Survey for LEOs

[martyd]

I have a question.

My past experience leads me to believe police officers AS A GROUP are not gun enthusiasts. Guns to them are work tools.

I know many of you are LEOs.
Before you go ballistic please think back about your fellow officers in your department.

- How many were interested in collecting guns?
- How many were hunters?
- How many were avid shooters?

Going back to the 1970s I owned a gun store and indoor shooting range, as an investment, I had a real job. Officers would come in and practice before they had to do their annual qualifying on the police range.

Seldom did I ever have a LEO purchase a gun or even do recreational shooting on the range.

LEOs are everyday people just like every other profession.

With that in mind it is quite possible that in any police department 50% are conservative and 50% are liberal - about the same as the breakdown of the general population.

I know a lot of conservative folks who could care less about guns, one is a LEO.

So, back to my question.

Are LEOs AS A GROUP gun enthusiasts?

Enthusiast can also mean supporter, in this survey.

 

[mckenney99]

I am no longer active duty, I have been retired for 16+ years.
I worked for a statewide organization but was assigned to a semi-rural post. I think you are correct with a 50/50% split in political views. Most LEO organizations are a representative mix of the area/people they represent and are drawn from and on guns it is no different. I worked with folks who didn't think anyone other than LEO's and military ought to have firearms. I also had a few co-workers who had been on the old division pistol teams, some hunters but I was about the only current active shooter. Many of the newer Troops looked at their duty weapons as tools they had to carry around. Many would only shoot when mandated and when the division provided the ammo.
The older Troopers at my post constantly reinforced in all newer Troopers that they had to ALWAYS ASSUME the people they interacted with were armed UNTIL proven otherwise. THAT'S HOW YOU SURVIVE AND GET TO GO HOME AT THE END OF YOUR SHIFT. However, those older Troopers, I worked with, also reinforced the belief that not everyone they encountered who was armed was necessarily bad or had bad intentions.
I only worked for a couple years after Ohio enacted their CCW laws and overall, I felt the Division and the Troopers I worked with accepted and worked with it pretty well.

 

[WCCPHD]

Police officers are people. People have different interests. Police officers come from a cross section of our population and are representative of society as a whole.

Some people in society like guns. Some tolerate guns and some hate them. My observation as a sworn law enforcement officer for more than 45 years is that law enforcement officers represent all of these feelings.

I think guns are like cars. Some collect, some use, some see them as a tool and some don't like them. Police are no different.

 

[mdf9183]

I spent 30 yrs with a city police dept. and most of the guys I hung around with were gun folks. That being said I think you are right about the make up of politics on most police depts. I have been retired for about 25 yrs now and I think the officers today are more anti gun than they were when I was on the pd. I always assumed everyone I came in contact with had a gun but that didn't mean they were going to shoot me. I also think that the officers today have less support than we did back in the day which makes them a little more concerned for their safety..

 

[Bald1]

I know A LOT of LEOs on every level. Local, county, state and federal. Some are friends and some are relatives. It appears that a lot of police personnel were never introduced to guns until they went to the academy. Never handled never shot and never owned a firearm. The same can be said for the military. IMHO this is part of the reason there are mistakes made in cop related shootings. In addition to not be familiar with guns some cops simply don't have the correct personality or "make up" to be a cop.

 

[oink]

I disagree with the OP's statement that the force was evenly divided between conservative and liberal. My experience with the 3 agencies I worked for was that a strong majority of officers leaned conservative, although some liberals were present.

I do agree that the majority are not gun guys or gals. And the percentage of gun people seemed to decline over the years.

I've always been a gun guy, at least my interpretation of what a gun guy is/was. I've never been what I'd call a collector. I've always been more of an accumulator. And yes, while working, a gun is just a tool to be used. It will get abused in the process. Altering it from factory is fine as long as the alteration doesn't compromise functionality or present legal liabilities. I've certainly altered factory grips. Any sharp or bothersome corners on the gun get rounded. Want more daylight on your fixed sight? Have it milled out some, simple. It's just a work tool. Yes you can personalize your tools. You can still be very fond of the tool, while not factory. Yes the value to a collector of pristine guns will certainly be diminished. Oh well!

Sure, I can appreciate a beautiful unfired handgun. I see nothing wrong with collecting such items if it gives you pleasure. Being a LEO, at least where I worked, I never got paid well enough to be much of a "collector" but whatever floats yer boat, if you can afford it.

For those of you that like to collect former cop guns, well I can help you out there. They don't have any department stampings or engravings but a few sure show some character. Character that was earned honestly by getting bashed on door frames, office chairs, jail gun lockers, car seat frames, road gravel or asphalt, soaked in rainstorms or even hurricanes, or exposed to salt water. All honest earned "character". You can buy them and I'll buy something else I like better that I can immediately take out and add some character to.

 

[IAM Rand]

33% gun nuts, 33% middle of the road, 33% just a tool. Kinda hard to put all of us into a box. I know some that have a duty weapon and that is it. It is a tool and they aren't particularly enthusiastic about qualification. Some may have several and are hunters. Then you have some of us that see a gun and will find the need. There are also hunters across all 3 groups.

