If You Were A Vigilante

[BurtReynoldsMoustache]

You are not every police officer. Every police officer is not you.

This article lists a few cases that illustrate what I'm talking about. Among them is the case that originally brought this issue to my attention, the rape of three women that was reported via 911 multiple times and ignored.

http://iarnuocon.newsvine.com/_news/...to-protect-you

Also in the case you're talking about, the police did nothing after the ex-husband kidnapped the daughters, whom he later murdered before opening fire on a police station. The woman was awarded a judgement which was reversed by the Supreme Court.

Special protection has nothing to do with it. It's a matter of liability over negligence.

[Jcordell]

Originally Posted by BurtReynoldsMoustache

You are not every police officer. Every police officer is not you.

This article lists a few cases that illustrate what I'm talking about. Among them is the case that originally brought this issue to my attention, the rape of three women that was reported via 911 multiple times and ignored.

http://iarnuocon.newsvine.com/_news/...to-protect-you

Also in the case you're talking about, the police did nothing after the ex-husband kidnapped the daughters, whom he later murdered before opening fire on a police station. The woman was awarded a judgement which was reversed by the Supreme Court.

Special protection has nothing to do with it. It's a matter of liability over negligence.

The most recent of those cases is from 1989. Much has changed in the past 21 years. My father was a cop from 1970 - 1994. We sometimes compare notes and he's amazed by the changes.

For example during the whole of his career as a cop in Idaho the police could not arrest in a domestic violence situation if the victim refused to press charges. Period. But in the late 90's that changed. Now I can arrest if I believe that there is PC. Period. Many times the victim will stand there and tell me that she/he does not want to press charges. I explain to everyone involved that I'm pressing the charges of Domestic Battery.

A few years ago in a neighboring city we had a husband (domestic violence suspect) get out on pre-trial release. He had been arrested multiple times for domestic violence. This time he went to his ex-wife's house and killed her. His mother-in-law called 911 and the police responded promptly. However it was too late. I just put that in there to let you know that I readily aknowledge bad things can and still do happen.

The way the 911 dispatch centers work has also changed over the past twenty years. Dispatchers now get better training for one. They also have better equipment. Which of course means more money being spent and that can mean more taxes. But I'm digressing.

More than once I've jumped on the radio and had dispatch to tell me unless a gun is involved to stand by because they are on 911.

Once again I will readily aknowledge that mistakes happen and there are examples of less than stellar behavior, but to pull cases from the past fifty years across the United States dosen't show the whole situation accurately.

There has been much case law that also states that we the police have to excercise Due Dilligence and follow Due Process.

In many respects that's like a gun grabber finding examples of gun owners behaving in a criminal manner. Only the examples cover the past fifty years and have occurred over across the U.S.

[funkychinaman]

I thought about writing a short-story or novel about a vigilante back when I was in college. My roommate had been mugged while stumbling home from a frat party while drunk, and it got the wheels turning. I figured there'd a conflict between the idealistic students who saw a vigilante as a dangerous rogue and the townies who thought that while he was a dangerous rogue, he was ultimately keeping the streets safe.

He'd be a student, living in North Campus in Ann Arbor, MI. No mask, just a hoodie, a cheap coat, possibly from good will, easily disposable. Cheap .22 pistol, a Saturday night special like a Lorcin or a Raven arms 22 that can be tossed away without regret. Homemade suppressor built in a machine shop (North Campus is home to the engineering, architecture and art schools at UM.) Remington hollow-point subsonic .22 ammo, available at any sporting goods store. A S&W SWAT knife as backup and for silent kills. Pepper spray to deal with those who are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. (Although today, I would think a stun gun, or a taser.) Latex gloves, which would be disposed of daily into the dumpsters of the UM Medical Center (conveniently located between North Campus and Central Campus.) A hollowed out laptop from Property Dispo to hide the weapons and ammo in. (Property Dispo is where UM got rid of old equipment, from computers to furniture. You can get a six year old laptop for $50.) So basically, it'd be Without Remorse set in a college town, but instead of revenge as the motive, it'd just be a student who decides to vent his anger and frustrations out on local low-lifes.

[Spades of Columbia]

I would have to go with a nice suit and a sharp smile with a Glock 29...I would focus all my vigilante duties on corruption of highly powerful professionals. Wouldnt waste time on pimps and petty criminals, but men and women that take advantage of the systems we have in place and evil business that ruin other people's lives for profit. My thought process is that no one ever expected clark kent and all he did to conceal himself of a suit and glasses.