Homicide rates of police officers are much more associated with gun ownership than violent crime.

More than 90 percent of the homicides of police officers in the US are committed with guns. In new research, David Swedler looks at the relationship between police officer homicides and a number of state-level variables. He finds that gun ownership in a state is the most significantly associated with officer homicides, much more so than violent crime. He writes that policymakers and politicians who wish to protect police officers should reconsider the strength of their state’s gun laws.