Excuses aside, I would be all for the community policing its own, whether it is through increased awareness and activity within that community, or whether it is through this deputization concept. I would certainly worry about the exploitation and potential problems inherent in such a system, but so long as the training was explicit in their limits and capabilities, and liabilities were kept to a minimum (especially in our suit-happy legal system these days), I can definitely see such a concept bringing a lot of good to otherwise troubled communities.

Hell, people like Pro-Gun Progressive are doing this on a daily basis as we speak now, but without the benefit of approval or support from his police department. In Pigtown, Baltimore, no less.

Simply getting people more active in their communities would be a great first step… showing them that they live there, they already have a vested interested, and they can actually do something about the crime they see… Too long we have heard “It is not my problem,” or “Let the police handle it,” or “Try not to bother X family,”… Vigilantism is a threat if carried too far, but by the same token, I have a responsibility for the safety of my society, as a law-abiding, capable, adult citizen.

Unfortunately, for the reasons you list, neither yours nor my ideas would ever fly in “modern” society… and yet they are willing to throw trained war-fighters into street-side policing situations. I mean no disrespect to any NG member, but policing is not in their training handbook, and that will only lead to problems in such a situation as the one in Schenectady.

Modeled on the National Guard, I think we could probably draw similar conclusions as to how effective it would be. Just ask a vet of Iraq or Afghanistan how well disciplined and well behaved the National Guard boys were/are over there.

I don’t need to ask anyone, because I am a military veteran and I have been over there. I had no problems with the Guardsmen I encountered in Iraq. In fact, they performed quite well.

If you want an only slightly exaggerated picture, rent Generation Kill.

I have the book, and those were active duty Marines, not Army National Guard. Maybe you could draw conclusions from sources other than apocryphal rumors and TV programs. In any case, this is irrelevant. America is not Iraq or Afghanistan, police are not military forces and we shouldn’t be using them to wage war on our own populace. If the program I am suggesting is loosely based on a Reserve/Guard model, that is because it is similar to (but better than) the traditional, common law Posse Comitatus, which allowed a sheriff to conscript men above a certain age for law enforcement duties. It ensures a certain amount of uniformity of training, makes everyone aware of their what is expected of them and generally gets everyone on the same page. A Police Explorer program could even be incorporated into this concept. There are many possibilities.

The model such as the one I outlined has historical precedent, and some communities actually already have similar programs, so it’s not like this is unheard of. Maricopa County, Arizona has been doing something very similar to what I was thinking of for many years, although I propose a somewhat more ambitious program. I don’t know how well disciplined they are, but given Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s well known reputation, I am going to guess that they are pretty well behaved.

I believe a Sheriff’s Posse is more accountable, not less, because instead of a large “standing army” of indifferent or even hostile police, you have a large group of concerned volunteers made up of regular citizens, your relatives, neighbors and friends, not random strangers who may or may not have any roots in your community. Most people don’t know the names of their police officers or their police chiefs and have never talked to them unless they were in trouble. This should change, and I think this is a good way to do it. I want to reduce or eliminate the “us versus them” mentality in law enforcement as well as revive a spirit of self-reliance, community involvement and voluntary cooperation in America.

But then again, I truly do believe that this would be a non issue if all states were mandatory Shall Issue states for Concealed carry permits. Remember, there is a real and definite reason that 95% of all criminals are pro gun Control.

I am all for CCW, in fact, if I had it my way, every state would be like Vermont but I don’t think “shall issue” by itself is the magic solution to crime that some people, such as yourself, seem to think it is. After all, Alabama is a CCW (“may issue” rather than “shall issue”, but I think it makes little difference in this case) state, and that had no effect on their recent active shooter fiasco. Another example is the mall shooting in Tacoma, where two permit holders had an opportunity, but failed to save the day. Merely being armed is not a complete solution. Training is essential, but that is not the whole answer, either. You need a PLAN. Presumably, you think that a group of unaffiliated, pistol packing citizens will spontaneously organize to stop a rampaging criminal or criminals (think Mumbai) armed with rifles. At best, they can defend themselves (maybe), which is fine and good, but that doesn’t solve the problem of a maniac (or multiple maniacs) on the loose in your community, since a permit holder has no mandatory duty to engage the criminal(s) instead of fleeing, nor should they.

What I propose would be a way to organize permit holders into a cohesive group of well trained volunteers with a well rehearsed contingency plan, instead of a disorganized mob of confused people with guns, which is what exists now in many places. Returning to my Alabama example; the Sheriff is already the one who makes the decision to grant a concealed weapons permit, so a deputized posse program could flow naturally from that.

Rule #1 of gunfighting: Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.

Just ask a vet of Iraq or Afghanistan how well disciplined and well behaved the National Guard boys were/are over there. If you want an only slightly exaggerated picture, rent Generation Kill.

I want to believe that it would be an effective way to address what is obviously a growing issue in this country, but logic tells me otherwise.

But then again, I truly do believe that this would be a non issue if all states were mandatory Shall Issue states for Concealed carry permits. Remember, there is a real and definite reason that 95% of all criminals are pro gun Control.

CHICAGO (CBS) They’re private security guards, already on patrol, but they may soon have the powers of Chicago Police officers.