Alphecca

Kennesaw, 25 Years Later

I just LOVE THIS STORY:

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. It was passed, at least in part, in response to the actions of Morton Grove, Ill., which had just adopted an anti-gun ordinance.

[...]

[City Mayor] Church said neither the ordinance, nor some gun-totin' image, conflicts with the city's plans.

"We're not looking to change [the law]," he said. "It's not going anywhere. I think it helps deter crime."

Police agree. "We look at it as part of our crime prevention program," [Police Lt.] Graydon said.

Police cite Kennesaw's crime statistics, which show a community largely untouched by the worst offenses like murder, rape, robbery and assault.

On a per capita basis, the city's serious crime rate has plunged since the law was passed. The actual number of the most serious crimes has barely increased, even as the city's population has exploded from about 5,000 in 1980 to more than 30,000 in 2005.

"We can't say it works, but the population has grown," Graydon said, "and we've maintained a very low crime rate."