Survey of 15,000 Law Enforcement Professionals about U.S. Gun Control Policies


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PoliceOne.com Releases Survey of 15,000 Law Enforcement Professionals about U.S. Gun Control Policies


March 2013 survey of police officers covered proposed legislation and attitudes about arming citizens
SAN FRANCISCO – PoliceOne.com, the leading online resource for law enforcement, today released findings from a national survey of police professionals that provide insight into the opinions of American law enforcement regarding gun control policies and the root causes of and potential solutions to gun crime in the United States.
The survey, which was conducted in early March 2013, received 15,000 responses from law enforcement professionals. It found that the overall attitude of law enforcement is strongly anti-gun legislation and pro-gun rights, with the belief that an armed citizenry is effective in stopping crime. Response percentages varied only slightly when analyzed by rank and department size. Among the results:

  • 86 percent feel the currently proposed legislation would have no effect or a negative effect on improving officer safety
  • Similarly, 92 percent feel that banning semi-automatic firearms, or “assault weapons,” would have no effect or a negative effect on reducing violent crime
  • Demonstrating the opinion that the best way to combat gun crime is through harsher punishment, 91 percent said the use of a firearm while perpetrating a crime should lead to a stiff, mandatory sentence with no plea bargains. Likewise, 59 percent believe increasing punishment severity for unlicensed dealers would reduce crime
  • Respondents were more split on background checks, with 31 percent agreeing that mental health background checks in all gun sales would help reduce mass shootings, while 45 percent disagreed
  • 71 percent support law enforcement leaders who have publicly refused to enforce more restrictive gun laws within their jurisdictions
  • 82 percent believe gun buyback or turn-in programs are ineffective in reducing the level of gun violence
  • 91 percent support the concealed carry of firearms by civilians who have not been convicted of a felony and/or have not been deemed psychologically incapable
  • Likewise, 80 percent feel that legally-armed citizens would likely have reduced the number of casualties in recent mass shooting incidents
  • 38 percent believe the biggest cause of gun violence in the United States is the “decline in parenting and family values”. This was trailed by “overly lax parole and short sentencing standards” at 15 percent and “pop culture influence” (eg. violent movies and video games) at 14 percent
The survey was promoted by PoliceOne exclusively to its 400,000 registered members, comprised of individually-verified law enforcement professionals. Only current, former or retired law enforcement personnel were eligible to participate in the survey.
Respondents comprised a variety of ranks from departments of all sizes, with the majority representing departments of greater than 500 officers. Of those who took the survey, 80 percent were current law enforcement officers and 20 percent were former/retired law enforcement.
“This survey captures the perspective of an audience that has an intimate professional connection to gun policies in our country, yet is rarely heard from as a group in discussions on the issue,” said Alex Ford, CEO of the Praetorian Group, PoliceOne’s parent company. “Our standing as the leading online community in the law enforcement market enabled us to gather what we feel is the most meaningful sampling of police attitudes about gun control ever compiled. There is clearly a wide range of opinions regarding this issue nationwide and we believe it’s important for our audience’s voice to be heard.”
The full survey results can be viewed at Link Removed.
About the Survey
PoliceOne’s Gun Policy & Law Enforcement survey was conducted online on PoliceOne.com between March 4 and March 13, 2013. The survey was composed and compiled by PoliceOne staff along with staff from the Praetorian Group, PoliceOne’s parent company. It received more than 15,000 responses from adults who reside in the U.S. and who are either current or former/retired Law Enforcement, as verified by a qualifying question at the beginning of the survey. The survey sample size was broadly distributed by geography and rank in proportion to the U.S. law enforcement community at large. Additionally, survey promotion was limited to PoliceOne’s audience of verified law enforcement professionals, and conducted via exposure both on PoliceOne.com as well as through email newsletters and a full-membership email promotion. A longer description of the survey methodology can be found atLink Removed.

