But is this actually the truth, or is it just a claim? Despite the argument that background checks are ineffective, Michael Siegel and other contributors disagree; they believe that background checks have had an impact on criminals obtaining weapons and possibly injuring other people. States that have an increase in the number of background checks also have a decrease in firearm-related homicides. A journal article written by Michael Siegel and other Boston public officers states that states that used universal background checks for the purchase of firearms saw a 14.9 percent decrease in overall gun-related homicides. Background checks have had this impact on gun-related homicides because they look into the record of the person purchasing the gun. So if a person has a criminal record or has a mental issue of some sort, they will be deemed unworthy of purchasing and owning a firearm. Due to this, it becomes more difficult for someone who might want to harm others to own a