DPS Demographic Reports for Calendar Year 2009

[03Lightningrocks]

It's not a liberal/conservative thing at all. It is a need based thing. Folks who are living around violent crime tend to look for ways of defending themselves more than folks who live around less violent crime.

[SQLGeek]

My portfolio has done 33% SO FAR this year. If that's anemic growth in anything then bring on the famine.

Do you teach personal finance by chance?

[Ldy AlliDu]

77029 is east of Houston in Jacinto City, where I10 and 610 meets, I don't know that area but I have a friend that runs a store farther down I10 in Baytown, he works nights, I was there 1-2 AM a couple of weeks ago, simply mind boggling, I felt very safe while there
I got a chuckle when I had to explain to him that one guy who bought cookingspray was unlikely to use it for it's intended purpose, next-a guy buying a brillo pad and a lighter, lots of cooking going on

[SecedeTX]

I live in Brazoria Co, and work in Harris Co (downtown). The current DA is against people carrying in their cars in Harris County under the castle doctrine. He opposed having the castle doctrine extend to your automobile. According to very reliable sources (multiple LEO's in different depts) if an officer pulls over a NON-CHL person who is carrying in the car under the castle doctrine, that person is to be arrested, gun confiscated, processed, bailed out, hire a lawyer, day in court. Once that person gets to court and is asked to make a plea, they say "not guilty, under castle doctrine" and the case is dismissed.

You are still out the time in jail being processed, bail, and attorneys fees. Makes it an expensive hassle.

The LEO's that I know are not fond of this, but it is unwritten policy. The are HIGHLY supportive of CHL holders as we are clearly not the problem. From my understanding, the anti-gun stance from Harris Co. is more concentrated on castle doctrine carriers rather than CHL carriers. They don't want protection from castle doctrine to extend to our inherited thug problem (it was bad enough before the storm).

I think it is interesting that I have approx 650 like minded indivuduals in my zip code that all have CHLs. Maybe we should all meet up at Don Picos for dinner one night!

[Quahog]

The thing I found interesting is the age distribution... those of us in our middle-age years seem on the average to be higher than other age groups. This was somewhat proven out in the CHL class I took where there were 11 people. Three were married couples over the age of 40. Of the remaining five, all except one were over the age of 55 (as were at least two of the three married couples) and only one young man was in his 20s.

Personally, my age had a lot to do with me applying for my CHL. As you get older, you realize "equalization" can be a good thing if your home or personal safety is at risk.

[LarryH]

I live in Brazoria Co, and work in Harris Co (downtown). The current DA is against people carrying in their cars in Harris County under the castle doctrine. He opposed having the castle doctrine extend to your automobile. According to very reliable sources (multiple LEO's in different depts) if an officer pulls over a NON-CHL person who is carrying in the car under the castle doctrine, that person is to be arrested, gun confiscated, processed, bailed out, hire a lawyer, day in court. Once that person gets to court and is asked to make a plea, they say "not guilty, under castle doctrine" and the case is dismissed.

You are still out the time in jail being processed, bail, and attorneys fees. Makes it an expensive hassle.

The LEO's that I know are not fond of this, but it is unwritten policy. The are HIGHLY supportive of CHL holders as we are clearly not the problem. From my understanding, the anti-gun stance from Harris Co. is more concentrated on castle doctrine carriers rather than CHL carriers. They don't want protection from castle doctrine to extend to our inherited thug problem (it was bad enough before the storm).

I think it is interesting that I have approx 650 like minded indivuduals in my zip code that all have CHLs. Maybe we should all meet up at Don Picos for dinner one night!

Ahem. Chuck Rosenthal is not the Harris County DA and hasn't been for quite some time. The current DA, Pat Lykos (a woman), is, I believe, quite friendly toward law-abiding CHLs.

[SecedeTX]

What I was referring to were the people carrying under castle doctrine without a CHL license. Once you have the CHL, they don't hassle you.

I never said the DA had an issue with valid CHL holders.

[LarryH]

Regardless, "he" is not an appropriate pronoun for the current Harris County DA.

That is what led to my original post. Calling the DA "he" led me to believe that your information was out of date.

[SecedeTX]

I don't live in Harris, so I am not so up on the gender of the current DA...Heck, with a name like "Pat" it could go either way (ah-la Saturday night live).

That being said, I agree with the DA's resistance to the castle doctrine extending to autos considing what has happened to Houston since the storm, but I don't agree with the way they have implemented it.

Most LEO's I know (and I know a good number), are really cool with CHL holders and even consider them good guys/girls on their side. We are the least of their worries.

[Ldy AlliDu]

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[gwholt1]

IIRC Texas MPA is the legislation which allows the carrying of a conceled handgun in your vehicle, not the Castle Doctrine. I have been wrong befor, might be again, but don't think I am.

Garry

[joe817]

IIRC Texas MPA is the legislation which allows the carrying of a conceled handgun in your vehicle, not the Castle Doctrine. I have been wrong befor, might be again, but don't think I am. Garry

You are correct. The 2 are different, and it is a testament to your recognition of the difference of the 2.

[Venus Pax]

Maybe some of you Harris County folks could weigh in with a theory?

Although Harris Co is overwhelmingly liberal, the population is high enough that your conservative residents still have a voice.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

VenusPax, et al:

Did anyone notice that of all the 2009 CHL's awarded,
that over 22% went to females?

In 2008 it was 18% females, which I thought was pretty
good. But 22% is even better.

Maybe enough women saw Debra Medina waving her XD
around on the news and could more easily envision them-
selves with a CHL (even though Medina only carries under MPA,
since she doesn't have a CHL).

SIA

[dicion]

Please understand, I'm not disputing the results. I'm trying to understand them. My previous comments about liberal mayors, the HPD, etc. were not based on any first hand knowledge. They were based almost entirely on what I've read on this board over the past two years, which has left me with the distinct impression that HPD was not CHL friendly, previous Mayor White was not CHL friendly, and the former DA was not CHL friendly.

I can understand the after effects of Katrina and Ike at motivators to acquire a CHL.

Living here, I think it's a combination of all of the above.

Few things rock someone's "It Can Never Happen Here" Mentality, but one could definitely be being without power for 3 weeks (and consequently, without Lights at night, Burgular Alarms, Camera Systems, etc), and realizing that the police have more important things to do than drive around suburban neighborhoods making people feel safe.

When it's You, at home, alone, in the dark, with only a cell phone that may or may not work, and that's it..... well, some people wake up to reality.