National Police Safety Group Urges Override to Governor's Veto of Right-To-Carry

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National Police Safety Group Urges Override to Governor's Veto of Right-To-Carry

1/16/04 3:22:00 PM

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To: State Desk

Contact: Eunice Deeds of the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, 703-847-2677

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Jan. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) announces that their effort to support a Wisconsin Right-To-Carry law will include radio ads targeted at supporting the veto override, to be considered by the Senate next week. LEAA is the nation's largest coalition of law enforcement professionals, crime victims and concerned citizens.

LEAA's ads will feature commentary from a national law enforcement safety expert who resides in Wisconsin, and a rape survivor from Wisconsin who has previously testified in support of Right-To-Carry. In one ad, Ed Nowicki, an LEAA Life Member and 34 year veteran of law enforcement, who has trained many hundreds of Wisconsin law enforcement officers and thousands more nation-wide, makes it clear that this legislation is a benefit to public safety.

Nowicki has served in nearly every rank from patrolman to Chief of Police and has led some of the nation's most prestigious organizations for law enforcement trainers. An expert on officer safety and use of force, Nowicki has developed training programs used by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies; he currently serves as the executive director of the International Law Enforcement Education and Training Association (ILEETA).

LEAA Executive Director Jim Fotis, a retired New York police officer, noted that Nowicki's expert opinion is backed up by the experiences of the majority of America's police officers, who live and work in states with a right to carry law similar to the one passed by the Wisconsin Legislature. Said Fotis, "37 other states have laws just like the one proposed in Wisconsin, none of the scare tactics and lies put forth by the opposition has come true and not a single state has ever found reason to change its mind and remove a Right-To-Carry law from the books after it has passed."

Ed Nowicki, currently a sworn police officer in the State of Wisconsin added, "Officers who work the street know that the real bad guys carry guns illegally. Right-To-Carry for the honest citizen is different, this override vote will determine whether or not the honest and law abiding people of Wisconsin will have the right to defend themselves."

Fotis noted that even in states where some in law enforcement had initial concerns about the passage of Right-To-Carry laws, their experiences after the law was enacted converted them to supporters. Here is what some law enforcement has said after their states passed similar laws. After Virginia passed Right- To-Carry, Virginia Public Safety Secretary 1/2now Attorney General 3/4 Jerry Kilgore commented: 'Virginia has not turned into Dodge City. We have not had a problem.' Arlington County, Va., Detective Todd Larson, who initially expressed some reservations about the law, two years after passage said, "I was wrong. But I'm glad to say I was wrong."

In Texas, Senior Corporal Glenn White, President of the Dallas Police Association, a year after the law passed, told his hometown paper, "All the horror stories I thought would come to pass didn't happen...No boogie man. I think it's worked out well and that says good things about the citizens who have permits. I'm a convert." A year after Florida's concealed-carry law took effect, the executive director of the Florida Police Chiefs Association made a very similar statement: 'At this point, it would appear the law is working very well. There are no horror stories that can be attributed to the passage of the law.'

With over 75,000 Members and supporters nation-wide, the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) is the nation's largest coalition of law enforcement professionals, crime victims, and concerned citizens dedicated to making America safer. Visit the web site at http://www.leaa.org

[Joe Brower]