About PoliceOne
With more than 400,000 registered members and nearly 2 million unique visitors per month, PoliceOne.com is the leading law enforcement website in the country. PoliceOne provides law enforcement-specific resources designed to help officers stay safe on the streets and more effectively protect their communities. PoliceOne is the only site to confirm the law enforcement status of all members, creating a trusted and safe community for the exchange and discussion of key law enforcement issues, including breaking news, top products and important officer safety strategies.
For more information on PoliceOne, visit www.policeone.com/about/.
About The Praetorian Group
The Praetorian Group is the leading online media company in the public safety and security market. Our properties are visited by more than 3 million public safety professionals every month and count over 1 million first responders as members. Praetorian owns and operates www.PoliceOne.com, www.FireRescue1.com, www.EMS1.com, www.CorrectionsOne.com and www.Military1.com, as well as more than 15 topical public safety websites providing resources ranging from online video to grant assistance. We are deeply committed to providing resources and cutting edge information that help first responders and military personnel stay safer, become better informed and more effectively protect our communities.
For more information on the Praetorian Group, visit www.PraetorianGroup.com.
PoliceOne.com Releases Survey of 15,000 Law Enforcement Professionals about U.S. Gun Control Policies
 

Most cops are pro-gun like us. It's the anti-gun cops that get all over the news. Take for example Obama visiting the Denver Police Academy this last week. Obama and his giant liberal machine and media had the few cops that love him in the picture behind him, all over the news. The pro-gun Colorado Sheriffs held their own gathering in response to Obama's visit but they did not make the headlines like Obama did.
 
Ain't just obummer-
[h=1]CT Governor’s Office Threatens Veteran With Arrest For Questioning Gun Ban[/h]


We received the following email from retired U.S. Navy veteran Geoff Ross. After speaking with him via phone, Ross sent us an email, in which he claims that Connecticut Governor Daniel P. Malloy’s officer threatened him with arrest by the Connecticut State Police after he tried numerous times to get answers to questions about the governor’s sweeping gun measures that he signed into law. We also called the governor’s office and while we were not threatened as Mr. Ross was, we were met with a bit of hostility for probing questions regarding the constitutionality of the gun ban.

Dear Patriots across America,
Yesterday and today I called the office of Governor Malloy in CT with several questions regarding the Unconstitutional gun and 30 round magazine ban he just illegally signed into law.
I asked if the Governor had a weapon I asked if the aids who were taking my phone calls carried and owned guns.
I was told its none of my damn business. Ha said I !! Really ?
I asked if this law banning 30 round magazines and rifles in CT would apply to ATF, the police and US Marshals and the US military or was it just the people of CT. They said just the people not the government. Really ? You don’t say ?
I asked if the aids understood the reason for the 2nd Amendment.
They had no clue.
I was hung-up on 5 times. I was threatened by Governor Malloy’s special aid called Melissa. She said she would set the CT State police on me if I kept calling in and asking these questions. She told me she would have the CT state police contact me and shut me down.
After I got off the floor from laughing. I called back and told the Communist to go ahead and call the State police. Go for it !! I gave her the number.
I then continued with my questions. She hung up on me. I called back again and asked for the phone number to the CT State police and she passed me to another Communist who threatened me too with the State police. What a joke.
They shut down the 2nd Amendment then try and intimidate me and shut down my 1st Amendment.
The phone number to Governor Malloy’s office is 1-800-406-1527.
Call his office and explain that his law is illegal and violates the Second Amendment.
The CT state police is 860-685-8000. Have an awesome evening.
Senior Chief Geoff Ross
US Navy retired
The blood of the children and adult victims in the Sandy Hook massacre is on the hands of Connecticut Governor Malloy and all other politicians that have created and continue to oppose the elimination of Gun Free Zones, aka Target Rich Environments, which are America’s killing fields.
This attack on the Second Amendment by Governor Malloy and the State legislature is nothing short of an attack on the people of Connecticut. It is quite ironic that a state known as “The Constitution State” is directly attacking it with their legislation and putting the lives of law abiding citizens in even more danger, while doing absolutely nothing to deter the real threat.
 
Real Law Enforcement Officers know the facts because they are educated as to who the real threat is.

Unfortunately for the citizenry though, those who abuse their authority, commit violence and graft on their victims, plant evidence, lie in court, enforce unconstitutional laws and generally piss on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, are every bit as much "Real Law Enforcement Officers" as the ones you're referring to. And of course, a citizen can't tell the difference between the ones you're referring to and those like the ones I'm referring to until they're jerkin' around on the ground after being tased for saying something like, "Brown vs. Texas establishes that you cannot stop an individual and demand their ID without good faith suspicion that they are either engaging in criminal activity or about to....." "POP! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" "ARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Unfortunately for cops, not only are scenarios like that posted daily on YouTube, the "good cops" are simply turning the other way, as opposed to stepping in to stop the abuse. And they're testifying that they saw nothing "outside of policy." They make themselves as invisible as they can to their fellow cops, the courts, and the public at large.

