Off-Duty Bans: Should cops have guns?

National Review ^

[Calpernia]

Are there any stats out on how many licensed, registered gun owners/carriers have actually committed crimes vs. illegal gun owners?

[Valin]

Mayor Michael Bloomberg
"Ordinarily he was insane,
but he had lucid moments when he was merely stupid."
Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)

[WomanofStandard]

I find it reassuring to know that an off duty police officer, I may be with is carrying a gun because he/she is someone fully trained in not only the gun's use but in other aspects of dealing with dangerous situations. I wouldn't one myself, but I am sure glad the police have them on them at all times.

Bloomberg's brain is frying under the pressure of his low poll ratings. By making it illegal for officers to carry a gun off duty is putting that officer's life in harms way for sure. They are targets already but if a law is passed forbiding them to carry off duty, it may as well be open season on cops in NYC anyway. Too many disgruntled arrestees in my opinion for any officer's life to be considered safe, on or off duty.

[Travis McGee]

What a moron. Did Bloomie inherit his empire?

[gonzo]

"...Sen. Ted Kennedy, (D., Mass.), who is leading the threatened filibuster, claims that the measure would "do great damage to the effort of state and local governments to protect their citizens from gun violence." He argues the law would also "undermine the safety of law enforcement."..."

When Ted, the killer of Mary-Jo, travels, he has plenty of armed Federales to protect him, and find the watering holes.

"...Mayor Bloomberg found it very troubling: "I don't know why people carry guns. Guns kill people"..."

There's no logic involved, kids. The name of the game is 'Citizen-Disarmmament'.............FRegards

[sheik yerbouty]

The blooming idiot of a mayor has a bad case of "little man syndrome". He's another John Lindsey.

[CHICAGOFARMER]

One of my favorites for home defense.

IF you got kids, two bean bags in postion 1 and 2 gives a level of safety. They can always be racked out for the real thing. Plus the sound of the rack is change pants time for all home invadors.

[CHICAGOFARMER]

HERE IS YOUR REQUESTED INFORMATION:


Facts for the state of Texas. Other states are similar. Fact it is 11 times more dangerous to stand next to a cop than next to a RTC citizen. Why?? Policeman kill more innocent souls than RTC citizens.


Let me begin by stating that Texas has some of the most thorough concealed carry permit laws in this country. While this does make it difficult to attain the permit, it also shows the caliber of the person's character that obtains it. That individual is screened at the local, county, state and federal levels.

If there is so much as a single disorderly conduct on their record, the permit will be denied. This level of scrutiny is found nowhere else but in this process. CHL (Concealed Handgun License for the remainder of this letter) holders are more thoroughly checked than our own police-the same ones that would offer security to the Capitol building.

Now, which would you rather protecting you in the Capitol: a handful of lightly screened police officers, or tens/hundreds of model citizens that have been trained in the use of their handguns? Remember, the police, especially in uniform, cannot be everywhere and generally stand out like a sore thumb. But CHL holders are in the crowds, and can be everywhere, and will see an act of crime and act appropriately within seconds. Those seconds, Governor Perry, can be the difference between life and death for the criminal's intended target.


But enough of this, permit me now to list for you known facts concerning CHL holders:

1. The crime rate involving a gun owner with a carry permit have consistently been about 0.02% of carry permit holders since Florida's right-to-carry law started in 1989. (Florida Department of Justice, 1998)

2. The serious crime rate in Texas fell 50% faster than the national average after a concealed carry law was passed in 1995. (Ibid)

3. In Texas, citizens with concealed carry permits are 14 times less likely to commit a crime. They are also five times less likely to commit a violent crime. (Texas Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Census Bureau, reported in San Antonio Express-News, September, 2000)

4. People with concealed carry licenses are:
5.7 times less likely to be arrested for violent offenses than the general public 13.5 times less likely to be arrested for nonviolent offenses than the general public
(William Strdevant, unpublished study reported in August 2000 edition of Americas 1st Freedom)

