Perception vs Reality. We’re safer than ever before despite public perception
Bottom Line: If I posed the question as to whether you feel crime rates are higher or lower over the past 20 to 25 years what would your answer be? If you’re normal, you probably think there’s more of it, that’s what the Pew Research Center found anyway. According to Pew’s findings 68%, or about 20% more Americans think crime is on the rise compared to 20 years ago. Here’s the thing. Crime rates are dramatically lower.
According to FBI records since 1993:
- Violent crime is down by 49%
- Property crime is lower by 50%
This at a time when gun ownership in the United States continued to rise with record numbers of Americans becoming legal gun owners. Last year we learned that Florida’s crime rate hit a 47 year low as legal gun ownership and concealed carry permits reached record highs in our state – which lead the country in legal gun ownership. This while other research has demonstrated that the average legal gun owner is less likely to commit crime than the average non-gun owner with concealed carry permitted holders being 50% less likely to commit a crime. Add in previous research from the federal government and universities like FSU that'd demonstrated that there’s far more crime prevented by defensive use of firearms than ever perpetrated by them and this whole picture comes clearly into focus.