New Trends Emerge in Applications for Concealed Weapons in Michigan

New reports released Sunday point to some emerging trends in the application of Michigan's concealed weapons law. While overall applications and approvals have soared in the last five years in particular, more recently certain areas of the state appear to be fueling this increase more than others.
The areas of the state that are showing the largest percentage increases in concealed weapon permit applications and approvals, according to the new reports, seem also to be those with the highest overall crime rates as well. Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties together account for nearly half of all people with concealed pistol licenses in the state.

The city of Detroit, with the highest crime in the state, second only to the city of Flint, serves as the seat of Wayne County, with Oakland and Macomb Counties comprising most of the rest of the Detroit metro area.

The high crime rate and the resulting apprehension about public safety is thought to directly relate to the number of applicants for a CPL. Most recent applicants cite the need for personal protection as their reason for completing the paperwork and going through the necessary courses to be approved to carry a weapon.

Here are some of the numbers related to Michigan's concealed weapons law and the new reports regarding applicants.

276,000: The number of people in Michigan currently licensed to carry a concealed weapon in the state. This number is approximately double what it was even five years ago.

117,830: The number of people in the Detroit metro area licensed to carry a concealed weapon.

43: The percentage of the overall number of CPL holders in Michigan who reside in Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb County.

40: The overall percentage of Michigan's population that resides in the Detroit metro area.

4: The percentage of adults in Michigan that are licensed to carry.

5: The percentage of adults in the Detroit metro area that are licensed to carry.

1 in 6: The number of new applicants for a CPL that are female. Reports now show that the number of female applicants in Michigan has sharply increased in the last five years, and in the last two years in particular.

17: The overall percentage of CPL holders in the state that are female.

22: The percentage of CPL holders in the Detroit metro area that are female.

2: The percentage of overall CPL holders that have been cited for any kind of infraction.

83: The number of counties in Michigan. Each county has an individual gun board that oversees CPL applications and approvals.

18: The number of state requirements an applicant must meet to qualify for a CPL.

9: The number of federal requirements that an applicant must meet in addition to the state requirements to qualify for a CPL.

21: The minimum legal age a person must be to carry a concealed weapon in the state.

Vanessa Evans is a musician and former freelance writer based in Michigan, with a lifelong interest in politics and public issues.