STRAIGHT SHOOTING ON CONCEALED WEAPONS: GOOD GUYS GET GUNS (PROP B: HIT OR MISS?) (LAST IN A SERIES)

Proposition B supporters say it's about time that the good guys get guns.

The measure on Missouri's April 6 ballot would allow the state's adult residents to carry concealed guns, provided that they meet certain requirements and pay the permit fee.

Supporters say law-abiding citizens need the opportunity to protect themselves and their families.

Criminals, they point out, already are armed.

"The guns are already out on the streets," said Chaffee Police Chief Keith Carr, who supports Proposition B.

"We are not advocating that everybody go and get a concealed weapon," said Carr. "We want people to have a choice."

Proponents say typically only 1 percent to 5 percent of any state's population applies for a concealed-weapons permit.

Carr said passage of the concealed weapons measure won't turn city streets into shooting zones.

"What this law could do is allow the good people a chance to carry concealed weapons," he said.

Supporters of the measure, including the National Rifle Association, say Missouri's proposed law would be one of the strictest in the nation.

Felons, alcohol and drug abusers, and those judged mentally incompetent would be denied permits.

Missouri residents would have to be at least 21 years old to apply for a permit. Applicants would have to go through at least 12 hours of state-approved handgun training.

Proponents point out that 43 other states have some type of "right to carry" law.

Thirty-one of those are considered "shall issue" states. Of those, 30 require law enforcement officials to issue concealed-weapons permits to eligible applicants.

Vermont allows residents and non-residents to carry concealed guns without permits.

State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, has been a vocal proponent of Proposition B.

He said Vermont, a state where carrying guns is an automatic right, has the lowest crime rate in the nation.

Across the nation, state legislatures have passed concealed weapons laws. Missouri is trying to do it with a vote of the people.

"No other state has ever put this issue to the vote of the people," Kinder said.

The track record in other states shows that there's no cause to worry about permit applicants, he said.

"People willing to register, pay a fee and take a gun safety course turn out to be unusually law-abiding citizens," he said.

The campaign organization pushing for passage of Proposition B is Missourians Against Crime.

The group says concealed-weapons laws have helped reduce violent crime.

John Lott Jr., a University of Chicago Law School professor, has studied the issue. He reviewed crime statistics from 1977 to 1992 and has continued to analyze crime numbers since then.

Lott said that in states with "shall-issue" laws, murders were reduced by 8.5 percent, aggravated assaults by 7 percent, rapes by 5 percent and robberies by 3 percent.

In heavily populated areas, the drop in murders was even greater, Lott said.

"In counties with populations of more than 200,000 people, concealed weapons provided an average drop in murder rates of more than 13 percent, Lott said.

Concealed-weapons laws help everyone because the criminals don't know whether potential victims are armed, Lott said.

Criminals tend to attack victims whom they perceive as weak. Guns can serve as an important deterrent, he said.

Lott and other proponents of concealed weapons say relatively few permit holders commit firearms violations.

Ben Lewis, a former circuit judge in Cape Girardeau County, said three groups of people currently carry concealed weapons: police officers, criminals and those who carry guns illegally for protection.

"We are talking about a fourth class of people; those who are law abiding, and as qualified with a weapon as a deputy sheriff in a third-class county, who have been through training and background checks," he said.

Ex-law enforcement officers currently can't carry concealed guns. Proposition B would give them the right to carry, along with other Missourians.

Roy Bergman is retired from the Missouri Highway Patrol after 36 years on the job.

Bergman, a firearms instructor, believes he should be allowed to pack a gun. "I have not grown irresponsible simply because I no longer wear a badge," he said.

"It is an absolute injustice that after dedicating our careers to promoting public safety and saving the lives of honest people, we are prohibited from carrying a concealed firearm for personal protection," he said.

Under Proposition B, an initial three-year permit would cost $80. Renewals would cost $35.

The permit fees will cover the cost of the application process. The money will go to the sheriff's department where the application was filed.

Proponents say the measure won't cost taxpayers a dime.

Proposition B, they say, could well take a bite out of crime.