Kennesaw, {GA} has the nickname of "Gun Town, USA" due to a city ordinance passed in 1982 that requires every head of household to maintain a firearm with ammunition. It was passed partly in response to a 1981 handgun ban in Morton Grove, Illinois. Kennesaw's law was amended in 1983 to exempt those who conscientiously object to owning a firearm, convicted felons, those who cannot afford a firearm, and those with a mental or physical disability that would prevent them from owning a firearm. It mentions no penalty for its violation. According to the Kennesaw Historical Society, no one has ever been charged under the law.
Criminologist and gun-control critic Gary Kleck attributes a drop of 89% in the residential burglary rate to the law and Kennesaw is often cited by advocates of gun ownership as evidence that gun ownership deters crime...