🚀 go-pugleaf

Jeff Bishop wrote:
> 
> In article <7rkj50$35a@dfw-ixnews13.ix.netcom.com>,
> Merlin Dorfman  <dorfman@netcom13.netcom.com> wrote:
> 
> >     The important thing is for the survey to be repeatable, or to
> >be phrased in such a way as to show its scope of accuracy.  If
> >a similar survey were run by police associations, police departments,
> >universities, HCI, etc., and got similar results, I would accept it
> >within the statistical limits of accuracy.
> 
> Surely you wouldn't expect HCI to admit to such results and publish them?  I
> don't believe the SDPOA survey was unique, however.
> 
> >     I'm looking for an explanation of why chiefs and officers would
> >have such different positions on gun control.  I have a hard time
> >with your explanation that chiefs have become political creatures
> >who have given up the common sense attitudes of the officers in the
> >they got promoted.
> 
> Why?  Ordinary cops can keep their jobs regardless of political views.  Police
> chiefs can't, as they serve at the pleasure of their mayors.  Now, if you could
> show a large group of anti-gun police chiefs working under pro-gun mayors (or
> pro-gun police chiefs working under anti-gun mayors, for that matter), that
> would be quite interesting, but the smart money says you can't.  Either they
> kiss up to the boss, or the boss hand-picks the ones who happen to agree with
> the boss already.
> 
> That anti-gun mayors prefer to appoint chiefs out of the anti-gun minority of
> LEOs should come as no surprise.
> 
> >     But why does this power stinginess apply only to chiefs, not
> >to officers?  As you say, all peace officers retain the privilege
> >after retirement.
> 
> Like I said, I'm not sure that many do change their minds.  Some pro-gunners
> shut up to keep their jobs, but mostly, it is the anti-gunners who are most
> likely to get appointed by anti-gun mayors in liberal, large cities where anti-
> gun views predominate. Rural police chiefs (and some municipal ones, like mine
> for instance) are quite pro-gun.

Most county Sheriff's are, too. The reasons should be pretty obvious.
They are elected, not appointed, for one thing, and they generally have
a more rural environment to work with.

-- 
"Remember, a ship in harbor is safe, but that is not
            what ships are built for."

   "Give me ambiguity or give me something else!"