After budget cuts reduce sheriff force, armed posse patrols Oregon county

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/1...-posse-patrols-oregon-county/?test=latestnews

Interesting story.

Seventh Peelian Principle of Policing

Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.

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- emphasis added.

I love seeing the tons of positive comments from the readers at the bottom of this article...

Too bad we cant do this in every community. I love walking around our neighborhood and would have no issues augmenting the local police dept. Sometimes a show of force is all that's needed to curb crime. Just like the volunteer fire departments and EMS service we have in Stevens County, Washington. May not be the most proffesional service, but it's neighbors helping neighbors and saves money for tax payers.

cabledawg said:

Too bad we cant do this in every community. I love walking around our neighborhood and would have no issues augmenting the local police dept. Sometimes a show of force is all that's needed to curb crime. Just like the volunteer fire departments and EMS service we have in Stevens County, Washington. May not be the most proffesional service, but it's neighbors helping neighbors and saves money for tax payers.

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Nothing stops the locals from doing this anywhere. Under Common Law we retain the right of Citizen's Arrest.

The problem is that the line between Citzen's Arrest and kidnapping/false imprisonment is a very fine one. There is also the consideration of how an alleged crimimnal migt be treated by the courts when certain civil rights that the "police" are required to give due heed and attention to are not afforded by the citizens of the possee.

I understand their frustration and applaud their taking it upon themselves to "do something". I just hope it is the right "something".

stay safe.

They don't seem to be arresting people as of yet. It appears they're simply patrolling in POVs with decals and of course they're armed but I don't see anything they're doing yet that involves arrests. Just neighborhood watch on steroids

That's all people need is a group of unaccountable, armed individuals patrolling the streets--wait....nevermind.

Policing expert Dennis Kenney, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, says neighborhood watch efforts can be positive but turn into problems when volunteers "decide that instead of supplementing law enforcement, they are going to replace law enforcement. Then you cross potentially into vigilantism."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/1...-oregon-county/?test=latestnews#ixzz29iwLlfgN


This guy sounds like a union steward .... it seems clear that they don't even need the police in the town... NYC ?!!! Go crawl back under your rubble Mr. NYC ... give me a break

skidmark said:

Nothing stops the locals from doing this anywhere. Under Common Law we retain the right of Citizen's Arrest.

The problem is that the line between Citzen's Arrest and kidnapping/false imprisonment is a very fine one. There is also the consideration of how an alleged crimimnal migt be treated by the courts when certain civil rights that the "police" are required to give due heed and attention to are not afforded by the citizens of the possee.

I understand their frustration and applaud their taking it upon themselves to "do something". I just hope it is the right "something".

stay safe.

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I agree that there is a very fine line between armed Neighborhood Watch and being a vigilante. As discussed already, I dont think (or get the impression anyways) that these folks are making arrests but simply providing eyes and ears for the local LEA. By having a force that could only be supported by volunteers the chances of a posse member witnessing a crime is much greater and if they cant stop the crime, they sure could have a better description of the criminal than would otherwise be available. Kinda like having security cameras in a store. The cameras wont stop a thief or make an arrest, but they will capture the crime that might have otherwise been undetected/unseen by the store clerk. In short, the more eyes and ears, the more data is collected and the easier it could be to solve crimes and apprehend/prosecute the criminals. Once the criminals realize this, they will find softer targets in other areas.

The interesting part is that if this were to happen in the state of Washington it would be legal to kill those felons.

Someone get's caught stealing a travel trailer, they get a new home 6' underground in a box.
I don't understand why it would not be legal there too. I have not read the laws in Oregon beyond their income tax.
And that they only offer commercial driver licenses there.

cabledawg said:

Too bad we cant do this in every community.

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Well, we can. There was a day in this nation when we didn't rely on a standing local police force solely but instead the people gathered together and served alongside their police. It was and is called a local Militia and incorporated every able-bodied male from 18 to 45. Sadly that has been abused and besmirched to such a degree that most folks wouldn't even consider attending a militia meeting. And that is too bad.

We all owe our few remaining freedoms to those seventy men who stood together and died on Lexington Common and their ilk. They were the real militia, not the paranoid gun nuts in the forests of Michigan you have read about... Those latter men, like so many other well intended folks failed to test their own members and the feds led them down the merry path to jail. Like so many other "terrorists" whom the FBI has taken to arming, enabling and then arresting lately.

I would suggest that every community COULD and SHOULD have an active and very useful militia organization, available to their community to provide services and skills not readily available from the normal civilian. In our local group, that is exactly what is the intention: To train up a group of men and women who can fill in the gaps of manpower and skills in times of extremity. To stand with their neighbors when times are tough or the local police, fire, rescue, search teams, etc. cannot or will not do the job.

Our sheriff and his staff are invited to every meeting. During the summer we meet at a public park for all to see. We understand the bad media image will be hard for people to overcome but if today is not the time for good men to stand together for their families, communities and their Freedom, then when?

But please remember the militia is still about the Second Amendment, "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a FREE STATE, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Never forget that. We won't.