More and more, people who concern themselves with knowing and asserting their rights, find it about as believable that the "Real Law Enforcement Officers" you allude to exist as that unicorns that fart butterflies exist. If they want to change such public perceptions, then the good ones are going to have to get in front of the jack booted thugs who are beating, tasing and arresting people for virtually nothing, and stop them, report them, and stand up to that thin blue line crap. Unless and until videos like that start showing up on a regular basis, the bad cops will control the public perception, because there's a whole lot of folks with video cameras these days, and like it or not, the Supreme Court has consistently upheld their 1st Amendment right to record their actions with or without their consent.

Blues
 
Unfortunately for the citizenry though, those who abuse their authority, commit violence and graft on their victims, plant evidence, lie in court, enforce unconstitutional laws and generally piss on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, are every bit as much "Real Law Enforcement Officers" as the ones you're referring to. And of course, a citizen can't tell the difference between the ones you're referring to and those like the ones I'm referring to until they're jerkin' around on the ground after being tased for saying something like, "Brown vs. Texas establishes that you cannot stop an individual and demand their ID without good faith suspicion that they are either engaging in criminal activity or about to....." "POP! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" "ARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Unfortunately for cops, not only are scenarios like that posted daily on YouTube, the "good cops" are simply turning the other way, as opposed to stepping in to stop the abuse. And they're testifying that they saw nothing "outside of policy." They make themselves as invisible as they can to their fellow cops, the courts, and the public at large.

More and more, people who concern themselves with knowing and asserting their rights, find it about as believable that the "Real Law Enforcement Officers" you allude to exist as that unicorns that fart butterflies exist. If they want to change such public perceptions, then the good ones are going to have to get in front of the jack booted thugs who are beating, tasing and arresting people for virtually nothing, and stop them, report them, and stand up to that thin blue line crap. Unless and until videos like that start showing up on a regular basis, the bad cops will control the public perception, because there's a whole lot of folks with video cameras these days, and like it or not, the Supreme Court has consistently upheld their 1st Amendment right to record their actions with or without their consent.

Blues

The problem with all of this finger pointing you are falling in line with the way they wish to portray "US". Calm, Cool, Thoughtful, Truthful, are some of the things that will win the day.
People don't respond well to negativity. Win the masses with honey.
 
The problem with all of this finger pointing you are falling in line with the way they wish to portray "US". Calm, Cool, Thoughtful, Truthful, are some of the things that will win the day.
People don't respond well to negativity. Win the masses with honey.

That was kind of my point. When cops start dishing out honey on-camera as often (or more often) as they're caught being thugs and usurpers of the Constitution, then perceptions will start to change. For the time being though, they represent the negativity that we are responding to. Don't shoot (or tase) the messenger. Demand of cops the same level of abiding by the law and respecting people's rights as they demand of us, and their negative image will disappear. It is them feeding the negative imagery, not me just because I analyze the imagery and tell the truth about what it shows me.

Blues
 
Like the old adage Blues that a few bad apples spoil the barrel, the same is true with cops.
 
Most cops are pro-gun like us. It's the anti-gun cops that get all over the news. Take for example Obama visiting the Denver Police Academy this last week. Obama and his giant liberal machine and media had the few cops that love him in the picture behind him, all over the news. The pro-gun Colorado Sheriffs held their own gathering in response to Obama's visit but they did not make the headlines like Obama did.

They actually talked to some of the officers on TV who were behind the "Liar in Chief" in Denver......They were ordered to show up or face the consequences!!! None of the consequences were actually in writing, but consequences just the same. We've all been there at some time in our careers, and I would imagine that like many in this country, cannot afford to take the chance and disobey a direct order.

I'm sure many were biting their tongues or were throwing up into their mouths as they listened to Obama speak!

It's obvious that most LEO's are pro-2A.
 
The sample size of 15,000 speaks volumes. The typical sample for "National" surveys, including elections, considered to be reliable within 2 to 4% margin of error is 1,000. So anyone looking at these results can't discredit them based on sample size.
 
Like the old adage Blues that a few bad apples spoil the barrel, the same is true with cops.

Of all the internet "acquaintances" that I know of who have, or have had, a connection with LE, I take your word for this above all others. You are as fair and open-minded as anyone I know of, whether taking into account your LE background, or leaving it out of the equation. Still, the "good apples" have to step up and be in the forefront. It is their reputations, their integrity, and their fealty to their oaths that is being harmed by allowing the bad apples to hog the spotlight. That's all I'm saying.

