Policies should remain unique

James Farmer

When politicians and laymen alike speak of policies, they are hardly ever coming up with new ideas. Public policies are often copied from other jurisdictions or from lower or higher levels of government. Obamacare is strongly modeled after Romneycare, which was proposed in Massachusetts, for example. So when the rare unique policy is enacted, policy makers across the country and on different levels of government all wait to see how it does. However, these policymakers would be far better off thinking of their own new solutions to problems.

Take the gun ownership law in Kennesaw, Ga. This law is often cited by gun-rights groups as a great example of how gun ownership in every house reduces violence. Home break-ins dropped significantly in just three years after the law was passed in the 80s, though the crime rate for violent and property crimes steadily increased from 1999-2011. However, a large reason for the success that the city had in implementing the law is that no other city copied it.

If the surrounding cities in Cobb County and the metro Atlanta area in general had copied the Kennesaw gun law, it would be more than likely that the violent crime statistics would have remained unchanged. With the exception of organized crime, which is not prevalent in Georgia, people in economically desperate situations commit the majority of thefts and violent crimes. Economically desperate criminals often do not have the economic mobility to move long distances, but can move one town over where their illicit activities can remain profitable without the risk of being shot.

The economic growth of the city during the 90s also helped contribute to the low crime rate. Kennesaw was able to maintain a low unemployment rate while increasing its population by over 140 percent during the 90s. Today, the county ranks in the top-10 in Georgia for median income for individuals, households and families. Would the crime rate have been as low with higher poverty rates?

The point is, for a variety of reasons, the gun ownership policy in Kennesaw worked out well for the city. Would it work well everywhere? I highly doubt that, but unique policies, especially for local governments, should be encouraged. Think about that with the mayoral election coming up in Statesboro.