Homicides, Robberies and State 'Cooling-Off' Schemes - A Preliminary Analysis (From Handgun Control Legislation - Hearings, P 307-317, 1982 - See NCJ-93399)

• NCJ Number: 93401
• Author(s): J P Magaddino; M H Medoff
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Empirical analysis of laws in 50 States governing the sale of handguns indicates that all schemes, including those requiring a waiting or cooling-off period, have little if any relationship to variations in State homicide and robbery rates.

Abstract

Using 1979 State codes, this study divided the 50 States into six legislative categories: (1) Firearms Ownership Identification Document (FOID) where handgun purchasers are screened prior to purchase; (2) States with FOID plus a waiting period; (3) a cooling-off period accompanied by a police check prior to purchase of a handgun; (4) a simple cooling-off period with no sales information reported to the police; (5) no waiting period, but sales information reported to police; and (6) no waiting period and no information reported. Correlation coefficients between these legislative categories and homicide and robbery rates taken from the 1979 Uniform Crime Reports showed no relationship, positive or negative, between the various schemes and homicide rates. Correlation coefficients were higher for robbery than for homicide, but still were not statistically significant. The correlation coefficient was positively related in FOID States, suggesting the possibility of a perverse relationship between FOID laws and robbery rates. On the other hand, States with high robbery rates may be more likely to adopt FOID laws. Tables and two references are supplied.