Gun Law Enforcement and Training: Emphasis on Crime Prevention

The political debate over the Second Amendment has raged in the United States for the last 50 years. Europe has moved increasingly toward gun control laws, an example of just how the political debate can have a lasting consequence to the officers in the field (“Germany 2013,” n.d.). To this end, it is imperative that law enforcement not only promote proper gun training programs but also not be overburdened with a society of victims. If civilians were left only to rely on law enforcement for all forms of protection, then all types of extraneous burdens would be placed on the officer. This has the potential to skyrocket the already exaggerated demands on the police force, thus leaving society more susceptible to crime and criminals. Placing a greater emphasis on training programs for the law-abiding citizens allows them to properly and safely use their firearms. They become trained on the protocol of informing officers of guns and how to not be a threat to the officers themselves. This serves as a way to protect the citizen and the officer. However, more importantly, an armed civilian class is a strong deterrent to the criminal class. The continued political argument related to gun control laws within the United States has served no real purpose other than to divide the populace. Gun control has become a litmus test for political candidates instead of a law enforcement issue. Therefore, it is now imperative that the law enforcement community refocus back to the original intent of the Second Amendment. With the preponderance of evidences provided, the argument no longer focuses on the political but what is best for law enforcement communities and general populace.