In Part 1, we looked at murders in New Jersey, which number over 400, exceeding one murder per day, steadily increasing over the last few years as shown in Figure 1. These murders are just one of the reasons why we believe all citizens should have the right to carry concealed firearms should they choose to do so and accept the responsibilities with exercising the right to keep and bear arms in New Jersey.

Figure 1 - Murder Trend in New Jersey

When a murder is committed, we lose loved ones and contributing members to our communities, and the victim loses their life. With violent crimes, we don't completely lose our loved ones, but we have to watch them struggling with fear, insecurity and emotional scars as well as physical ones. And while we watch this, the violent offender gets three square meals a day, often in a facility that allows recreation areas and workout areas that exceed what most private citizens can afford in their homes. These violent offenders are rarely sent to prison for more than a half dozen years, while our victimized loved ones carry their emotional and physical scars forever.

So exactly how much violent crime is there in New Jersey? The answer is "a lot" with a total for 2006 of 30,543 reported statewide in the 2006 New Jersey Uniform Crime Report. New Jersey classifies violent crime as Murder, Rape, Robbery and Aggravated Assault. Since Murders represent only a tiny fraction (1.4%) of New Jersey's violent crime we at NJCSD thought to take a broader look at the crime picture in NJ. The 30,543 violent crimes in New Jersey break down to the following sad statistics:

• A violent crime is committed every 17 minutes in New Jersey
• Half of New Jersey's counties have over 3 violent crimes per day
• There are 4 violent crimes each year for every square mile in New Jersey
• There are ~2 police employees for every violent crime each year in New Jersey
  
  

So how does violent crime across the state shake out?  Figure 2 shows the number of violent crimes by county.  Over half of New Jersey counties exceed three violent crimes per day.  The higher crime rate counties have between 4 and 20 violent crimes per day.

Figure 2 - Violent Crimes by County

Figure 3 on violent crime trends illustrates that crime hasn’t been impacted in any significant way by local and state police or legislation. We need real, significant reductions in crime to have safer streets, safer parks and safer neighborhoods to enjoy. This isn’t going to come about by what is already too much spending by our governments and municipalities.

Figure 3 - Violent Crime Trends in New Jersey

In John Lott’s research from More Guns, Less Crime, it has been shown that “shall issue” right-to-carry policies can reduce violent crime anywhere between 10 and 15% - it’s happened right next door in Pennsylvania.  But right now, New Jersey is one of the last few states to hold out against right-to-carry. Thirty-nine (39) other states have already recognized draconian gun control as a tried-and-failed experiment, and their citizens have reaped the crime-reducing benefits of shall-issue CCW policies.  The right to carry allows individual citizens to take responsibility for their own personal safety instead of relying on a police force that has no legal obligation to protect them. It is estimated that firearms are used more than 2 million times a year to deter crimes, most of the time without a shot being fired. The sight of a gun in some cases is enough to send the bad guy running in the opposite direction. And, in shall-issue states, the CCW holders are 43 times less likely to be involved in any type of altercation than an average person. 

But one of the best things about right-to-carry policy is that all citizens benefit from those who choose to obtain CCW permits. Think about it: in shall-issue CCW states, criminals don’t know who may or may not be armed.  In New Jersey, however, only retired law enforcement officers will routinely get CCW permits, while ordinary citizens will rarely if ever get one.  This type of ‘privileged’ access serves the criminals all too well because there are very few CCW holders in NJ, and as we’re all aware, if odds are in your favor, it’s more likely you’ll be willing to get in on the game. 

We may be ranked #2 in the nation by the Brady Campaign with regard to gun control laws, but as you’ve clearly seen, New Jersey is most definitely not the second safest place in the nation.  Gun control efforts in New Jersey, much-lauded by so-called “progressive” politicians, have failed to achieve any reduction in crime rates.  Criminals still have all the weapons they want or need regardless of laws, while law-abiding citizens find themselves with more and more restrictions on the types of firearms they can purchase, or the circumstances under which they can be employed.  So we are limiting the innocent in use of defensive weaponry, while in effect helping the criminal elements with our gun-control policies. 

A person can still buy a shotgun or rifle in New Jersey, but not without first obtaining a Firearms ID card, which can take up to 6 months to process, as was this author’s experience.  A shotgun or rifle is rarely the ideal home defense weapon, especially with other family members in the house or with very tight living conditions, such as an apartment complex.  Usually experts recommend a semi-automatic pistol or revolver for self-defense purposes, and New Jersey requires a separate handgun purchase permit/form of register.  Even then, you may possess a handgun only in your home.  While traveling, you are rendered nearly defenseless in your car or while out on a picnic in our lovely state parks, which have often been the site of criminal activities.

In the meantime, our Governor has his own personal taxpayer-funded security detail to protect him while traveling around the state.  If our legislators were forced to live in the areas with violent crime rates like Camden and Essex year round without the benefit of publicly-funded personal police officers, do you think New Jersey’s policies regarding self-defense would change?  Why not get on the phone to your representatives and ask them?

The gun control policies implemented by our representatives locally and in Trenton are not working! Write to the Governor if you wish to complain about crime, and see what, if anything, happens.  However, here’s one proposal that does work in other states and is actually before your legislature for self defense in your own home:  Bill A134. Or better yet, write to your local representative and ask for Concealed Carry of Firearms or CCW in New Jersey legislation that will allow you to better protect yourselves. The life you save may be your own, or your loved one’s.