Professional Lives of Community Corrections Officers: The Invisible Side of Reentry by Faith E. Lutze

Author:Faith E. Lutze [Lutze, Faith E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Penology
ISBN: 9781452242262
Google: zXD5wAEACAAJ
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2013-11-07T05:18:39+00:00

Most CCOs were constantly aware of their surroundings and made a point to work with other officers, including law enforcement, when making an arrest or visiting an offender’s home when they were uncertain about their safety (see Murphy & Lutze, 2009; Parsonage, 1990).

Many CCOs argue that carrying firearms is also a way to achieve increased levels of safety, whether real or perceived (also see Sigler, 1988; Sigler & McGraw, 1984; Sluder & Shearer, 1991). When asked if CCOs should carry firearms, most CCOs thought it should be an option and individual officers should determine what was best for them (Sluder & Shearer, 1991). Several officers cited safety as a key reason for being armed. For example,

Sure. Yeah, why not? You never know when something is going to happen. It might be a false sense of security, but I would [rather] have a false sense of security than no security at all. (CCO 110)

I think it enhances your safety today because there’s a lot of people out there with weapons. Twenty years ago, it wasn’t that big a deal. Ten years ago, it wasn’t that big of a deal. But, last night, another killing in an apartment complex between two people. We probably have somebody on supervision in that apartment complex, and there’s no reason for that shooting last night. So it enhances our safety and it enhances our opportunity for protecting ourselves more than anything else. And it enhances our opportunity to protect the public. (CCO 115)

Not all CCOs felt safer with officers being armed, as evidenced by the following CCO:

I think I’m more at risk now because everybody knew that we were not carrying guns, and I think we were safer, criminals knowing that we don’t carry guns. The other thing is that I’d be afraid that some of my own peers would shoot me, because they’re not police officers. They haven’t had the training. I don’t care what you say, they haven’t had the training. (CCO 219)

Similarly, female CCOs in Ireland and Berg’s (2008) study overwhelmingly emphasized intuition, verbal skills, and communication to ensure safety and not guns, badges, or physical strength (male attributes). When asked if not for safety why carry guns, the female CCOs in Ireland and Berg’s (2008) study responded that it was now required, and carrying increased the respect from male parole agents. Women were comfortable with guns but just preferred not to carry them. It is uncertain whether this is true for male officers as well. A male officer in the Spokane study, however, did suggest that this may be true across gender.

I don’t [think CCOs should carry guns]. I can think of about three occasions where I might have killed somebody if I had been carrying a firearm. And I was able to handle it, verbally diffuse it, and walk out of it without ANY of us getting hurt. Now I’d like to think I’d have enough judgment not to pull a pistol, but the reality is that unless we’re extremely well

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