What do cops think of correctional officers carrying with no ccw permit?

I'm a full-time LEO....Can't speak directly to your question, but on a related issue: Here in N.C., a licensed CCW holder does not need to obtain a separate permit to buy a handgun; their CCW itself will suffice. However, LEOs must still obtain the permit to buy a handgun from their county's sheriff, same as non-CCW holders. :confused:
 
3 years later and still a correctional sergeant. :( Promotional freeze.
Well, nobody in AZ needs a CCW permit now, due to our Constitutional Carry law, but we still have the ability per statute to carry in areas a regular citizen cannot. Still we are not street LE, nor do we have the training to begin to do so, and I still reinforce this in my staff.
Glenn, thank you for the kind words. I explained to a police officer once that without us he could write tickets or shoot people, no in between. He was quite irritated at having to shed all his gear to come inside the wire, and I believe was griping out of nervousness more than anything. Almost all street LE I interact with, fed, state, local, are very supportive and friendly. We are two sides of the same coin, and being on the bottom, we don't get seen as much. :p We also have dumber TV shows.:D
 
In Arizona, it does not matter.
No CCW is needed to carry concealed here.
And yes Correctional Offices are sworn LEO in Arizona.
Their jurisdiction just happens to be inside the Prison.
 
Sadly, in my state, correctional officers do not have to meet stringent requirements to get hired. At one time, needing a job, I applied for such a job. Other COs advised me not to take the job because, being of a different race than most of the COs, I would be in danger from the COs themselves. Many are not of much, if any, better character than the prisoners. Lot of drugs and weapons get smuggled into the prisons. Guess who does it for the inmates?
Sad, I hate to characterize with a broad brush but the situation is what it is.
IMHO, COs should not be allowed to carry without meeting CCW requirements.
 
And yes Correctional Offices are sworn LEO in Arizona.
Their jurisdiction just happens to be inside the Prison.
Click to expand...
Sorry, no, sworn officers, yes, NOT Law Enforcement Officers except as defined by state law for some very narrow purposes. Inside the wire we cannot make actual arrests, CIU handles that, we can detain and restrain. We still have the same carry authority as LEO as defined by ARS Title 13, but that's about it.

Rifleman, contraband comes in 4 ways, dirty staff, visitors, vendors, and via the mail. Any staff who brings in contraband is A) an idiot, because inmates WILL give you up 100% of the time, and B) a disgrace to the badge and uniform. Introducing prison contraband is a chargeable offense all by itself, but somehow most vendors manage to not get charged.:mad: Former COs have a rough time in prison as inmates, as well.
We also just changed the law to make bringing in cell phones and mass media storage devices a Class 5 felony.
As for different race, BS. One unit I worked at was proud to have staff from the following countries; China, Vietnam, Mexico, Japan, Czechoslovakia, India, Germany, Canada, Nigeria and at least or or two others I can't remember. I don't care what color is inside the uniform; inside the wire there are only two colors - silvertan and orange. If you local department is that petty, find a different one and alert the ACLU and other rights organizations dedicated to that - they'll have fun with them. C'mon over - we're always hiring, just opened a bunch of new units.
 
Armoredman, you and Rifleman may both be correct about race attitudes: different times, different places. My formerly Japanese wife has commented that she feels more comfortable, more normal, in Arizona than in some other parts of the country. I feel a difference in the way I am seen by those of different races in different parts of the country.

Correctional Officers can reasonably be expected to reflect regional attitudes.
 
When the officer from India gained his citizenship, Graveyard Shift threw a party for him, complete with Uncle Sam hats and American flags. Yes, we can hire on a green card for legal residents actively working towards citizenship. And if you want a job, we're always hiring, online even, azcorrections.gov.
I did forget to add that in our annual firearms qualification there actually is a short CCW refresher class. Since civilians who actually have a permit in AZ do not need to do any refresher training, I can honestly say we COs exceed the training requirements. :) Now if I could just get some of them to SHOOT STRAIGHT!
 
Ok, so, the jist of what I'm reading is, in some states CO's are counted as LE and don't need a permit to carry but in others they are not counted and do need a permit to carry. Beyond that it seems as if in many of the states that "do" count CO's as LE there is some amount of gray area.

So, my questions are as follows, why would you not get one? Is it really that big of a deal to get one considering that most states are shall issue states now? Why if there was any doubt in your mind about being covered would you not get one so you can be sure you are covered? What happens if you think you are covered and get jumped and shoot someone and you don't have the permit and you're not covered?

It just seems to me that there are far to many risks associated with not getting the permit, especially considering how easy it is for CO's to get one in most states.
 
I guess it would depend ob how your state defines you. In Texas if you are a corrections officer for the tdcj then you have no arrest powers and are not considered a leo unless you are at work. A sheriffs deputy who is a jailer is still considered a sheriffs deputy.
 
In Texas CO's are not permitted to have or obtain a l.e. commission. Under this rule they are not allowed to serve as reserve officers. They can carry a handgun only while performing official duty. CO's here refers to state prison employees and not county or city jailers, who also are not allowed to carry except when "working". So these folks need to get a chl to carry off duty.

Having worked for the state and for two shreriff depts in Texas, I can say with authority that prison and jail officers are on the bottom of the totem in the l.e. world. Deputy constables occupy the rung above them.

I was a jailer.
 
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