Civilian Patrols

[Stephanie B]

There is a group doing them in Hartford, CT. Another article updated that.

The article quotes some damn law professor who is carping about the patrols and thinks that the residents should wait for Hartford to hire more cops. But the article also points out that the city is almost 100 cops below their authorized levels. And who is beating down the door to become a cop there? A cop there with some experience can take their POST certificate and go to a town with less crime and better schools for their kids.

So I guess, to the law professor, it'd be better to do nothing.

[mmc45414]

A cop there with some experience can take their POST certificate and go to a town with less crime and better schools for their kids.

And the residents wave with all five fingers.

[Trooper224]

"They were part of Minister Cornel Lewis' Self Defense Brigade."

"We are not vigilantes. We are a group of people that are disciplined and trained. We go to the shooting range,” said Lewis."

This will end well.

[UNM1136]

Didn't read the article, but in the early 70s the Albuquerque Police went on the last police strike allowed by the state. (Currently work slowdowns and strikes are grounds for removal of POST certs.)

Armed citizen groups patrolled neighborhoods. Went well...

Not sure the majority of today's toters are up to it...

pat

[DDTSGM]

I would hope that they have received legal training from a competent source and their shooting drills focus on the aspects of the Connecticut laws regarding duty to retreat and defending others.

Were I to start such a force there would be a long paper trail of training and testing.

I hate how this sounds, but I am reassured that the founders and 'pushers' of this effort are black men.

Perhaps in light of the fact that they are in large groups, picking up trash, installing security cameras and such things, the fact that they are armed is a secondary issue.

In view of the fact that nothing like vigilantism has been reported, it seems a shame that today when a neighborhood group joins together to ensure the safety of those in the neighborhood they are discouraged by the 'authorities.'

Kind of goes against 'the people are the police and the police are the people' principle.

[Stephanie B]

Didn't read the article, but in the early 70s the Albuquerque Police went on the last police strike allowed by the state. (Currently work slowdowns and strikes are grounds for removal of POST certs.)

Armed citizen groups patrolled neighborhoods. Went well...

Not sure the majority of today's toters are up to it...

pat

Condoleeza Rice mentioned that as a girl, she practiced her piano lessons while her father was with other men, patrolling their neighborhood with shotguns to keep the Klan out.

[Borderland]

There's probably some prosecutor somewhere waiting to make a name for himself by prosecuting a citizen patrol shooter. No good deed goes unpunished.

[mmc45414]

Condoleeza Rice mentioned that as a girl, she practiced her piano lessons while her father was with other men, patrolling their neighborhood with shotguns to keep the Klan out.

I remember reading hearing that.

One thing about this is that it seems like a bunch of loose cannon zealots, but it is probably a bunch of people that find themselves in a shitty situation though no fault of their own. If every thing was hunky-dory these people might be more content to chill out in their homes and watch a game, but they are stuck living in an area with an understaffed PD that is undermined by a slacker prosecutor.

A close friend has stayed in the starter home he moved into four decades ago, and when the dealer across the street gets paroled and comes home and starts dealing again it is not like you get to drop a dime on him and the problem is solved right after the next commercial break. It took weeks or months of calling it in and waiting your turn for the guy to eventually get investigated and violated back to the slammer (and this is in an area with a pretty diligent prosecutor). It is all good now, but there have been times where he was spending his evenings sitting on his porch harassing the clientele coming and going, not really so different than this. Obviously not optimal, but surrender is the other option. Soon enough he was walking across the street in the middle of the night with a pot of coffee and stack of cups when he noticed the evidence technician van parked out front.

[Stephanie B]

There's probably some prosecutor somewhere waiting to make a name for himself by prosecuting a citizen patrol shooter. No good deed goes unpunished.

That is probably the truth. And hopefully, there is someone willing to run against such a clown.

[LittleLebowski]

Condoleeza Rice mentioned that as a girl, she practiced her piano lessons while her father was with other men, patrolling their neighborhood with shotguns to keep the Klan out.

Excellent and poignant reference.