SOUTHERN STATES POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION
and
LAW ENFORCEMENT ALLIANCE OF AMERICA'S
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In a comprehensive effort to find out how its 10,614 law enforcement members really felt about gun control and crime control, in June 1993 the Southern States Police Benevolent Association became the nation's first major law enforcement group to conduct a professional, scientific survey of its membership.
The Southern States PBA has traditionally maintained a neutral position on gun control, but decided to poll its membership to resolve the controversy over claims by groups on both sides of the issue as to the position of law enforcement.
To ensure that the survey would accurately reflect its members' views, the Southern States PBA employed an outside, independent research firm, Spectrum Resources, Inc., of Tallahassee, Florida, to conduct the survey.
The law enforcement officers were asked a wide-ranging array questions which tested a variety of claims by both gun control advocates and critics. There were questions regarding capital punishment, violence on television, and the chief cause of violence throughout the country. The questions probed officers' views on waiting periods, background checks, gun bans, and their understanding of what constitutes an "assault weapon."
The results found that law enforcement officers resoundingly reject gun control laws as effective measures in deterring violent crime, and strongly support the right of citizens to own firearms:
96.4 percent strongly supported firearms ownership for self-protection
95.8 percent rejected an outright ban on all firearms
90.1 percent agreed that there is a Constitutional right to own a firearm.
Significantly, the results of the survey showed that a Brady Bill-type waiting period does not have anywhere near the support of law enforcement that its backers claim:
86.5 percent felt waiting periods would only affect law-abiding citizens -- that criminals will still be able to obtain handguns illegally whenever they want When asked to choose between the two, 69.4 percent of survey respondents preferred an instant point-of- purchase criminal background check or no check at all vs. 23.1 percent for a waiting period on the purchase of a handgun.
The Southern States PBA membership volunteered more than 20 different views as to the most pressing cause for the upsurge of violent crime in the United States.
The top two were:
Substance Abuse (48.1 percent)
Ineffectiveness of the judicial and correctional systems (24.5 percent)
Stricter gun control laws were seen as the least effective means of controlling violent crime while tougher sentences including the death penalty and increased police presence were seen as the most effective deterrents.
Copies of the entire analysis (nearly 100 pages) including charts, graphs, cross tabulations, etc., are available from LEAA.
The Law Enforcement Alliance of America
7700 Leesburg Pike
Suite 421
Falls Church, Virginia 22043
800-766-8578
CompuServe 73323,1715
Grand totals: 3824 total responses out of 10,614 surveys mailed (36% response).
1) In general, what do you think is the most pressing cause of violent crime in the United States today? # responses percentage
3641 95.2% TOTALS
1637 45.0 DRUGS
386 10.6 FAMILY VALUES/ DECLINE OF FAMILY
151 4.1 COURTS, INADEQUATE SENTENCING
370 10.2 EARLY RELEASE/ LACK OF PUNISHMENT
39 1.1 ALCOHOL
62 1.7 PUNISHMENT DOES NOT FIT THE CRIME
139 3.8 BREAKDOWN OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
35 1.0 LACK OF EDUCATION/ IGNORANCE
38 1.0 FEDERAL JUDGES/ POLITICIANS
51 1.4 TELEVISION
72 2.0 CRACK COCAINE
80 2.2 LACK OF RELIGION/ ATTENTION TO GOD
28 0.8 MONEY
31 0.9 YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS
21 0.6 RACIAL/ETHNIC PROBLEMS
40 1.1 GUNS/FIREARMS
117 3.2 NO FEAR OF BEING CAUGHT OR PUNISHED
156 4.3 UNEMPLOYMENT/ U.S. ECONOMY
54 1.5 LIBERALISM/ CRIMINAL RIGHTS FAVORED
134 3.7 OTHER
2a) How effective has the U.S. Congress been in dealing with violent crime?
Had Congress been VERY EFFECTIVE, SOMEWHAT EFFECTIVE, ONLY MINIMALLY EFFECTIVE, or NOT EFFECTIVE AT ALL in dealing with violent crime?
3812 99.7% TOTALS
3 0.1 VERY EFFECTIVE
246 5.6 SOMEWHAT EFFECTIVE
1796 47.1 ONLY MINIMALLY EFFECTIVE
1751 45.9 NOT EFFECTIVE AT ALL
48 1.3 NOT SURE
2b) Please indicate which of the following options would be LEAST EFFECTIVE in reducing violent crime? (PICK ONLY ONE OPTION)
3798 99.3% TOTALS
435 11.5 STOP EARLY RELEASE
230 6.1 THE DEATH PENALTY
188 4.9 MORE POLICE ON THE STREETS
226 6.0 TOUGHER JUDGES AND SENTENCES
2481 65.3 STRICTER GUN CONTROL LAWS
238 6.3 NOT SURE
3) For each statement listed below, please note whether you STRONGLY AGREE with the statement, AGREE, DISAGREE, or STRONGLY DISAGREE.
3a) There should be an immediate criminal background check on handgun purchases right at the gun shop.
3818 99.8% TOTALS
1813 47.5 STRONGLY AGREE
1330 34.8 AGREE
448 11.7 DISAGREE
141 3.7 STRONGLY DISAGREE
86 2.3 NOT SURE
3b) Other than for police and military, all guns should be outlawed.
3820 99.9% TOTALS
69 1.8 STRONGLY AGREE
64 1.7 AGREE
1069 28.0 DISAGREE
2591 67.8 STRONGLY DISAGREE
27 0.7 NOT SURE
3c) The entire criminal justice system needs major reform.
