Despite initial worries about Kansas’ concealed carry laws, it seems as if the state has done a good job of weeding out malcontents who hoped to have a pistol strapped to their side.

Since the law took effect in 2007, the state has issued 51,078 concealed-carry permits. Of those, 44 permit holders have been charged with a crime committed while using a firearm, and 17 had their licenses revoked.

That comes to less that 1 percent of permit holders who broke the law, or one in every 1,161 permit holders.

Opponents of the concealed-carry law initially speculated that the law would create the opportunity for more lawlessness and criminal activity among permit holders. Supporters argued that those seeking a concealed-carry permit would prove to be more law-abiding than the general public, thanks to thorough background checks.

The supporters’ position has proven true. In 2011, the overall Kansas crime index — or crimes per 1,000 people — was 32.8; for violent crimes it was 3.4. The rate among concealed-carry permit holders amounts to less than one crime per 1,000 people.

While there’s still room to debate how effective concealed carry might be at deterring or preventing crime, at least in the law’s first several years, there’s plenty of proof that those seeking a concealed-carry permit are citizens who closely follow the law.

— The Hutchinson News