Probation and parole work can be dangerous and is not for sissies or social workers. Parole work is especially dangerous because parole officers deal exclusively with felons, many of them having been involved in acts of violence. It takes a lot of guts to adequately supervise parolees in the field, often in high crime neighborhoods. Since many parole agencies prefer to hire gutless applicants with MSW (Master of Social Work) degrees, parolees are not getting the supervision required to protect the public from criminals.
KILLING HIGHLIGHTS DANGERS OKLAHOMA PAROLE OFFICERS FACE
The probation and parole community is calling for safety improvements in the days following the shooting of Jeff McCoy, 32, a parole officer slain Friday in Midwest City
By Juliana Keeping
NewsOK
May 22, 2012
Probation and parole officers are calling for safer working conditions in the days after the death of one of their own.
Jeff McCoy, 32, of Norman, was assaulted and shot to death Friday while on the job, Midwest City police said.
John Roberts, who worked in the field for 25 years, said better radios and communication, availability of Tasers and a partner could have saved McCoy’s life.
McCoy had come to visit an offender living at 1440 Maple Drive in Midwest City, but encountered Lester Kinchion, 21, instead, police said.
Witnesses told police Kinchion pushed McCoy off the porch.
A fight that spilled into the street ended with McCoy shot to death.
Authorities Monday took Kinchion to the Oklahoma County jail, where he is being held on a murder complaint, Assistant Chief Sid Porter said.
When police arrived at the scene about noon Friday, Kinchion shot at them, causing a brief standoff, authorities said.
They called a special tactics team, but Kinchion walked out of the house before the team arrived.
Police used a Taser on Kinchion after he refused to follow their orders, authorities said.
Parole officers need Tasers, too, said Roberts, the past president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 147 for probation and parole officers.
“Probation officers don’t have those kinds of safety features available to them. They deal with 100 percent felons.”
Jerry Massie, spokesman for the state Corrections Department, said McCoy probably carried a collapsible baton, pepper spray, handcuffs and a gun at the time of his slaying.
It wasn’t immediately known if he was wearing a bulletproof vest, Massie said.
Witnesses told police McCoy was bleeding profusely from the head following the shooting.
It was McCoy’s first visit to the home after an initial address check, Massie said.
Probation and parole officers are issued radios, but they are not connected to any law enforcement frequency and essentially function like walkie-talkies Massie said.
They also carry cellphones.
Massie said probation and parole officers are encouraged to go out in twos, “but it’s not an absolute requirement.”
He said parole officers provide an itinerary to team supervisors before going out into the field.
Massie agreed that being a parole officer can be dangerous work.
“There is the potential for danger obviously when you’re in law enforcement, dealing with the kind of people they deal with, much like police officers on the street,” Massie said.
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