For those who said police are anti-gun...

[Dbl0Kevin]

The new national survey of chiefs of police and sheriffs was just released and here's what they had to say about guns:

Gun Control: With regard to private citizens owning firearms for sport or self-defense, 94 percent of the respondents supported civilian gun-ownership rights. Ninety-six percent of the police chiefs and sheriffs believe criminals obtain firearms from illegal sources and 91 percent revealed they hadn't arrested anyone for violation of the so-called "waiting period" laws. When asked if they opposed citizens obtaining concealed-weapons permits, only 34 percent said yes.

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[Henry Bowman]

94 percent of the respondents supported civilian gun-ownership rights

That's big of them considering that police are civilians.

When asked if they opposed citizens obtaining concealed-weapons permits, only 34 percent said yes

If that means that 66% supported shall-issue CCW and that 34% favored Vermont/Alaska caryy, then great. But I bet it means that a full one-third think that the rest of us should not be allowed to carry at all.

I'm not impressed by these numbers.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

I am impressed. It's a lot better than the media would lead us to believe.

 

[Zundfolge]

I'm not impressed by these numbers.

I dunno ... how do these numbers stack up against the general public (not just us in the forums)?

I'll bet more then 34% of the sheeple are against CCW.

 

[Dbl0Kevin]

I dunno ... how do these numbers stack up against the general public (not just us in the forums)?

Exactly. I don't know what world some of you people are living in but 66% of police chiefs supporting RTC is more than the general public I'd wager on.

Oh well guess you can't please everyone.

 

[DMK]

Gun Control: With regard to private citizens owning firearms for sport or self-defense, 94 percent of the respondents supported civilian gun-ownership rights. Ninety-six percent of the police chiefs and sheriffs believe criminals obtain firearms from illegal sources and 91 percent revealed they hadn't arrested anyone for violation of the so-called "waiting period" laws. When asked if they opposed citizens obtaining concealed-weapons permits, only 34 percent said yes.

Considering that most of America is still not urban yet(geographically), that's not too surprising. It's the metro police chiefs that get their panties all in a wad about gun control.

I wonder how they would have responded to being asked whether they support the AWB?

My local sheriff actively supports CCW, often attending CCW classes on weekends. When he took office, he immediately put handgun permit and CCW forms online to make it easier for citizens to apply. He has also been quoted a number of times in the paper saying that it would be beneficial to reducing crime if more citizens owned personal firearms and learned to be proficient with them. Sheriff's deputies recently helped organize a senior games shooting competition locally, providing Ruger MKIIs for the event and even bringing along an MP5 to let the folks there take turns shooting it for fun.

 

[DMK]

When asked if the process of arming commercial airline pilots is too burdensome, 53.6 percent of the police executives answered yes.

I don't like the way that statement was worded. It sounds like they are against arming pilots when I beleive it means that they are for it, but feel that the piolts are getting shafted by bureaucracy.

 

[Standing Wolf]

When asked if they opposed citizens obtaining concealed-weapons permits, only 34 percent said yes.

34% wannbe Hitlers doesn't strike me as being very good news.

 

[Dbl0Kevin]

Do you people HONESTLY expect 100% of the people to agree with you? Americans can't agree on what to have for lunch let alone important policy issues. I would have to say 66% is a pretty damn good chunk for CCW, especially with the massive amount of gun control ignorance of the general public.

 

[Ant Mod]

When asked if they opposed citizens obtaining concealed-weapons permits, only 34 percent said yes.

In a state like California where there are hardly any CCW carriers, it makes the polices job easier. When they see someone with a gun they can pretty much guess that they dont have a CCW so I am not surprised LEO are against CCW.

I think its more a logistical and practical standpoint then a 2nd amendment one to them.

 

[Checkman]

Absolutely Dbl0Kevin. To expect 100% of the respondents to agree is unrealistic. 66% is a very large majority. Guess some folks just don't like cops no matter what they say or do. Well I guess if a person wants to be loved one should be a firefighter.

 

[gulogulo1970]

That's a much bigger % than I would have thought. Especially since police chiefs duties are largely political nowdays. That's pretty positive survey, really.

 

[Blackhawk 6]

The article fails to mention the number of people who responded to the survey. 66% of 15,000 is great; 66% of 6 is nothing to rave about.

