Hawaii gun laws and violence

by Erik  

Hawaii calmly flies under the radar with it comes to guns. While New York and California are well-known for strict gun laws, Hawaii isn't any better.

Here are some facts regarding Hawaii and its guns laws as of June 22, 2014. First, while concealed carry permits exist they are actually issued less than California permits. While Hawaii is a "may-issue" state, they actually practice "no-issue." There are no known Hawaii concealed carry permits. In March of 2014, the no-issue practice was deemed unconstitutional but still remains in effect until an appeal is heard.

Hawaii does not recognize any out of state concealed permits. 20 other U.S. states would honor a Hawaii permit for anyone who was able to obtain one. Open carry is legal with a concealed carry permit but again, since no concealed carry permits exist, it is not done.

All gun purchases (both long guns and hand guns) require a permit to purchase. These permits are issued by the chief law enforcement officer (CLEO). Once purchased, any firearms must be also registered with the CLEO within 5 days, and there is no fee for doing so. NFA items known as Destructive Devices (DD) and Any Other Weapon (AOW) are exempt from local registration as they require federal registration with the ATF.Hawaii crazy gun laws

Suppressors, short barrel rifles,short barrel shotguns, and machine guns while legal at the federal level are not permitted in Hawaii. Magazines with a capacity of larger than 10 rounds are also not permitted in Hawaii.

Many anti-gun supporters will boast that Hawaii's gun laws have successfully curbed violence. While there is no way confirm or deny such statement, the fact remains it does have very low rates of violent crime. However, Hawaii has one of the largest drug problems in the United States.

Hawaii judge Steven Alm explains that "Hawaii is always one of the lower states for violent crime. Usually in the bottom 10, but Hawaii is almost always in the top 5 for property crimes." Judge Alm estimates that 80-85% of court cases in Hawaii involve drugs or alcohol. In 2011, 50.8% of men arrested in Honolulu tested positive for Meth.

So while victims are not being physically assaulted, theft is off the charts as drug addicts steal anything of value to fund their habit. Once could make the argument that allowing responsible citizens easier access to guns could reduce theft. Nobody knows for sure but generally when criminals know there is a lower chance of gun ownership, they are more likely to commit crimes against others.

No feedback yet