• Charles D Phillips, Obioma Nwaiwu, Darcy K McMaughan Moudouni, Rachel Edwards, and Szu-hsuan Lin.
• Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77843, USA. phillipscd@srph.tamhsc.edu
• Am J Public Health. 2013 Jan 1; 103 (1): 86-91.

ObjectivesWe explored differences in criminal convictions between holders and nonholders of a concealed handgun license (CHL) in Texas.MethodsThe Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) provides annual data on criminal convictions of holders and nonholders of CHLs. We used 2001 to 2009 DPS data to investigate the differences in the distribution of convictions for these 2 groups across 9 types of criminal offenses. We calculated z scores for the differences in the types of crimes for which CHL holders and nonholders were convicted.ResultsCHL holders were much less likely than nonlicensees to be convicted of crimes. Most nonholder convictions involved higher-prevalence crimes (burglary, robbery, or simple assault). CHL holders' convictions were more likely to involve lower-prevalence crimes, such as sexual offenses, gun offenses, or offenses involving a death.ConclusionsOur results imply that expanding the settings in which concealed carry is permitted may increase the risk of specific types of crimes, some quite serious in those settings. These increased risks may be relatively small. Nonetheless, policymakers should consider these risks when contemplating reducing the scope of gun-free zones.

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