California policy on officer safety: assessing the need for firearms in state law enforcement

Project (M.S., Criminal Justice) -- California State University, Sacramento, 2012Police use of force policies are controversial and under constant public scrutiny. New technology allows police departments to increase their range force options, but also allows criminals to commit more crimes with less visibility. Currently, white-collar crime is expanding beyond its traditional stereotype as criminals exploit weaknesses exposed by technology; however, law enforcement agencies are struggling to keep up. In California, state investigators are employed by a variety of agencies to investigate and pursue white-collar criminals. This project reviews the investigator classifications in California Penal Code section 830.3 to determine a justification for the disparity between agencies and the officers??? authorization to carry firearms. The study incorporates various aspects of the officers??? training, education, experience, investigative duties, and legal code enforcement to determine if a relationship exists between a particular area and firearms authorization.Criminal Justic