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

SURVEY RESULTS

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