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Abstract
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The campus firearm debate continues as a microcosm of the larger debate over the second amendment. Gun advocates argue that individuals who are licensed to carry a concealed firearm should not be prohibited from carrying on college campuses. On the other hand, university administrators and campus security officials are outspoken in their defense of the ban of firearms from campus.
This study examines whether right-to-carry on campus affects the reported crime rate at an institution. The primary goal of this study is to investigate whether the change in state law such that individuals licensed to carry a concealed weapon are allowed to carry a concealed weapon on a college campus is associated with a significant change in the reported campus crime rate. A difference-in-differences approach is used to model the potential effect.
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 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.
It would be hasty to make a policy decision based solely on the empirical evidence that has been presented in this paper.
FINDINGS are for a very small number of right-to-carry campuses and the study is geographically limited to a small number of western states. However, one implication of our analysis is quite clear. The popular conception that allowing concealed carry of firearms on campus would make the college campus environment less safe is not supported in this data sample. In conclusion, no evidence is found that lifting bans on firearms resulted in "wild-west" style shootouts on the college campuses included in this study.
Language: en |