Authorities worry new Texas gun law will increase violence

Texas' new law allowing most people to carry handguns in public without a permit or training came in part from the belief by many Texans that the best way to prevent crime and stop an armed bad guy is to make sure an armed good guy is nearby.

Gov. Greg Abbott and his Republican allies in the Legislature who this summer made Texas the largest state with a so-called permitless carry law pitched it as a way to let people more easily defend themselves without government interference.

“Best case scenario, the police are minutes away. But you need protection right then and there if you’re in danger. So, it’s going to make us safe,” said Bethany Young, the legislative director for Texas Gun Rights, which pushed for passage of the law that took effect Wednesday .

But research suggests crime actually rises after such laws are implemented. And Texas authorities, including many who spoke out against the new measure, worry that having more people walking around armed will lead to more disagreements being settled through gunfire and more lost or stolen firearms ending up in the hands of criminals.

With its new law, Texas joined nearly two dozen states that allow some form of unregulated handgun possession. Texas already allowed rifles to be carried in public without a license. But as of a few days ago, most Texans age 21 or older who haven’t been convicted of certain crimes can now carry a holstered handgun in public without undergoing any training, getting a permit or undergoing a state-run background check.

Although several of the permitless carry states passed their laws this year and researchers say more time is needed to fully study the impact of such measures, Sven Smith, an assistant sociology professor at Stetson University in Florida who studies gun violence, said the data collected so far in various studies suggest that crime rates in states with open carry laws go up 10% to 15%.

“The United States is following the traditional notion of fighting fire with fire. The best defense is a good offense, that type of mentality,” said Smith. “But the overwhelming preponderance of the statistics, though they’re not for certain and they’re not conclusive ... they only point one way.”