Old gun law in Kennesaw Georgia.

[Retmilleo909]

By AJC Staff | Sunday, February 18, 2007, 08:21 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Next month, Kennesaw marks the 25th anniversary of what a local historian called the ordinance “that rocked the world.” Every head of household, the 1982 law states, must own a firearm and appropriate ammunition.

Does a city have the right to require a gun? Should there be some exception to this law? Do you think that every household should have a gun?
Every household??...This kinda scares me!!

[BEK]

MN has a law like that, I believe that most states across the board at one time had a law like that on the books. You also would have to take your gun with you to church at one point. If the gun stats are true there is 3 guns for every person in the US anyways. Hell I have 6 and that isnt that many in my neck of the woods. My uncle has 4 24 gun safes full of em

[countybear]

Interesting note, crime stats for that area before and after?

[Norm357]

By AJC Staff | Sunday, February 18, 2007, 08:21 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Next month, Kennesaw marks the 25th anniversary of what a local historian called the ordinance “that rocked the world.” Every head of household, the 1982 law states, must own a firearm and appropriate ammunition.

Does a city have the right to require a gun? Should there be some exception to this law? Do you think that every household should have a gun?
Every household??...This kinda scares me!!

There are several exceptions to this.

Interesting note, crime stats for that area before and after?

Yeah, I have em. It will take me a minute to find them though.

[Norm357]

I was wrong, I dont have those stats. Here are the crime stats for 2005 though. Remarkably low.

Crime Type 2004 Total Per 100,000 People National per 100,000 People
Overall Kennesaw Crime Index 579 2054 4627.9

Kennesaw Violent Crimes 34 120.6 554.4
Kennesaw Murders 0 0 6.9
Kennesaw Rapes 0 0 34.6
Kennesaw Robberies 7 24.8 195.4
Kennesaw Aggravated Assaults 27 95.8 340.1

Kennesaw Property Crimes 545 1933.4 4073.5
Kennesaw Burglaries 91 322.8 814.5
Kennesaw Larceny/Thefts 398 1411.9 2734.7
Kennesaw Motor Vehicle Thefts 56 198.7 526.5

Kennesaw Arsons 1 0 0 N/A

SOURCE

[Rhino]

Local legend has it the ordinance was passed because of record-high burglaries. In the first year the ordinance was passed, the burglary rate went down like 82%. I don't have proof- just word of mouth.

Personally, I'm all for it. If you don't like the law, you can always move somewhere else. I don't think a law like that should ever go beyond the city level, however.

To my knowledge, the law has never been enforced.

[countybear]

Local legend has it the ordinance was passed because of record-high burglaries. In the first year the ordinance was passed, the burglary rate went down like 82%. I don't have proof- just word of mouth.

Personally, I'm all for it. If you don't like the law, you can always move somewhere else. I don't think a law like that should ever go beyond the city level, however.

To my knowledge, the law has never been enforced.

If I remember correctly, Rhino, you are exactly right. It was around this same time that Louisiana's "Shoot the burglar" laws went into effect, with other States following suit by enacting similar legislation. Kennesaw jumped in with the "armed citizen" law soon after.

[Norm357]

Local legend has it the ordinance was passed because of record-high burglaries. In the first year the ordinance was passed, the burglary rate went down like 82%. I don't have proof- just word of mouth.

Personally, I'm all for it. If you don't like the law, you can always move somewhere else. I don't think a law like that should ever go beyond the city level, however.

To my knowledge, the law has never been enforced.

This law was passes in responce to the city of Morton Il. passing a law banning all handguns in town.

[TXCharlie]

According to that website, my town has about the same number of every type of crime except rapes and murders (we have 1 of each), but with 63,000 people, we have a population double that of Kennesaw...

Of course, we do have 811 registered CHL holders in town.

Then there's Dallas - But holy crap, Washington, DC had almost as many murders as Dallas in 2005, yet Dallas has more than double the population of DC!!!

[Retmilleo909]

Following is some Info. Re. Kennesaw, GA. crime rate from 1982 to 1996.

Kennesaw, Georgia
"America's Safest City"
Requires Gun Own
If gun ownership is so dangerous and such a cause of social ills, then surely the most dangerous place in America must be Kennesaw, Georgia (a suburb of Atlanta), where since 1982 a law has required every household to have a firearm and ammunition. (Conscientious objectors are excluded.)
Right? Wrong!
There has not been a single reported crime of domestic violence in Kennesaw since the law was passed. There have been no injuries to children involving guns since the law was passed.
Furthermore, violence has actually dropped since 1982. Burglaries per thousand inhabitants fell from 11 to less than 3. There have been only 2 murders with knives (1984 and 1987), and 1 with a firearm (1997). All this despite the fact that the population in Kennesaw grew from around 5,000 in 1980 to 13,000 by 1996 (latest available estimate).
Could it be that gun ownership might have positive, not negative effects? That the whole premise behind gun banning is totally wrong? Just ask the people living in Kennesaw.

Following is a list of the crimes reported in 2004 the latest Stats reported.
Kennesaw has grown in population from Approx. 5,000 in 1982 to probably 30,000 today as the population in 2006 was reported at 26,246.
Even today the crime rate for Kennesaw is remarkably low for a city of it's size and the gun law of 1982 was and is still effective today, as it was when it was enacted by Kennesaw's city council.
I live just a few miles from Kennesaw and remember well the day this law went into effect.
IMO, every responsible citizen should have acess to a weapon, pistol, shotgun, rifle or whatever, but there are a few seedy characters that shouldn't, and I'm sure the Kennesaw PD would agree.

Number of Crimes and Crime Index of the Year 2004 for Kennesaw, Georgia

This table is based on crime that took place in Kennesaw Georgia and is based upon a population of 26,246 served by the Kennesaw Police Department
About the Crime Data*

Crime 2004 Number 2004 Rate Per 100,000
Murder 1 3.8
Manslaughter - -
Rape Total 2 7.6
Rape by Force 2 7.6
Attempted Rape - -
Robbery Total 9 34.3
Robbery with a Gun 4 15.2
Robbery with a Knife 4 15.2
Robbery other Weapon - -
Strong Arm Robbery 1 3.8
Assault Total 172 655.3
Assault with a Gun 2 7.6
Assault with a Knife 4 15.2
Assault with other Weapon 5 19.1
Assault with Hands, Feet, ect. 1 3.8
Simple Assault 160 609.6
Total Violent Crime 184 701.1
Burglary Total 86 327.7
Burglary - Forcible Entry 42 160.0
Burglary - No Forcible Entry 35 133.4
Attempted Burglary 9 34.3
Larceny Total 422 1,607.9
Motor Vehicle Theft Total 45 171.5
Auto Theft 15 57.2
Truck, Bus Theft 3 11.4
Other Vehicle Theft 27 102.9
Total Property Crimes 553 2,107.0
Total of All Crimes 737 2,808.0

[lewisipso]

I still carry my gun to church.