Most cops are not gun nutz

[battleship]

Ive heard people here make this comment that many Leo dont like guns or are not interested in guns.
Is this really true, i find it hard to believe, i see so many cops in gun stores buying guns and AR,s and talking guns, ive conversed with many while at a gun store and have PPT guns from Leo who are selling them.

I would think that part of the attraction of being in the police force was the ability to be able to carry a gun, after all its a big part of a police officers kit and his training.

Could it be that older cops no longer have an interest and leo just new to the force are still very much into guns.

First thing a former employee from the company i work for did when he joined the Sheriffs dept was to come by and proudly show us his gun and rave that he could carry it anywhere even after work.

Perhaps many officers dont want to be seen as being into guns for fear that it might seem hypercritical when there depts. are pushing anti gun agenda and having gun buybacks.

Whats your take on this.

[tomd1584]

It just depends.

Are all carpenters tool 'nutz'? Maybe, maybe not.

A gun is tool for his job/trade.

[eclipse]

I went on a ride along and was asking the officer a few questions. He did not at all seem interested in firearms and said he had not shot a gun until he got to the police academy. He was a young guy too. I don't think he was against guns or anything, just didn't seem at all interested in them.

[mif_slim]

They have other things to worry about beside petting their piece in their patrol cars.

[battleship]

A hammer is a hammer a drill is a drill, a gun is not just a tool of a trade, if that is the case, just about all here would have a glock and thats it.

Is that what cops want us to believe thats its just a tool and nothing more. Well maybe his issued weapon is. But i have never met a cop yet who does not own several guns.

And when asked, they willingly love to talk guns.

I guess my point if i have one at all, is Part of a Leo and police depts job is to get guns of the streets, and in the case of the dept politics is to perpetuate how guns are bad and the less we have the safer it will be.

But the flip side of this is the the individual cops own interest in something that might conflict with Police dept. politics/agenda.

Politically it might be a fine and conflicting line for an officer to walk, having an interest in guns and at the same time pushing on the public the negatives of gun ownership.

I to have been on a ride along when i lived in Chicago this was with the Nacotics/ NARCS enforcement team and yes the conversation of guns came up, though the problems of gun crime on the streets of chicago was a major problem, talking guns and the virtues of guns was not as long as you were law abiding. The two cops i was with owned many guns and had a genuine interest. But its not what they would promote in the culture of the Chicago police Dept.

[CSACANNONEER]

I would think that part of the attraction of being in the police force was the ability to be able to carry a gun,

One can only hope that those people get weeded out before completing their mental evaluation.

Many younger LEOs were not brought up around firearms and only know what TV, movies and video games have "taught" them about firearms before they get to the academy. Then, while at the academy, many end up being taught that anyone (other than a LEO) who has a firearm is a bad guy.

Of course there still are a few who grew up hunting, shooting and other doing normal things with their father. These are probably the type of officers that you tend to meet and talk guns with.

[Mad Jax]

My Dad suprisingly enough isn't that interested in firearms, he's even a range master. My Father-in-law has interest in them but only as far as "that's cool, how much did that run you, one of these days I might get one" kind of guys. I figured it was not only a very important tool but a life insurance policy, not really the case with these two. When you break it down I guess its like any tool required for any other job, some people go way into it and some just have one to get their work done.

[bjl333]

I had a customer and she was a LT in a PD. I invited her to shoot some skeet. She told me she rarely shot and mainly shoots only for quals.

[SuperSet]

Would it also surprise you that there aren't that many gun 'enthusiasts' in the military combat arms branches? People have different reasons for joining and it doesn't mean that they can't excel at their job.

[Rule .308]

Not that I know many, many cops but it has been my experience that some are firearms enthusiasts and some are not. The gun to many of them is just another tool to do their job with. Should they also have a collection of pens, tasers, handcuffs, batons, etc?

[Synergy]

Working along side many officers. I have brought up firearms in discussions. I have found many are not enthusiasts such as us. My exes father was a retired detective, only owns one gun and would practice for quals and then it returned to the holster the rest of the time. To each is own, just because they are not enthusiasts, doesn't mean they are against guns or against our cause.

[alex00]

I'm the resident gun nut on my shift, and maybe even in my division. I know there are plenty of Deputies that have more/cooler guns than I do. Most of the Deputies I work with are into guns. I can't think of anyone on my shift that is anti-gun, and most if not all support CCW. I was not always a gun nut, but did shoot and own a few guns before I got hired. I was infected with BRD right after the most recent AW ban. I drove 800+ miles roundtrip, twice, just to get a lower that closer FFLs weren't comfortable transferring. I can assure you my BRD was contagious, and I was patient zero for several of my co-workers. The good news is, I am going to a new shift soon, and can spread my disease to more people.

I've said it before, and I'll say it now; I despise the AW ban, and handgun roster, and believe non-prohibited persons should be able to CCW (I like AZ/AK/VT style carry). In no uncertain terms I believe in a word for word interpretation of the Second Amendment. This doesn't mean I won't ask about guns on a call or a stop. I don't think I've ever arrested someone for a gun related crime that was not already a prohibited person, or possessed a stolen gun. I know gun laws are confusing, and when someone appears to be trying to comply I'm not about to make someone an accidental felon. I am allowed to use discretion, and choose to liberally apply discretion to gun owners.

[battleship]

Thankyou alex00 that was a very interesting read.

[yzErnie]

I guess my point if i have one at all, is Part of a Leo and police depts job is to get guns of the streets, and in the case of the dept politics is to perpetuate how guns are bad and the less we have the safer it will be.

But the flip side of this is the the individual cops own interest in something that might conflict with Police dept. politics/agenda.

Politically it might be a fine and conflicting line for an officer to walk, having an interest in guns and at the same time pushing on the public the negatives of gun ownership.

Pretty sure this comment will get some strong replies fron the LE members of this board. I have my opinion but I'll just keep it to myself.

Many of us who have some years in have a very different viewpoint on firearms. Mine is this, as long as you are a law abiding citizen if a situation arises where you need to display/use your firearm and you use good common sense there will not be any problems with my men or me. If you act like a fool with a firearm, plan on losing it to the evidence locker.

To answer your op...

This is what I am seeing, I'd go out on a limb here and say the majority of us with 20+ years in have prior military experience. That experience brings with it the dependency of firearms and the mentality that guns are good. Many of the younger crowd of LE who do not seem to be as 'enthusiastic' about firearms don't have that same life experience. I have some great youngsters on my shift but generally they don't seem to want to go out shooting on their days off.

When I first started in 1978 we qualified with our whel guns every month and most of us would go to the range to get in extra practice before or after work. Now, we qualify every trimester and most do not spend any time at the range in between the normal range dates. There are however, many of us who do still go to the range(s) on our off duty hours for the extra trigger time. Most of us are the older guys who came from a different generation of law enforcement.

There are some great youngsters out there patroling the streets and the generational differences is what I see as it relates to firearms.

[rockman]

You sound like a very nice person alexoo!