Crime Index: Military vs. Civilian Gun Owners

The effect of civilian and open gun ownership on local crime rates near military facilities.

What effect does civilian or open gun ownership have on local crime rates? How do military facilities allowing open competition with civilian shooting matches compare to military facilities with more restrictions? Let’s look at crime statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation of various military posts and bases. This crime data is derived from uniform crime reports collected by the FBI from 17,000 local law enforcement agencies and include violent and property crimes.

The truth about gun owner safety rates.

Fort Moore (Columbus, GA): Crime Index 3 out of 100 (100 is safest)*

*Formerly Fort Benning

Home of the Infantry and The Maneuver Center of Excellence, with a crime rate of 67 per one thousand residents, Columbus has a high crime rate compared to other communities of all sizes – from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 15. Within Georgia, more than 91% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Columbus. Importantly, when you compare Columbus to other communities of a similar population, the Columbus crime rate (violent and property crimes combined) is higher than average.

The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in Columbus; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 195. This equates to a rate of 5 per one thousand inhabitants. Significantly, based on the number of murders reported by the FBI and the number of residents living in the city, analysis shows that Columbus experiences one of the higher murder rates in the nation when compared with cities and towns for all sizes of population, from the largest to the smallest.

Fort Liberty (Fayetteville, NC): Crime Index 3 out of 100 (100 is safest)*

*Formerly Fort Bragg

Home of the 82nd Airborne and US Army Special Warfare Center and School, with a crime rate of 67 per one thousand residents, Fayetteville has a high crime rate in compared to all communities of all sizes – from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 15. Within North Carolina, more than 92% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Fayetteville. Compared to other communities of similar populations, Fayetteville’s violent and property crime rates are higher than average.

Fayetteville’s violent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation, across communities of all sizes (both large and small). Violent offenses tracked included rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon. According to analysis of FBI reported crime data, your chance of becoming a victim of one of these crimes in Fayetteville is one in 169. Based on the number of murders reported by the FBI and the number of residents living in the city, analysis shows that Fayetteville experiences one of the higher murder rates in the nation when compared with cities and towns of all sizes. The chances of becoming a victim of a property crime in Fayetteville is one in 16, which is a rate of 61 per one thousand population. Fayetteville has one of the highest rates of motor vehicle theft in the nation; the chance of getting your car stolen in Fayetteville is one in 322.

Camp Perry (Port Clinton, OH): Crime Index 81 out of 100 (100 is safest)

Camp Perry has been the home of the National Matches and the Civilian Marksmanship Program (formerly Department of Civilian Marksmanship) since 1907. Being the site of one of the largest annual shooting tournaments in the United States, thousands of armed civilians compete alongside military personnel every year. Camp Perry is one of the few (only?) Army posts open to the public with no gate guards or ID checks.

According to an analysis of FBI crime statistics, Camp Perry is safer than 81% of the cities and towns in the United States of all population sizes. Only 17% of the communities in Ohio have a lower crime rate than Camp Perry. If you live near Camp Perry, your chance of becoming a victim of crime in the community is 1 in 117; the US average across communities from the largest to the smallest is 1 in 32. Compared to other communities of similar population size, the Camp Perry area has a crime rate noticeably lower than average.

The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in Camp Perry; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape, or murder; is 1 in 272. This equates to a rate of 4 per one thousand inhabitants. Furthermore, motor vehicle theft, arson, burglary, and larceny are not very common near Camp Perry compared to most US cities and towns. In fact, the rate of these property crimes in Perry is just 5 per one thousand people, far below the national average. Based on this rate, Camp Perry is one of the safer communities in America with regard to incidences of property crime.

Gun Ownership Does Not Drive Crime Rates

Crime rates are due to a host of socio-economic factors. Shooting activity and gun ownership are not causing this. The fact that Camp Perry remains an open post and regularly hosts matches and classes attended by civilians does not necessarily cause low crime, just as posts that don’t do this are not the cause of high crime.

However, most military facilities have restrictions against open shooting activity, especially against civilian use. Such restrictions are due to “safety” and they do not have any credible statistics to rationalize the decision, a common failure among military leadership.

The value of competition according to Special Operations personnel.