Kansas Concealed-Carry Holders Commit Few Gun Crimes

     TOPEKA, Kan. - Statistics show few Kansans who hold a concealed-carry gun permit have been charged with a firearm-related crime.

Records from the Kansas Attorney General's Office show that of the 51,078 permits issued in Kansas since the law took effect in 2007, just 44 permit holders were charged with a crime committed while using a firearm.

That works out to one charge for every 1,161 permit holders, or 0.09 percent.

Meanwhile, interest in obtaining a permit has spiked recently, particularly among women.

The number of Kansans applying for a concealed-carry license has gone up 24 percent over the previous year, with more than 12,400 Kansans applying between July 2011 and June 2012.

Among women, the number was up 57 percent with nearly 2,500 applications during that time.