Poll shows fewer Hoosiers own firearms
Group says majority of respondents favored stricter gun laws as a way to reduce crime.
Survey highlights
In 2004, 44 percent of Hoosier households surveyed reported owning a gun, compared with 49 percent in 2000.
26 percent reported owning a handgun in 2004, compared with 30 percent in 2000.
58 percent of male survey respondents reported having guns in their households, compared with 42 percent of females.
89 percent support background checks of people purchasing guns at gun shows, and 87 percent support a law requiring a mandatory waiting period before a person is able to purchase a handgun.
85.2 percent support legislation prohibiting the sale of handguns to those convicted of domestic violence.
79 percent support requiring all new handguns sold in Indiana to be "child-proofed." They want devices on the gun that prevent the gun from functioning unless fired by the owner.
77 percent of households support trigger locks.
Respondents in homes with guns other than handguns were more likely to be Republican (40 percent vs. 22.9 percent) than Democrat.
By Eunice Trotter
eunice.trotter@indystar.com
November 23, 2004
Fewer Hoosiers own a gun today than four years ago and an increasing number of gun proponents and opponents support measures to reduce gun violence, according to a survey by a statewide effort to prevent firearm violence.
When the Indiana Partnership to Prevent Firearm Violence conducted its first firearm safety survey in 2000, 49 percent of households reported owning a gun. In the 2004 survey, that percentage dropped by about 5 percentage points.
The percentage of households with handguns also dropped. This year, 26 percent of households reported owning a handgun compared with 30 percent in the 2000 survey.
The survey of more than 1,000 Hoosier households reached by telephone in January and February is scheduled to be released today. The poll was conducted by Indiana University Center for Survey Research on behalf of the partnership.
Kathleen George, president of Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence, a statewide group that lobbies for gun control and works with the partnership, said the survey shows Hoosiers are concerned about gun violence and gun safety.
"We're not a pro-gun state," said George, who became active in gun control after two friends were shot and killed by their mentally ill son. "We want regulation. But our public officials, with the exception of a few, are not listening."
But groups supporting the right to bear arms say Indiana does not need more gun laws.
Laws already exist that adequately restrict gun ownership, said Sue Mogle, an officer with Central Indiana High-Power Rifle Shooters.
"More laws aren't going to do anything to prevent gun violence," said Mogle, who said Hoosiers should keep in mind that the survey was conducted for a group that supports more restrictive laws. "It's not a gun-control issue; it's a societal problem."
According to the survey, a majority of those polled favor more restrictive handgun control laws, including:
89 percent support background checks of people purchasing guns at gun shows, and 87 percent support a law requiring a mandatory waiting period before a person is able to purchase a handgun. In Indiana, a private gun owner may legally sell a gun without proof the buyer has passed a criminal background check.
85 percent of those surveyed support legislation prohibiting the sale of handguns to those convicted of domestic violence.
79 percent support requiring all new handguns sold in Indiana be "child-proofed." They want devices on the gun that prevent the gun from functioning unless fired by the owner.
77 percent of households support trigger locks.
Eighty percent of households without firearms and 53 percent of households with firearms believe that stricter gun laws would help reduce violent crime, according to the survey.
"Despite the perception, Hoosiers are in fact supportive of a host of common-sense measures to prevent gun violence," said Dr. Marilyn Bull, medical director of the partnership. "Lawmakers and the public need to know that in Indiana, gun violence prevention legislation is considered mainstream.
"Hoosiers see through the often shrill rhetoric surrounding firearms and see the desperate need to address gun violence as a public health problem," Bull said.
FBI statistics show 67 percent of the 16,503 murders in 2003 were committed with firearms. But since 1993, firearm-related crime has plummeted, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice. Nonfatal firearm crime also dropped, reaching the lowest level ever recorded in 2002 and 2003.
While some gun restrictions did well in the survey, others did poorly. The least popular idea in the poll was restricting the number of people who can carry a concealed weapon to people with special needs like police or private detectives.
Fifty-three percent of those surveyed favored that initiative.
The survey also found that households headed by married couples are more likely to have guns. The presence of children younger than 18 does not seem to make a big difference in whether a household has guns.
In both 2000 and 2004, people who live in small towns and rural communities and those with incomes greater than $75,000 were more likely to have guns other than handguns.
The survey was funded by the Joyce Foundation and the Indiana University School of Medicine.
The 2000 survey was conducted to learn about the attitudes of Hoosiers compared with the rest of the nation. In 2004, the primary goals were to determine the current attitudes of Hoosiers compared with those in the 2000 survey.
Call Star reporter Eunice Trotter at (317) 444-6037.