3821 99.9% TOTALS
2283 59.7 STRONGLY AGREE
1138 29.8 AGREE
313 8.2 DISAGREE
25 0.7 STRONGLY DISAGREE
62 1.6 NOT SURE
3d) The U.S. Constitution guarantees every law abiding citizen the right to own a gun.
3820 99.9% TOTALS
2249 58.9 STRONGLY AGREE
1190 31.2 AGREE
222 5.8 DISAGREE
94 2.5 STRONGLY DISAGREE
65 1.7 NOT SURE
3e) People should have the right to own a gun for self-protection.
3819 99.9% TOTALS
2540 66.5 STRONGLY AGREE
1140 29.9 AGREE
91 2.4 DISAGREE
19 0.5 STRONGLY DISAGREE
29 0.8 NOT SURE
3f) A waiting period to purchase handguns will only affect law-abiding citizens -- criminals will still be able to obtain handguns illegally whenever they want.
3798 99.3% TOTALS
2201 59.5 STRONGLY AGREE
1024 27.0 AGREE
382 10.1 DISAGREE
92 2.4 STRONGLY DISAGREE
39 1.0 NOT SURE
3g) The Federal government should take legal action to curb the amount of violence on television.
3818 99.8% TOTALS
962 25.2 STRONGLY AGREE
1468 38.4 AGREE
939 24.6 DISAGREE
224 5.9 STRONGLY DISAGREE
225 5.9 NOT SURE
3h) A Federal law should be passed allowing qualified law enforcement officers to carry a concealed firearm anywhere in the United States.
3814 99.7% TOTALS
2852 74.8 STRONGLY AGREE
742 19.5 AGREE
129 3.4 DISAGREE
27 0.7 STRONGLY DISAGREE
64 1.7 NOT SURE
3i) Based on my own experience, if the laws on handgun ownership were stricter than they are now, the overall number of violent crimes would be reduced.
3817 99.8% TOTALS
284 7.4 STRONGLY AGREE
653 17.1 AGREE
1380 36.2 DISAGREE
1324 34.7 STRONGLY DISAGREE
176 4.6 NOT SURE
3j) A gun is not an assault weapon if it fires only one bullet each time the trigger is pulled.
3807 99.6% TOTALS
893 23.5 STRONGLY AGREE
981 25.8 AGREE
1039 27.3 DISAGREE
734 19.3 STRONGLY DISAGREE
160 4.2 NOT SURE
4) All things considered, which of the following two options would you
prefer -- a bill requiring a five-day waiting period on the purchase of handguns, of a bill requiring an immediate criminal background check at
the time of the sale?
3811 99.7% TOTALS
881 23.1 WAITING PERIOD
2430 63.8 INSTANT CHECK
213 5.6 NEITHER
80 2.1 NO OPINION/ NOT SURE
207 5.4 BOTH
5) Under current Federal law, are gun dealers required to report to the government the sale of more than one handgun at a time?
3768 98.5% TOTALS
831 22.1 REQUIRED
937 24.9 NOT REQUIRED
2000 53.1 DON'T KNOW/ REFUSED
6) Aside from your department-issued sidearm, so you have guns of any kind in your home? (PLEASE MARK ALL APPROPRIATE BOXES)
3805 99.5% TOTALS
229 0.0 NO
519 13.6 HANDGUN(S)
203 5.3 RIFLE AND/OR SHOTGUN
89 2.2 SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIREARMS
329 8.6 REFUSE TO ANSWER
912 24.0 HANDGUN(S) AND RIFLE AND/OR SHOTGUN
81 2.1 HANDGUN(S) AND SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIREARM
44 1.2 RIFLE/SHOTGUN AND SEMI-AUTOMATIC
1405 36.9 ALL THREE TYPES
0 0.0 OTHER
The following questions are for statistical purposes only, and are crucial for the tabulation and analysis of survey results:
A) How many years have you served in law enforcement?
3818 99.8% TOTALS
248 0.5 0-2 YEARS
811 21.2 2-5 YEARS
1015 26.6 5-10 YEARS
1744 45.7 10 YEARS OR MORE
B) Are you a sworn or non-sworn employee?
3806 99.5% TOTALS
3687 96.9 SWORN
119 3.1 NON-SWORN
C) In what state do you serve?
3800 99.4% TOTALS
2 0.1 FLORIDA
1493 39.3 GEORGIA
535 14.1 ALABAMA
60 1.6 MISSISSIPPI
864 22.7 NORTH CAROLINA
23 0.6 SOUTH CAROLINA
709 18.7 TENNESSEE
2 0.1 KENTUCKY
12 0.3 ARKANSAS
98 2.6 VIRGINIA
2 0.1 WASHINGTON, DC
D) What is your sex?
3805 99.5% TOTALS
3447 90.6 MALE
358 9.4 FEMALE
E) In general, do you serve in a rural or in an urban area?
3804 99.5% TOTALS
1237 32.5 RURAL
2440 64.1 URBAN
127 3.3 MIXED URBAN/RURAL
SELECTED STATES BY URBAN/RURAL SERVICE AREA
3475 90.9% TOTALS
522 15.0 RURAL GEORGIA
911 26.2 URBAN GEORGIA
177 5.1 RURAL ALABAMA
336 9.7 URBAN ALABAMA
245 7.1 RURAL NORTH CAROLINA
593 17.1 URBAN NORTH CAROLINA
223 6.4 RURAL TENNESSEE
468 13.5 URBAN TENNESSEE
GENDER BY SWORN/NON SWORN EMPLOYMENT STATUS
3781 98.9% TOTALS
3368 89.1 SWORN MALE
56 1.5 NON-SWORN MALE
294 7.8 SWORN FEMALE
63 1.7 NON-SWORN FEMALE