 

[WardenRoss]

A lot of the LEO's I know don't get paid enough to support their own family much less have an expensive habit.

My dad purchased me a BUG when I started my career. I could barely afford my uniform boots. I could only dream about owning a target pistol back then.


,

 

[URIT]

I'd have to say that most of the LEOs on my department were not gun enthusiasts or collectors. Most cops on our department were working two or more jobs to support their family. If they weren't single and spending money on firearms, they were hunters.

We had to buy our own duty weapon, so it was well cared for and shot during quarterly quals. I would take my back-up Colt DS to a private range and practice point shooting, which was a skill set that didn't get enough attention at Q-quals.

Most cops on our department were centrists, and tended to be fiscally conservative and a bit more liberal on social issues. That said, most viewed politicians like George Carlin - with distrust and contempt.

 

[lkabug]

In my early days behind a badge most of of the officers were more less conservative.
Most were veterans, WWII, Korea or Vietnam. While some were gun savvy I knew none that were "gun collectors". With a salary of $6,700,( which was considered good at the time) along with a wife and child one could not afford to be a "gun collector". Our range time was at the department range as they would supply the ammunition for "official practices". My Model 10-5, 4 inch barrel, holster, night stick, cuffs, and slap stick were the tools for my job. Nothing more.
It was many years later that I became ill with the Smith Virus.

 

[jkmo]

32 years in with several as an Instructor. The vast majority of L E folks are not gun enthusiasts. They like to qualify occasionally but don't do anything on their own. Just my opinion. Maybe a 1/4 of the folks or less do some on their own. Now a small percentage are hardcore but small number

 

[Faulkner]

A lot of the LEO's I know don't get paid enough to support their own family much less have an expensive habit.

My dad purchased me a BUG when I started my career. I could barely afford my uniform boots. I could only dream about owning a target pistol back then.


,

^^ Exactly right ^^

Some cops are gun guys and some are car guys and some may be both. I'm not a car guy.

 

[CALREB]

I have not read all the entries here yet. But when I was an officer on a small 42 person dept in the midwest almost everyone hunted , fished and was a sportsman gun type enthusiast. Maybe a quarter of the officers were interested in shooting their handgun other than quals and dept training.
When I went to a big west coast dept it differed. I would say very few officers, average wise, were interested in sportsman type gun activity. And about the same 25 percent were interested in shooting their handgun outside of Dept requirements.

Same reasons for both groups. If the Dept wanted me to practice more they would pay for ammo/send me to training / etc. I am too busy working a second job/ raising a family/ taking care of business. No real thought to officer safety being an issue.
I will say that on the smaller Dept the Chief had the range open weekly, with Dept provided ammo 50 rds, for officers that wanted to shoot more. No such thing in the big city...

 

[Muss Muggins]

The percentage of LEO's that are gun enthusiasts, hunters, hobby shooters, etc., is about the same as the general population . . .

Edit: It is folly to think otherwise . . .

 

[mtgianni]

In Montana and Idaho the numbers are fairly high.

 

[StrawHat]

I was the Assistant Range Officer for nearly 10 years, right until I quit Police work. I worked for the State specifically at a University Police Department. We qualified monthly and provided ammunition to those who wanted to practice on their own. In nearly 10 years, I seriously doubt we gave out 100 rounds for practice outside of the monthly qualifications.

I have said many times and believe, most Officers should not have a sharp pencil, let alone a loaded firearm.

Kevin

 

[jscheck]

This question caused me to reflect on things I hadn't paid much attention to before. Thinking back on it, most of my co-workers weren't into firearms or shooting. The percentage of conservatives v. liberals leaned more toward conservative. My agency provided no ammo for practice but only for qualifying. I echo the previous posts which said I had a family to support and couldn't really afford much in the way of personal firearms.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I doubt it, but I'd like to see your facts . . .

In Montana and Idaho the numbers are fairly high.

 

[WardenRoss]

This got me to thinking...

From a long time ago...

In the pic below, you can see my Revolver Expert ribbon, just under my name tag, right side pocket.

To earn expert, you had to shoot a score of 95% or better, consistently.

My original group had 318 officers. I can only remember about five that would earn and maintain expert status.

The course of fire was demanding. It had weak hand firing. Twelve of the 50 rounds were unsupported from the 25 yard line.

So, there's your ratio, if it matters.

EDIT: Stock model 64 revolver with stock magna grips.

 

[Muss Muggins]

That's your one time experience from years ago. It doesn't matter now . . .

This got me to thinking...

From a long time ago...

In the pic below, you can see my Revolver Expert ribbon, just under my name tag, right side pocket.

To earn expert, you had to shoot a score of 95% or better, consistently.

My original group had 318 officers. I can only remember about five that would earn and maintain expert status.

The course of fire was demanding. It had weak hand firing. Twelve of the 50 rounds were unsupported from the 25 yard line.

So, there's your ratio, if it matters.