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More on National CCW for COPS ONLY
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
F.O.P. Calls for Concealed Carry for Cops; National F.O.P. President
Testifies before Judiciary Committee at Chairman Leahy's Request
To: National Desk
Contact: Tim Richardson of the Fraternal Order of Police,
202-547-8189
WASHINGTON, July 24 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Steve Young, national
president of the Fraternal Order of Police, appeared before the
Senate Committee on the Judiciary yesterday to offer testimony in
support of S. 2480, the "Law Enforcement Officers' Safety Act," at
the request of the bill's sponsor, Senate Judiciary Chairman
Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.). The legislation is the companion bill to
H.R. 218, the "Community Protection Act," and is the top
legislative priority of the F.O.P.
"This bill is not about firearms, it is about officer safety,"
Young said. "I further believe that on September 11, 2001, it
became a critical public safety and homeland security issue."
The legislation, introduced by Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member
Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) on May 8, would exempt qualified active and
retired law enforcement officers from State and local prohibitions
on the carrying of concealed firearms. This would enable off-duty
and retired law enforcement officers to carry their firearms, even
when traveling outside their home jurisdiction. The Senate bill
currently has thirty cosponsors, eleven of whom are members
of the Judiciary Committee.
"Law enforcement is a profession," Young explained. "Among the
many tools of a professional law enforcement officer are the badge
and the gun. The badge symbolizes the officer's authority and, in
worst-case scenarios, the gun enforces that authority. These tools
are given to the officer in trust by the public to enforce the
peace and fight crime. In asking Congress to pass this bill, we
seek a measured extension of that trust. Neither criminals nor
terrorists give up their weapons when they cross jurisdictional
boundaries, why should police officers?"
The legislation is scheduled for mark-up prior to the August
recess, and the Committee is expected to report the bill favorably.
"Chairman Leahy has been and continues to be one of the most
steadfast supporters of law enforcement. He and his staff have
worked very closely with us on this issue and we could not be more
grateful," Young said. "With continued help from Chairman Leahy and
Senator Hatch, we could get a vote on our bill on the Senate floor
shortly after the August recess."
The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest law enforcement
labor organization in the United States, with more than 300,000
members.
http://www.usnewswire.com
-0-
/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
07/24 12:09
Copyright 2002, U.S. Newswire http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/prime/0724-117.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Testifies before Judiciary Committee at Chairman Leahy's Request
To: National Desk
Contact: Tim Richardson of the Fraternal Order of Police,
202-547-8189
WASHINGTON, July 24 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Steve Young, national
president of the Fraternal Order of Police, appeared before the
Senate Committee on the Judiciary yesterday to offer testimony in
support of S. 2480, the "Law Enforcement Officers' Safety Act," at
the request of the bill's sponsor, Senate Judiciary Chairman
Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.). The legislation is the companion bill to
H.R. 218, the "Community Protection Act," and is the top
legislative priority of the F.O.P.
"This bill is not about firearms, it is about officer safety,"
Young said. "I further believe that on September 11, 2001, it
became a critical public safety and homeland security issue."
The legislation, introduced by Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member
Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) on May 8, would exempt qualified active and
retired law enforcement officers from State and local prohibitions
on the carrying of concealed firearms. This would enable off-duty
and retired law enforcement officers to carry their firearms, even
when traveling outside their home jurisdiction. The Senate bill
currently has thirty cosponsors, eleven of whom are members
of the Judiciary Committee.
"Law enforcement is a profession," Young explained. "Among the
many tools of a professional law enforcement officer are the badge
and the gun. The badge symbolizes the officer's authority and, in
worst-case scenarios, the gun enforces that authority. These tools
are given to the officer in trust by the public to enforce the
peace and fight crime. In asking Congress to pass this bill, we
seek a measured extension of that trust. Neither criminals nor
terrorists give up their weapons when they cross jurisdictional
boundaries, why should police officers?"
The legislation is scheduled for mark-up prior to the August
recess, and the Committee is expected to report the bill favorably.
"Chairman Leahy has been and continues to be one of the most
steadfast supporters of law enforcement. He and his staff have
worked very closely with us on this issue and we could not be more
grateful," Young said. "With continued help from Chairman Leahy and
Senator Hatch, we could get a vote on our bill on the Senate floor
shortly after the August recess."
The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest law enforcement
labor organization in the United States, with more than 300,000
members.
http://www.usnewswire.com
-0-
/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
07/24 12:09
Copyright 2002, U.S. Newswire http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/prime/0724-117.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Comments
By Jim Burns
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
July 24, 2002
(CNSNews.com) - The Senate Judiciary Committee is now considering legislation that would let off-duty and retired law enforcement officers carry weapons when they leave their local jurisdictions, even when they cross state lines.
