What Cops Really Think About Gun Control

Survey finds the overwhelming majority of cops think gun control won’t do diddly-squat against crime.

Jim Kouri writes for Conservative Action Alerts that PoliceOne.com, a leading Internet web site exclusively for federal state and local law enforcement, conducted a survey in early March of 400,000 police professionals from across the U.S. The survey probed the opinions of American law enforcement regarding gun control policies and the root causes of, and potential solutions, to gun crime in the U.S.

The research team received 15,000 responses from law enforcement professionals in agencies and departments throughout America. The 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% were current law enforcement officers and 20% were former/retired law enforcement.

On April 8, 2013, PoliceOne.com released the results of the survey. The survey answers revealed 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. Among the results:

• 86% believe the currently proposed gun-control legislation would have no effect or a negative effect on improving officer safety.

• 92% believe that banning semi-automatic firearms, or “assault weapons,” would have no effect or a negative effect on reducing violent crime.
• The respondents overwhelmingly believe that the best way to combat gun crime is through harsher punishment. 91% said the use of a firearm while perpetrating a crime should lead to a stiff, mandatory sentence with no plea bargains. Likewise, 59% believe increasing punishment severity for unlicensed dealers would reduce crime.
• Respondents were more split on background checks, with 31% agreeing that mental health background checks in all gun sales would help reduce mass shootings, while 45% disagreed.
• 71% support law enforcement leaders who have publicly refused to enforce more restrictive gun laws within their jurisdictions.
• 82% believe gun buyback or turn-in programs are ineffective in reducing the level of gun violence.
• 91% support the concealed carry of firearms by civilians who have not been convicted of a felony and/or have not been deemed psychologically incapable.
• 80% believe that legally-armed citizens would likely have reduced the number of casualties in recent mass shooting incidents.

• 38% 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% and “pop culture influence” (e.g. violent movies and video games) at 14%.

Conservative Action Alerts suggests seven ways you can take action:

1. Sign the petition and send letters to your state government demanding that they draft legislation declaring federal gun-control null and void. Select here.
2. Send faxes to 50 state governors demanding that they refuse to sign into law any gun-control bill be they state or federal. Blast faxes.
3. Sign the petition and send letters to your U.S. Lawmakers demanding that they oppose any and all gun-control bills. Select here.
4. Sign the petition and send letters to your U.S. Senators demanding that they stand with Sens. Cruz, Lee, and Paul and filibuster the motion to proceed on gun-control legislation. Select here.
5. Send faxes to U.S. Senators demanding that they stand with Sens. Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Rand Paul and filibuster the motion to proceed on gun-control legislation. Blast Faxes.
6. Call Senators and Representatives (start-off with calling your own) and demand that they oppose federal gun-control legislation in any way that they can. Find your lawmakers here.
7. Donate a Facebook post to spread the message. See our pro-gun Facebook banners and then click “SHARE” to share them on your wall or a friend’s wall. Select Here.

~Eowyn