N.C. crime rate decreasing while concealed-carry permits increasing

According to the N.C. Department of Justice crime report for 2008, the latest year statistics are compiled:

The rate per 100,000 people of Crime Index offenses reported to law enforcement agencies throughout North Carolina decreased 2.2 percent during 2008 when compared to the figures reported in 2007.
The rate of violent crime (which includes murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) decreased 1.3 percent statewide. Individually, the murder rate decreased 3.5 percent, the rape rate decreased 6.3 percent, the robbery rate increased 2.2 percent, and the aggravated assault rate decreased 2.7 percent.
The rate of property crime (which consists of burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft) decreased 2.3 percent across the state.
The rate for burglary decreased 0.4 percent and larceny decreased 2.7 percent. The motor vehicle theft rate decreased 7.0 percent. A property crime not included with the other Index offenses, the arson rate decreased 6.8 percent.

Meanwhile, as crime has been decreasing, something else has been on the rise in North Carolina. Since 1995, NC has been a "shall issue" state for concealed-carry handgun permits and the NC DOJ has also compiled carry permit records for the period of 12/1/1995 through 6/30/2009.

Regular Permit Applications: 290,406
Regular Permit (Valid Permits): 158,590
Regular Permit Applications Denied: 2,598
Regular Permit Applications Revoked: 864

So there's been 290,406 permit applied for in the total period, of which 158,590 are still valid, meaning that sligthtly more than half of the permit issued were not renewed for whatever reason, probably not reapplied.

And of that nearly 300,000 permits applied for, only  2,598 over the entire period were denied. The only reasons a permit can be denied are a criminal record or mental health problems that have caused a person to be legally judged dangerous to themself or to others.

And of that nearly 300,000 applicants, only 864 permits issued have been revoked for violations over nearly 13 years of permits being issued.

Statistics do seem to show that NC concealed-carry permit holders are not the wild and crazy cowboys that the lamestream media claim we are, now don't it? No "blood in the streets" in NC, except for the blood of the bad guys who have become victims of acute failure of the victim selection process by picking on concealed-carry holders.

Do you suppose those nearly 300,000 legal concealed-carry guns on the streets and byways of North Carolina might have has a little something to do with our decreasing overall crime rates? Ya think?