Blues
 
I've met as many good cops as I have met sh!tty ones, FWIW.

I'll be honest - I haven't "met" all that many cops. Since about 1994 or so, that has been on purpose. We owned a little coffee shop on the main drag of a small town. When we first opened, we had several folks recommend that we offer discounts or free stuff to cops and firefighters. I had no objection to it, so we offered free small coffees to 'em, and free refills in our logo mugs after they bought one (which was a large size). This one cop started coming in every day and eventually we became pretty friendly. He and his wife both rode their own Harleys, as did me and my wife, so we started going on rides together and generally socializing away from our respective jobs. That went on for at least two years, maybe three.

One day I'm standing at the espresso machine making a drink when I see a car pull into my parking lot with a cop car with its lights flashing pulling in right behind him. I see the driver get out and start pointing in his car while yelling something towards the cop car. As he's doing that, I see my friend get out of the squad car. I finished up the drink, took my customer's money, and then went outside to see what was up. The driver was yelling, "Dude! She's having a baby RIGHT NOW! I gotta get to the hospital!" My friend was writing a ticket and ignoring the driver, so the driver finally said F You! and started getting back in his car. My friend calmly put his ticket book down on the trunk of the guy's car, walked to the driver's door, opened it, dragged the guy out, SLAMMED him on the hood and started whining about being told "F You" as he emphasized every couple of words with another slam of the guy's head on the hood.

After it was all over, my now ex-friend had to let the guy go on his way after I called 911 and got his supervisor down there. The dad-to-be was missing two front teeth, both of which I found after everyone left my parking lot. He was bleeding profusely out of his mouth as he drove his wife(?) or girlfriend to the hospital to deliver a baby. Never heard how that went. Never saw the guy again, even though I had told him that I would be a witness for him if he ever needed one. I don't know if my ex-friend was simply embarrassed from losing his cool in front of me, or if he was pissed because he heard me offer to be a witness, but he never came back for coffee anymore, and to tell you the truth, I was glad. The dude was dangerous. I didn't want him in my store anymore.

There's no big, profound moral to the story here. The best moral I can offer is simply, "You just never know." So I keep my distance from cops in every way I have control over. I haven't actually met and conversed with a cop since that day, and have no desire to. There are an awful lot of folks out there just like me, who have either witnessed brutality dispensed illegally under the color of authority, or they just see the same stuff we all see on YouTube and other outlets and feel fearful and distrusting of cops on that basis alone. Fair or not, there is a brutal image that cops have at least participated in fomenting, if not been wholly responsible for. They are the only ones who can change it. The best any of us can do is survive an encounter with them while being unjustifiably subservient and deferential to them just so we won't piss them off and get our heads smashed against our car hoods for no good reason.

Blues
 
These guys are not cops in the usual sense but, if you want to meet some cocky F'ing LEOs... talk & interact with USAF Security Forces and DoD LEO. Holy crap! They think they're gods and actually make the laws. Here's a story:

Last summer, don't remember exactly, I was on my lunch break so I went to the shoppette(convenience store) on base to get some gas and something to eat. So, I had pulled in to the pumps which were all taken for people who had to fuel up on the left side of their vehicles. So, I turned around behind the pumps to face the other way, and pump. All this goes well, then, I back the truck up to the curb in front of the pumps to park(like everybody else does). I park, get out and start walking towards the door. As I'm nearing a Security Forces E-5(on her way out), she says "You know you can't park there." So, I say, "There's no sign stating that, so yes, I can." Oh man... did that piss her off! She cocks up, says "That doesn't matter, I said you can't park there." Heh, right there I knew I was going to enjoy this. She obviously didn't know what she was doing. So, I say "You don't get to decide that, the Wing Commander, Col. McComb does. Last I checked, he has not signed any OI(Operating Instruction) designating this curb as a no parking zone, that's why it's not marked." Ooh, was she pissed man... She then goes on about why my truck is facing "the wrong way". She says, "And why is your truck facing the wrong way? You aren't allowed to enter from over there(pointing to the exit route) anyway!" I say, "I didn't enter through the exit drive, I backed my truck into the next open pump which happened to be meant for cars with their gas caps on the right sides. That's why I'm facing this way." She says, you see those arrows? Those mean you can only drive in that direction." I say, "Uh huh, that's what I did. Just in reverse." She says "You can't do that, and you can't park here! Move your vehicle or I'm going to ticket you."

