Detroit police chief, former LAPD cop: Carry a gun

California just imposed a passel of new gun laws with the new year. A former LAPD cop urges the opposite:

Detroit — If more citizens were armed, criminals would think twice about attacking them, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Thursday.

Urban police chiefs are typically in favor of gun control or reluctant to discuss the issue, but Craig on Thursday was candid about how he’s changed his mind.

“When we look at the good community members who have concealed weapons permits, the likelihood they’ll shoot is based on a lack of confidence in this Police Department,” Craig said at a press conference at police headquarters, adding that he thinks more Detroit citizens feel safer, thanks in part to a 7 percent drop in violent crime in 2013.

Craig said he started believing that legal gun owners can deter crime when he became police chief in Portland, Maine, in 2009.

“Coming from California (Craig was on the Los Angeles police force for 28 years), where it takes an act of Congress to get a concealed weapon permit, I got to Maine, where they give out lots of CCWs (carrying concealed weapon permits), and I had a stack of CCW permits I was denying; that was my orientation.

“I changed my orientation real quick. Maine is one of the safest places in America. Clearly, suspects knew that good Americans were armed.”

Here are the murder rates per 100,000 inhabitants in 2010:

Maine: 0.8

California: 3.4

That’s 4 times as many in the disarmed Golden State as in the lockin’-and-loadin’ Pine Tree State.

Why? Well, it could be because it’s too cold in Maine to go outside and rob somebody. Or maybe Stephen King scares all the criminals to death.

Or it might be that criminals never know what victim might be armed, and will shoot back.

Whereas in California, criminals know that the victims have been disarmed by Gov. Jerry Brown, Attorney General Kamala Harris, the state Legislature and county sheriffs.

12 comments

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  1. LetitCollapse
    LetitCollapse 3 January, 2014, 16:17

    You don’t have be a police chief with 28 years of experience to figure this stuff out. Anybody who has a few working neurons should have the capacity to understand what’s really behind the new gun control laws.

    Look, Chicago is the gun murder capital of America. Yet Chicago has one of the strictest, if not the most strict, gun laws of any city in the entire nation. An outright ban to carry concealed.

    There was a recent Harvard study titled “Would banning firearms reduce murder and suicides?”

    The conclusion was that banning firearms would actually increase violent death rates. Yes, this is the LIBERAL Harvard University in Massachusetts. If you don’t believe me, look it up.

    In Russia about 4,000 of every 100,000 inhabitants own firearms. Their murder rate is about 20.5 for every 100,000 people (in 2002). Owning a handgun in Russia is against the law.

    In Finland about 39,000 of every 100,000 inhabitants own a firearm. Their murder rate is a measley 2 for every 100,000 people (in 2002).

    America’s murder rate (according to the study) is about 7.8 for every 100,000 inhabitants – the 7th highest in the world behind Russia and several of the much smaller former soviet satellite nations.

    There is no doubt that America is a very violent society. But it has little to do with guns. We are just a violent bunch of people. Violent people use any means available to hurt one another.

    But in a violent society the law-abiding non-violent citizens needs a means of protection against the violent ones. If the violent ones know that the non-violent ones have no means of protection against a gun – they are MUCH more likely to use a gun to get what they want from the non-violent citizens. Hence, if a mugger KNOWS that you are NOT armed he is MUCH more likely to make you his target than if he thinks there is a STRONG likelihood that you can defend yourself against his attack. COMMON SENSE!!!

    This is really simple stuff that requires very little thought. The bottom line is that if the gov disarms you or makes it very inconvenient or unaffordable for you to own a gun – you are much easier to control.

    You see, your Founding Fathers didn’t invent the 2nd Amendment for you to protect yourselves against muggers. That was only a side benefit. It did so for you to protect yourself against tyranny. And don’t even lose sight of that historical fact.

    Reply this comment
  2. Queeg
    Queeg 3 January, 2014, 19:32

    More gloom and doom lecturing……is there anything out there that is positive about life?

    Reply this comment
  3. billybs
    billybs 4 January, 2014, 06:00

    Forget “govt statistics”. What does your gut tell you? Will we be a more violent society in 20 years? If the Divine Leader gets his wishes, and removes a great deal of the law abiding(mostly) guns except for police, homeland security,dept of education( yes, they have armed employees and they don t just do security), and other gov t agencies,who will be better for it? That is where we are going. Hey, but is ok to be illegal and practice law in California..just a natural progression, limit right to bear arms, grant right to practice law to non citizens.