But some police organizations are slow to embrace the bill, claiming it could do more harm than good.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) -- who introduced the Senate bill because he believes arming cops would make communities safer -- has gained the support of 30 other Senate co-sponsors, including Committee ranking Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).
The Senate bill resembles a House bill introduced by Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.), which has 267 co-sponsors thus far.
"I know that law enforcement officers are never 'off-duty,'" Leahy said at a committee hearing Tuesday. "When there is a threat to the peace or to our public safety, law enforcement officers are sworn to answer that call."
According to the legislation, not every off-duty and retired officer could qualify to carry a gun. Instead, they must be authorized to do so by the law enforcement agency where they worked, as well as be in good standing with that agency and certified to qualify to carry a firearm by that agency.
Steve Young, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said the bill is needed because if "neither criminals nor terrorists give up their weapons when they cross jurisdictional boundaries, why should police officers?"
Young added that the personal safety of officers off-duty is also at stake.
"A police officer cannot remember the name and face of every criminal he or she has locked behind bars, but criminals often have long and exacting memories," he said. "Police officers are frequently finding that they, and their families, are targets in uniform and out, off-duty and on, active and retired."
However, Lonnie Westphal, vice president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and chief of the Colorado State Patrol, told the committee that such legislation could end up hurting officers instead of protecting them.
"This legislation is especially troubling," said Westphal, an IACP vice president and chief of the Colorado State Patrol. "It could in fact threaten the safety of police officers by creating tragic situations where officers from other jurisdictions are wounded or killed by local officers."
Westphal said arming off-duty and retired cops would not improve the safety of communities.
"It is important to remember that a police officer's authority to enforce the law is limited to the jurisdiction in which they serve," Westphal said in committee testimony. "An officer, upon leaving his jurisdiction, has no arrest powers or other authority to enforce the law. That is the responsibility of local law enforcement agencies."
IACP is also concerned about the liabilities involved if an off-duty officer uses his weapon in another jurisdiction.
"If an off-duty officer who uses or misuses their weapon while in another state, it is likely that their department will be forced to defend itself against liability charges in another state. The resources that mounting this defense would require could be better spent serving the communities we represent," Westphal concluded.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is continuing to craft the bill and hopes to have it finalized and out of committee sometime next week. It is not known when it will see Senate floor action. President Bush favors the legislation, according to Leahy. http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200207\POL20020724a.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Witness Carries His Gun Out Of State And Loses It!
To: National Desk
Contact: Kevin Watson of LEAA, 703-847-2677
http://www.LEAA.org
WASHINGTON, July 23 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Senate Judiciary
Committee held hearings today on legislation that would allow
qualified off duty and retired law enforcement officers to carry
their firearms in all 50 states. The only opposition witness was
Colorado State Patrol Chief and IACP Vice President Lonnie
Westphal.
Westphal argued against legislation that would allow qualified
off duty and retired law enforcement to carry their firearms from
one state to another. Yet on November 14, 2000, the Denver Post
reported that when Westphal traveled from Colorado to California to
attend an IACP Convention and run for office, the brought his gun
-- and got it stolen, along with his badge and uniform.
Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) Executive Director
James J. Fotis publicly challenged IACP to explain their hypocrisy.
"Why does IACP think that police chiefs should be able to carry
their guns with them when they go to other states, but not let the
officers who patrol our streets do the same?"
Fotis added, "Would Chief Westphal let his troopers take their
guns out of state if they were going to a meeting of the National
Troopers Coalition?"
The IACP opposition puts them in the minority of law
enforcement. From LEAA, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National
Sheriffs' Association, the National Troopers Coalition, the Federal
Law Enforcement Officers' Association, the National Association of
Police Organization the International Brotherhood of Police
Officers and over 100 local police groups back the life saving cop
carry bill.
The street cops are joined by a bi-partisan majority of the
House of Representatives as well as 28 Senators, including a
bi-partisan majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee in
supporting the legislation (S. 2480 in the Senate; H.R. 218 in the
House)
For more information on law enforcement support for this life
saving legislation, visit LEAA's Web site at
http://www.leaa.org/218. To Schedule and interview with Fotis, call
LEAA at 703-847-2677.
With over 75,000 members and supporters nation-wide, the Law
Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) is the nation's largest
coalition of law enforcement professionals, crime victims, and
concerned citizens dedicated to making America safer.
http://www.usnewswire.com
-0-
/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
07/23 15:33
Copyright 2002, U.S. Newswire http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/prime/0723-149.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878