At this point, I didn't feel like talking to her dumbass anymore and wanted my food and drink. So, I say "Thank you, have a good day." I walk back to my truck, get in and circle around to the parking lot(like going around my ass to get to my elbow). So, I get my food and eat. Then, I drive over to the Security Forces headquarters building to ask a question. I go in, up to the bullet resistant glass and ask to speak with the supervisor. A DoD LEO walks out. I ask about the no parking thing that I just went through over at the Shoppette. You want to know what she tells me? She says, "Yes, you can park there. As long as it isn't obstructing the flow of traffic, sure. We've had a few other people ask us about this too." I say, "Thank you, I think you need to have a staff meeting about this problem. Do I need to fill out an official complaint card or something?" She says, "No, I'll bring it up again. The Flight Chief already knows about it, thank you."

I park there almost every time I go to the Shoppette, get gas and want to go in right after. So far, no issues.
 
I'll be honest - I haven't "met" all that many cops. Since about 1994 or so, that has been on purpose. We owned a little coffee shop on the main drag of a small town. When we first opened, we had several folks recommend that we offer discounts or free stuff to cops and firefighters. I had no objection to it, so we offered free small coffees to 'em, and free refills in our logo mugs after they bought one (which was a large size). This one cop started coming in every day and eventually we became pretty friendly. He and his wife both rode their own Harleys, as did me and my wife, so we started going on rides together and generally socializing away from our respective jobs. That went on for at least two years, maybe three.

One day I'm standing at the espresso machine making a drink when I see a car pull into my parking lot with a cop car with its lights flashing pulling in right behind him. I see the driver get out and start pointing in his car while yelling something towards the cop car. As he's doing that, I see my friend get out of the squad car. I finished up the drink, took my customer's money, and then went outside to see what was up. The driver was yelling, "Dude! She's having a baby RIGHT NOW! I gotta get to the hospital!" My friend was writing a ticket and ignoring the driver, so the driver finally said F You! and started getting back in his car. My friend calmly put his ticket book down on the trunk of the guy's car, walked to the driver's door, opened it, dragged the guy out, SLAMMED him on the hood and started whining about being told "F You" as he emphasized every couple of words with another slam of the guy's head on the hood.

After it was all over, my now ex-friend had to let the guy go on his way after I called 911 and got his supervisor down there. The dad-to-be was missing two front teeth, both of which I found after everyone left my parking lot. He was bleeding profusely out of his mouth as he drove his wife(?) or girlfriend to the hospital to deliver a baby. Never heard how that went. Never saw the guy again, even though I had told him that I would be a witness for him if he ever needed one. I don't know if my ex-friend was simply embarrassed from losing his cool in front of me, or if he was pissed because he heard me offer to be a witness, but he never came back for coffee anymore, and to tell you the truth, I was glad. The dude was dangerous. I didn't want him in my store anymore.

There's no big, profound moral to the story here. The best moral I can offer is simply, "You just never know." So I keep my distance from cops in every way I have control over. I haven't actually met and conversed with a cop since that day, and have no desire to. There are an awful lot of folks out there just like me, who have either witnessed brutality dispensed illegally under the color of authority, or they just see the same stuff we all see on YouTube and other outlets and feel fearful and distrusting of cops on that basis alone. Fair or not, there is a brutal image that cops have at least participated in fomenting, if not been wholly responsible for. They are the only ones who can change it. The best any of us can do is survive an encounter with them while being unjustifiably subservient and deferential to them just so we won't piss them off and get our heads smashed against our car hoods for no good reason.

Blues

I not only like this, I love this! I have always believed in our system to serve and protect, an even found myself defending the actions of officers to those, whom I assumed, just didn't "understand" the stress and things a police officer has to be a part of. But, after my recent run in with one, I have different views. I still believe in MOST police, however, my true belief in their wish to serve and protect has been forever tarnished!

I admire you for telling this story, and also for standing behind a citizen regardless of your friendship.
And, mostly, I admire you for speaking out about this! Many people are afraid too, and that is exactly why we have so many bad situations involving the police and the public.

Thank you for sharing this :)
 
If you surveyed ONLY Chiefs of Police, you would get entirely different responses. Chiefs are a political animal and once made chief, drink the Cool aide of he Mayors or Commissioners, or whatever. Most Chiefs forget what it was like as a line officer, if they ever was one.
 

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