Cops say gun control proposals do nothing to stop crime

The following article was originally published by The Lima News. Republished with permission.

by Greg Sowinski

LIMA - A national survey of police officers show overwhelming support for the Second Amendment while opposing many federal gun control proposals they say would do little, if anything, to stop crime.

Those beliefs are supported by some local officers, as well.

The national survey was conducted by PoliceOne.com, an online resource for law enforcement officials that offers a wealth of information and services to officers across the country. The group has more than 450,000 members and conducted a scientific survey by polling more than 15,000 of its members.

Of the gun-control legislation proposed at the federal level, 71 percent of officers said a ban on "assault weapons" would not reduce violent crime and 96 percent of officers said banning magazines that hold more than 10 rounds would not reduce violent crime.

Officers strongly supported legal concealed carry for citizens with 91 percent in favor. Officers also said the No. 1 way to stop mass shootings is more permissive concealed-carry policies for citizens.

"There is no way any type of ban on weapons or stricter rules on weapons is going to help anything," Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper James Bennett said. "It's a lot easier for a person to be able to protect themselves if they have a tool like a firearm to do that with. It's a lot easier to carry a gun than a cop."

Delphos Police Sgt. Ryan Kimmet, an 18-year veteran, said citizens should always have the option of being armed to protect themselves. Although Delphos has a fast response time, compared to other agencies at an average about two minutes, Kimmet said a lot of bad things can happen in that short time.

"The Second Amendment is the Second Amendment and not the 10th. When our forefathers were writing the original Bill of Rights the right to bear arms was pretty high on their list," Kimmet said.

The support for arming teachers or school staff providing they are vetted, trained and qualify annually was at 77 percent in the national poll.

Giving teachers or school staff the ability to stop an active killer would change the image that schools are easy targets making potential active killers think twice about choosing such locations, Bennett said.

"They would definitely be a deterrent," he said.

Officers in the national poll said the best ways to reduce gun crimes is with stiffer sentence for people who use a guns to commit crimes. Officers chose the decline in parenting and family values as the leading factor behind gun crimes in the country.

In the poll, 80 percent of officers said a law prohibiting the private transfer of guns between individual would not reduce violent crime. Delphos Police Officer Larry Curl agreed. He said criminals buy guns on the streets or break into houses to steal guns. He said criminals do not follow the law.

Bennett said there are numerous laws on the books not enforced that, if enforced, could make a difference without adding laws that make it harder for good citizens to protect themselves.

Kimmet said banning what some politicians dubbed "assault weapons" will not reduce violent crimes.

"It's not the firearms that are killing people. It's the people who have a twisted motive," he said.

Curl said despite a high-profile shooting in another state last year in which an "assault rifle" was used he said it's very rare such weapons are used in crimes.

In 18 years as a police officer, Curl said he has never witnessed an "assault weapon" used in a crime. He said various objects such as baseball bats, knives and crowbars are some of the weapons he's witnessed used in crimes.

FBI statistics back Curl's statement. In the most recent year available, homicides by a rifle accounted for 323 deaths in the U.S. in 2011. The category is not broken down by types of rifle. In fact, knives or cutting instruments that Curl mentioned kill five times as many people as rifles at 1,694 in 2011.

Bennett said the focus should be on stopping twisted individuals not sweeping proposals against guns that do not target troubled people but affect every law-abiding citizen.

Kimmet, who also is a police academy firearms instructor, said he supports concealed carry and said it reduces crime. Both Kimmet and Curl said had there been an armed citizen at one of the recent mass shootings there may have been fewer people killed or injured.

"It makes the criminal second guess about committing a crime. They don't know if their potential victims are armed or not," Kimmet said.

Bennett said recent mass shootings such as in Newtown or at a Colorado movie theater occurred in locations that either companies or public policies prohibited citizens from carrying guns. He said criminals are aware of that and search out such locations as easy targets.

Bennett is a strong supporter of concealed carry. He said he has never heard of troopers having any problems with licensed concealed carry holders. He said police cannot be everywhere and the time it takes to get an officer somewhere could produce a tragic ending if a person has no ability to defend him or herself.

"Law enforcement are normally called in after the fact and go in and investigate," he said.

An officer for the Lima Police Department was unavailable for comment because Chief Kevin Martin was out this week and all requests for interviews with officers must be approved by Martin.

Some results of the survey of police officers include:

• 71 percent said a ban on "assault weapons" would not reduce violent crime.
• 96 percent said banning ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds would not reduce violent crime.
• 80 percent said a law prohibiting the private transfer of guns between individual would not reduce violent crime.
• 91 percent of officers want stiffer sentences for criminals who use guns in crimes.
• 91 percent of officers support legal concealed carry by citizens.
• 76 percent of officers said legally armed citizens played an important role in reducing crime.
  Officers said the best way to stop mass shootings is more permissive concealed carry policies for citizens.
• 80 percent of officers said causalities likely would have been reduced in recent mass shootings if a legally armed citizen was present.
• 77 percent of officers support arming teachers or school staff if they are vetted, trained and qualify annually.
  The No. 1 answer officers chose for the cause of gun violence in the country is the decline in parenting and family values.
• 70 percent of officers oppose a national database to track all legal gun sales.
• 59 percent said stiffer punishments for people who illegally purchase guns for ineligible people, such as those with a criminal background, would reduce instances of gun crimes.