               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

                              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
                