 

[Majic]

Like any poll you can pick and choose who you want to particpate and skew the numbers anyway you want. Statistical analysis is not an exact science.

 

[Ant Mod]

Like any poll you can pick and choose who you want to particpate and skew the numbers anyway you want. Statistical analysis is not an exact science.

I once had a long discussion one night with a freind about statistics. It contention was that it is a science, I said it wasnt. You give 20 economists/statiticians the same numbers and they will all come up with different theorys and predictions.

Its one thing I learned in statistics, you can make the numbers look any way you want depending on how you present them.

Example. Lets say a company has a line graph on all their fiscal months. However only one month had a profit. If you just show that one month as a close up on a graph it looks like the company is doing very well. But pull back and look at everything together and you see the real picture.

Statistics are fun but worthless without knowing all the peramters of the poll.

 

[sendec]

Outstanding

This is far different than what the national FOP would say. Typically it is the big city chiefs and metro sheriffs who are antigun and in control of these organizations, so if one of them comes out even lukewarm it is time to dance in the streets.

Statistics by definition is an exact science. Sure, the numbers can be wrong or misinterpreted, just like anything else, but stats remains the only way to quantify social phenomena. Have we gotten so jaded we wont recognize good things when they occur?

 

[Zundfolge]

34% wannbe Hitlers doesn't strike me as being very good news.

I'd say its good news because I would have figured it would have been 66% wannabe Hitlers and 34% pro gun.

But it could be better ... so we should start having "Take a Cop to the Range" days

 

[bill2]

I think the numbers are good, and especially (as someone has pointed out) the level of gun and gun garbage put out in the media. I wonder what the geographical spread was on these numbers, though.

Question: I've heard this before about cops on the beat being in favor of CCW and guns, but that it's always the police chiefs/sheriffs who are against it, mainly because they are playing politics. Is this usually true? Haven't all chiefs and sheriffs been beat cops once and know the reality? It seems that I always hear comments by higher ups in the media about how bad guns are. Is this just because the media only talks to the chief? What's the scoop?

 

[BowStreetRunner]

to those who think that those numbers arent good.........we probably wouldnt find a better opinion sample from the general public......lets build on the 2/3 of police who agree with concealed carry and make it 100%
BSR

 

[Treylis]

But it could be better ... so we should start having "Take a Cop to the Range" days

Considering the abilities of every police officer I've ever seen shoot while at the range, I might have to invest in an armored vest before embarking on such a campaign. ;-)

(Not to impugn the shooting skills of those police who know what they're doing--but, face it, guys, you're a minority.)

 

[Dbl0Kevin]

(Not to impugn the shooting skills of those police who know what they're doing--but, face it, guys, you're a minority.)

Unfortunately I know. There was a reason why they requird us to wear Kevlar vests on the range when qualifying.

I'll never forget when I went down to an "Investigator Survival Class" to visit the instructor who was a friend of mine. They ended up having a non-official shooting contest between everyone there. Contest was at around the 7 yard line with six 8" pie plate knock down targets. Draw and fire 6 rounds and whoever hit the most and had the quickest time won. I just sat back and laughed to myself as these guys went up there and were taking all kinds of time and weren't even hitting them all. Then they asked me to shoot so I popped down all 6 plates in about 4 seconds (which I didn't really think was that good) and their eyes popped out of their heads. They started complaining to the Sgt teaching the class that he brought in a "ringer". I just stood by laughing and shaking my head the whole time.

 

[Foreign Devil]

Considering that police see the very worst that people do to each other, often with guns, I'm surprised more of them aren't committed to total gun control.

 

[Majic]

Statistics by definition is an exact science.

Only if the analysis include every number. That means they would have to get the opinion of every police officer in the country. If you leave just one out then it becomes speculation for that one and not exact science.

 

[Zundfolge]

Considering that police see the very worst that people do to each other, often with guns, I'm surprised more of them aren't committed to total gun control.

and/or more devoted to proficiency with their sidearm

 

[entropy]

Must have been an anonymous poll; most Chiefs and Sherriffs are at least publicly anti. Used to be most rank-and-file cops were pro, but as LEO demographics are changing, this is, too. There are more and more "social workers with guns" on the beat, and they tend to be anti.