5. There are not enough police to protect everyone. Currently, there are about 150,000 police officers on duty at any one time. This is on-duty police. This includes desk clerks, command sergeants, etc. far fewer than 150,000 cops are cruising your neighborhood. There are approximately 271,933,702 people living in the United States. Thus there is only one on-duty cop for every 1,813 citizens! (US Justice Department, 1998)

6. Armed citizens kill more crooks than do the police. Citizens shoot and kill at least twice as many criminals as police do every year (1,527 to 606). (Kleck, Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America, (1991):111-116, 148.)

7. Readers of Newsweek learned that "only 2 percent of civilian shootings involved an innocent person mistakenly identified as a criminal. The error rate for the police, however, was 11 percent, more than five times as high." George F. Will, Are We a Nation of Cowards?, Newsweek (15 November 1993):93.)

Governor Perry, this is only the very tip of the iceberg when it comes to hard evidence that CHL holders are safe and provide security to those around them. By eliminating the Capitol as a place CHL holders may carry within, you will be creating instead a "criminal-safe" zone. The criminals will know that there will be little to no resistance in that location, and as such, it will become an easy target. I again urge you to uphold your oath of office, and contact Land Commissioner David Dewherst and relay this important information to him. Please feel free to use this information to counter the emotional and irrational arguments brought by some in the legislature to make the Capitol safe for criminals.

Instead, we need to look into removing the roadblocks that prevent the citizens of this state from exercising their right to defend themselves regardless of their location. We need to open up more locations where a CHL holder may carry.
Thank you for your time in regarding this important matter. I look forward to your response.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

A Remington 870 pump loaded with "00 will stand off any amature assult.

I would only disagree in that the 2nd and 4th shell should be a deer slug.

[Shooter 2.5]

Plus the sound of the rack is change pants time for all home invadors.

What in the world is wrong with you people? Everytime someone mentions a shotgun, you go into a tizzy about the sound of the slide. Do you keep your carry pistol without a round in the chamber?

[ASA Vet]

All gun control is wrong

Baloney, you should always be in control of your gun.
Assume a good stance and grip, control your breathing, and sqeeeeeeese.

[from occupied ga]

I'd make the effort to follow the logic of Bloomberg's conclusion but, I live on the planet Earth.

Most New Yorkers think this way. They elect upChuckie Schemer and Hitlary Clintoon to represent them in Kongress. Have they been taken over by pod people or are they just all stupid?

[from occupied ga]

What in the world is wrong with you people?

I must agree. Everyone who thinks the sound of the slide means something need to read:

THIS IS MY RIFLE. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I master my life.

My rifle, without me is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will....

My rifle and myself know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count.

We will hit...

To which I'll add (with apologies to the marines) it is not the sound of our action. Anyone who makes the assumption that a person in your house is going to be scared off by the sound of a weapon's action is asking for trouble.

[CHICAGOFARMER]

What in the world is wrong with you people? Everytime someone mentions a shotgun, you go into a tizzy about the sound of the slide. Do you keep your carry pistol without a round in the chamber?

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YEP! Only stupid people keep a round in the chamber??

Lighten up and have some fun.

[Travis McGee]

OnLy Trayned Law Enforsement Personel shuold be allowed to carry fire-arms.

They are much to danjerus for ordinary civilyins.

[Shooter 2.5]

Not when it's a serious topic such as shooting tactics.

[CholeraJoe]

What is next? Banning guns carried by on-duty officers?

Worked in Britain and Canada. /sarcasm

[from occupied ga]

OnLy Trayned Law Enforsement Personel shuold be allowed to carry fire-arms.

Sorre, I fergot

[CHICAGOFARMER]

Not when it's a serious topic such as shooting tactics.

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humor is a lubrication of life.

The squeeky wheel gets the grease.

What do you want to talk about regarding tactics!!