carry, Crime, Firearm Policies, Homicide, Injury, Youth|Journal: Libertarian Papers (full text)|Author: G Shelley, J Hayter, T Stevenson|Year: 2014