Miami, Florida – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has highlighted a significant drop in the murder rate in Miami while speaking in Iowa over the weekend, attributing it to recent changes in the state’s gun laws.
DeSantis emphasized the effectiveness of these legislative adjustments. “Since we’ve enacted that you’ve had a big drop in murders in Miami, they just reported that’s what’s happened,” he stated, referring to the positive outcomes following the enactment of HB 543 in 2023.
HB 543, known as the permitless carry legislation, has been a topic of much discussion. Governor DeSantis refers to this law as “constitutional carry,” a term that, despite causing some discontent among firearms enthusiasts, has been consistently used by him. His commitment to making permitless carry a legal reality has been a promise years in the making.
However, the response from local government officials offers a different perspective. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez acknowledged the significant reduction in homicides, noting that 2023 saw only 31 homicides in Miami. This number could be the lowest in the city’s history. Yet, Mayor Suarez attributes this decrease not to the new state law but to the effectiveness of “law enforcement.”
The conversation around the impact of gun laws on crime rates remains a contentious and evolving issue, with different stakeholders attributing success to various causes. The case of Miami’s declining murder rate serves as a focal point in this ongoing debate.
