The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - DUI checkpoints: another example of how they can be abused

Ike666 · July 16, 2013, 12:48 PM

First, I am no fan of the police over-reaching their authority.

That said, I have been doing some research on CCW holders in the Commonwealth of Virginia (data obtained via FOIA prior to the law changing). At the time there were approximately 285,000 CCW holders. We cross tabulated that with criminal records search and found 23,000 misdemeanor and felony convictions (excluding criminal traffic convictions). We then parsed it to felony-only convictions. This yielded 10,500+ CCW holders with felony convictions. We then redacted all revoked or expired CCWs. That reduced the total, with an active CCW, by about 600. The final tally was 4% and change of Virginia active CCWs with a prior felony conviction.

The article is in peer review now (unpublished as of yet).

I mention this merely to point out the de facto assumption that CCW holder is one of the good guys may not be valid (at least for 4%).

July 16, 2013, 12:48 PM	#88
Ike666 Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2009 Location: SW VA Posts: 491	First, I am no fan of the police over-reaching their authority. That said, I have been doing some research on CCW holders in the Commonwealth of Virginia (data obtained via FOIA prior to the law changing). At the time there were approximately 285,000 CCW holders. We cross tabulated that with criminal records search and found 23,000 misdemeanor and felony convictions (excluding criminal traffic convictions). We then parsed it to felony-only convictions. This yielded 10,500+ CCW holders with felony convictions. We then redacted all revoked or expired CCWs. That reduced the total, with an active CCW, by about 600. The final tally was 4% and change of Virginia active CCWs with a prior felony conviction. The article is in peer review now (unpublished as of yet). I mention this merely to point out the de facto assumption that CCW holder is one of the good guys may not be valid (at least for 4%). __________________ ___________________ "I'm your huckleberry."