NCJ Number
130624
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 53 Issue: 4 Dated: (July 1991) Pages: 114,116,118-122,124
Date Published
1991
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article describes California's policy and procedures for parole officers' carrying and use of firearms.
Abstract
Before 1979 the California Department of Corrections' Parole Division prohibited arming officers except in rare instances of verifiable danger. This policy changed after a 1979 Superior Court ruling that occupational safety dictates parole officers' have the option to carry firearms on duty. The Parole Division developed a 30-page policy that covers everything from the issuance of firearms to how they are to be turned in. The policy specifies who may be armed, when the firearm may be displayed and discharged, the range of equipment permitted, training requirements, monitoring and tracking systems, and the sequence of events that must occur if the firearm is used. The carrying of a weapon while on duty is voluntary, and officers' duties do not vary according to whether or not they are carrying a firearm. Training consists of the 14-hour firearm course approved by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training and an additional parole-focused training package that involves 16 hours of classroom training and 8 hours of hands-on range training. Ongoing required training and requalification is required as well. The 1979 policies and procedures have proven effective, although there is no indication that the firearms policy has significantly altered the performance of parole officers nor the behavior of parolees.