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Probation and Parole Officers Should be Armed?

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What is the trend? Do you think probation and parole officers should be armed? Why or why not?

One or two paragraphs please.

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Solution Summary

In terms of the going trend, this solution debates whether or not probation and parole officers should be armed, providing a rationale for why or why not. Supplemented with an article about the emotional work concerning probation and parole officers carrying guns.

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This is an interesting debate! Let's take a closer look.

RESPONSE:

What is the trend? Do you think probation and parole officers should be armed? Why or why not?

The national trend is to offer the option to probation and parole officers to be armed, if they so choose. It was legislated in Missouri (1997), for example, and become part of the criminal justice policy, that probation and parole officers could so choose to carry weapon. I agree, as do most probation and parole officers, that probation and parole officers have the right to be armed. Opponents argue, however, that the officers chose to arm themselves for "personal safety," that the presence of a gun would perhaps alter their emphasis on client rehabilitation.

Why? First, at the personal level, it is a matter of personal safety. The changing nature of their role includes being a control agent, as well as a helping agent, which makes the option of being armed seem logical. For example, with the passing of legislature in Missouri, many officers believe that they are working with a more "dangerous" clientele. However, some regions are more dangerous than others. For example, officers in southwest Missouri are dealing with methamphetamine users, and this type of drug user can be quite violent and unpredictable. In urban areas (St. Louis and Kansas City), officers have caseloads that cover ...

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