With Ferguson verdict about to come down, the view of police on gun ownership for personal protection

With gun sales in Ferguson soaring by between 525 and 700 percent according to one discussion in the Washington Post and police apparently warning civilians to get a gun before the verdict is announced, it is useful to look at how police officers generally feel about gun ownership.  PoliceOne.com, the largest private organization of active and retired police with over 450,000 members (380,000 active duty and 70,000 retired), conducted a survey of its members in March 2013.  Here are some of its results that are relevant to the discussion.  Some other survey data are available here.