A recent study led by Boston University School of Public Health researcher Michael Siegel found a positive correlation between rates of homicide and firearm accessibility.
The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health last Thursday, associated lax firearm regulations with increased gun-related homicides and said a lack of concealed-carry regulation is damaging to public safety.
“The trend toward increasingly permissive concealed-carry laws is inconsistent with public opinion, which tends to oppose the carrying of guns in public,” the study stated. “Our findings suggest that these laws may also be inconsistent with the promotion of public safety.”
Siegel, the study’s lead author and a SPH health sciences professor, wrote that firearm regulation has been a point of contention in public policy debate.
“Previous studies on the impact of concealed carry permitting laws have yielded inconsistent results,” Siegel wrote in an email. “Most of these studies were conducted more than a decade ago. A reexamination of this research question with more recent data is therefore needed.”
Concealed-carry laws differ among states, Siegel explained, noting there are three major variations in gun-permitting policy — “may-issue” states, “shall-issue” states and no permit states.
In “may-issue” states, those who apply for gun permits are under harsher scrutiny than those in “shall-issue” states, in which officials issue permits as long as applicants meet certain criteria, according to Siegel. Nine U.S. states are classified as “may-issue” and 29 are considered “shall-issue,” he wrote.
In the remaining 12 states, no permit is necessary to carry a concealed handgun, Siegel wrote.
“We found that states that do not allow law enforcement discretion in approving or denying concealed-carry permits have homicide rates higher than states that do allow law enforcement discretion in processing concealed-carry permit applications,” Siegel wrote.
Siegel added that the study’s findings are highly relevant, especially with the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act currently up for debate in Congress, which permits any citizen who has a permit from their own state to carry a gun anywhere in the country.
Siegel noted that it is easier for people with a history of violence to acquire concealed-carry permits in “shall-issue” states, since they only deny permits to those who have committed a felony. Conversely, “may-issue” states “ensure that concealed carry firearms remain in the hands of law-abiding citizens.”
SPH professor Craig Ross, another one of the study’s authors, said since decisions regarding gun permit regulations are ultimately in the hands of policymakers, he hopes that this study will help guide them to make informed decisions.
“I would hope that putting out the best evidence possible is influential. What we can do is just continue to look at these things using the best science that we can and publish these results,” Ross said. “What we can do as the scientific community is make sure the public and policymakers have the best possible information.”
Several BU students said they saw the importance of placing tighter restrictions on guns, particularly concealed-carry firearms.
Zuleyka Hernandez, a sophomore in the College of General Studies, said when discussing gun-related policy, considering statistical information like that provided in the study is crucial.
“A lot of the conversations that we have is more about how we feel about the issue and specific incidents, but there’s not really a lot of talk about the research and the numbers and how that can help us in the issue of firearms,” Hernandez said.
Kyle Koslowsky, a freshman in the School of Hospitality Administration, said he thinks studying gun laws is vital due to the current political climate.
“Our homicide rate is high and more shootings can occur, so there’s a lot of scrutiny of firearms in America,” Koslowsky said. “I think a lot of research has to be done.”
Anne Colbert, a first year master’s student in the School of Social Work, said in taking this study into account, she believes there should be more gun safety regulations in place.
“I don’t understand the reason you need to be able to conceal your weapon,” Colbert said. “If you’re planning on bringing your weapon somewhere, people should know that you have one, especially when it is linked already to higher rates of gun violence.”