    Reply this comment
  4. Queeg
    Queeg 4 January, 2014, 10:02

    Collapso and Pitpoodle…..

    Your slipping back into 2013 negativity……..pity……zzzzzzzzzzzzz

    Reply this comment
  5. LetitCollapse
    LetitCollapse 4 January, 2014, 11:44

    “Hey, but is ok to be illegal and practice law in California..just a natural progression, limit right to bear arms, grant right to practice law to non citizens.”

    Yes, billy. I read about that. Now we have Ca Supreme Court Justices aiding and abetting criminal illegal aliens by ruling that they can practice law LEGALLY in the State of California!!! Is this Orwellian or what? A total mockery of our system. This clown has to take a SWORN OATH to defend the laws of our nation when he’s been living here unlawfully as an ILLEGAL ALIEN and is said to have lied about it in the past!!! I thought those applying for a Ca law license were required to fill out tons of paperwork to show that they abide by our laws and have good moral standing? LOL!!! So now Officers of the Court are allowed to be known criminals who violate our immigration laws!! IS NOTHING SACRED IN THIS COUNTRY ANYMORE???? LOL!!!

    But I guess it all makes sense. The POTUS who is said to be a brilliant legal scholar who graduated from elite US universities REFUSES to release his student records and trascripts for public viewing. What could possibly be wrong there that our fine civil rights and constitutional legal scholar POTUS is hiding???? Hmmmm????

    I’ve been emphasizing the “2 sets of laws” in America. This is yet another example that you can add to the list. A known ILLEGAL ALIEN granted permission for a Ca law license and admission to the State Bar!!! LOL!!!!

    What a total joke this country has become!!!! LOL!!!

    Reply this comment
  6. LetitCollapse
    LetitCollapse 4 January, 2014, 13:39

    I don’t understand. To apply for a law license or admittance to the State Bar I thought the applicant had to provide a SS number. How could an illegal alien unlawfully in the country provide a SS number??? I thought ILLEGAL ALIENS were prohibited from obtaining SS numbers??? Or have they changed that law too?? lol!

    Oh, and the State Bar admissions department says that:

    (A) An applicant must be of good moral character as determined by the Committee [of Bar Examiners]. The applicant has the burden of establishing that he or she is of good moral character.

    (B) “Good moral character” includes but is not limited to qualities of honesty, fairness, candor, trustworthiness, observance of fiduciary responsibility, respect for and obedience to the law, and respect for
    the rights of others and the judicial process.

    HELLO??? “RESPECT AND OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW”….HELLO MS. CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE!!! HELLO????

    DOES MISREPRESENTING YOUR IMMIGRATION STATUS FALL UNDER “GOOD MORAL CHARACTER”??? lol. HELLO, MS. CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE…ARE YOU OUT THERE???

    Reply this comment
  7. Orland
    Orland 4 January, 2014, 14:05

    There are more murders with the use of hammers that guns, When will there be background checks on all purchases of the common hammer ?

    Reply this comment
    • LetitCollapse
      LetitCollapse 4 January, 2014, 15:08

      The media never mentions that the largest mass murders in American history were caused by arson with gasoline used as the propellant of the fires.

      Yet there are no regulations on the sale of gasoline to the public. You don’t need a permit to buy it. Any maniac cold-blooded killer could walk into any gas station and put a gallon of gas in a fuel container for less than $4. None of the liberals complain about that. lol.

      So fanatical gun control laws make no logical sense.

      If more Americans were allowed to carry concealed gun deaths in America would plummet. Why? Because the crazies and the bad guys would think twice before shooting at someone if they thought the risk of someone shooting back was significant. It’s that simple.

      Even crazy people are scared of being shot at!!! lol.

      Reply this comment
  8. billyBS
    billyBS 4 January, 2014, 14:49

    What is next, give the new attorney a ccw(concealed carry permit)?

    Reply this comment
    • LetitCollapse
      LetitCollapse 4 January, 2014, 15:13

      billy, if a KNOWN illegal alien is grated a law license and is allowed to practice law in California LAWFULLY what would stop him from holding a high political office? Or being appointed to a high political office? Why couldn’t an illegal alien hold a high cabinet position at the pleasure of the POTUS?

      If we are going to declare our sacred laws irrelevant, why not do it across the board?

      Why not just make bank robbery legal??? All the robbers want to do is feed their families afterall!

      Reply this comment

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