NO FAREWELL TO ARMS

• NCJ Number: 62165
• Journal: Crime and Delinquency Volume: 25 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1979) Pages: 425-435
• Author(s): P W KEVE
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PRACTICES AND ATTITUDES REGARDING THE ISSUE OF WHETHER PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICERS SHOULD BE ARMED WERE SURVEYED, AND SURVEY RESULT REPORTED.

Abstract

QUESTIONNAIRES WERE DISTRIBUTED IN MARCH-APRIL 1979. ONE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS SENT TO TOP ADMINISTRATORS IN PROBATION AND PAROLE AGENCIES IN ALL 50 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND SEVERAL CITY AND COUNTY AGENCIES. QUESTIONS PERTAINED TO POLICIES REGARDING THE USE OF FIREARMS BY FIELD AGENTS, WHETHER PRESSURE WAS APPLIED BY EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE USE OF GUNS, AND THE TRAINING OF AGENTS IN WEAPON HANDLING. OF 63 QUESTIONNAIRES SENT, 59 WERE RETURNED. THE NATIONAL SURVEY WAS SUPPLEMENTED WITH AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF PRACTICES AND ATTITUDES IN VIRGINIA. AGENTS WERE ASKED ABOUT WHETHER THEY THOUGHT THEY SHOULD CARRY GUNS AND ABOUT THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF ATTITUDES HELD BY FELLOW OFFICERS AND JUDGES. OF 335 QUESTIONNAIRES SENT, 298 WERE RETURNED. THERE WAS NO DISCERNIBLE PATTERN IN VIEWS ABOUT THE USE OF WEAPONS. IT WAS EVIDENT THAT INDIVIDUALS FAVORING THE CARRYING OF GUNS VIEWED THEIR STATUTORY DESIGNATION OF PEACE OFFICERS AS SUPPORT FOR BEING ARMED. REGARDLESS OF AGENCY POLICIES, SOME OFFICERS INDICATED THEY DID NOT HESITATE TO GET GUNS. CERTAIN JUDGES WERE OPPOSED TO AGENTS BEING ARMED BUT WERE QUITE ACCOMODATING ABOUT ISSUING GUN PERMITS WHEN REQUESTED BY AGENTS. NEARLY ALL JURISDICTIONS PERMITTING THE USE OF GUNS PROVIDED A DESIGNATED AMOUNT OF TRAINING. IN MANY JURISDICTIONS WHERE WEAPONS WERE PROHIBITED, NO NEED FOR GUNS AND NO CONCERN ABOUT THE ISSUE WERE EXPRESSED. THE DESIRE OF AGENTS IN VIRGINIA TO CARRY WEAPONS WAS NOT RELATED TO URBAN OR RURAL SETTINGS BUT SEEMED TO BE A HIGHLY INDIVIDUAL OUTLOOK. VIRGINIA PROHIBITS THE USE OF WEAPONS BUT IT IS A STATE WHERE A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF OFFICERS FAVOR THE USE OF WEAPONS. THE PRIMARY FACTOR ACCOUNTING FOR DIVERGENT OPINIONS ABOUT WEAPON USE BY PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICERS IS THE OVERALL PHILOSOPHY CONCERNING THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF THESE OFFICERS. PERHAPS THE ISSUE IS NOT SO MUCH WHETHER AGENTS SHOULD CARRY GUNS AS IT IS THE RECONCILIATION OF AGENCY PHILOSOPHIES WITH AGENCY PRACTICES. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)