Higher Gas Prices = Less Police Presence
Posted by Robb Allen | Filed under Do It Yourself
Reading the local dead tree paper this morning (someone leaves a copy in the men’s room every day, I don’t actually buy one), there was a letter to the editor bemoaning the fact that because of the high gas prices, the police department is having to cut down on the amount of driving the officers do.
Imagine that.
What really burns my Bundt cake was the writer’s whining that he and his neighbors are having to set up a neighborhood watch and *gasp* protect themselves!! He cried that the politicians had “left them to fend for themselves” as if somehow, that was a bad thing (couldn’t find the letter online, or I’d post it here, and the paper in the can is ‘community property’).
Look, I want cops to patrol the streets when they can. In fact, I’d like to see them actually patrol on foot as that gives them more times to evaluate the situation than driving by at 30 MPH. But they can’t be everywhere at all times and the fact is they only are paid to do a job that we, as free citizens, are morally required to do at all times.
We leave it up to the police to actively seek out trouble. However, when trouble finds us, the only ones who have any sort of responsibility for our protection is ourselves. This is part of being a free citizen. Liberty is not inherently safe – for that you’ll need a police state, and then the dangers come not just from criminals but those you submit to as well.
I like the idea of a neighborhood watch. I happen to know my immediate neighbors are all armed, so we kind of have one built in, but there’s nothing wrong with being relied upon by someone who might not be as able to defend themselves. And your neighbors are generally closer than the cops anyway.
Tags: criminals, donut eating cops, neighborhood watch, safety
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July 8th, 2008
My wife kinda got into an argument with one of neighbors yesterday because a month ago the neighbors were loudly fighting in the front yard, and it sounded like it might turn nasty, so my wife called the cops. They lady got pissed at her, and my wife countered with, “Hey, you should be glad you have neighbors who care enough to call the police if they think something is going wrong.” My neighbor was unconvinced.
July 8th, 2008
@Madrocketscientist: Be sure to remember that the next time she “accidentally” walks into a doorjamb.
Some people will ever be victims.
July 8th, 2008
Oh, it was not the neighbor and her baby-daddy, it was the neighbor and her sister getting ready to throw down, with little kids nearby.
Each woman outweighs me and my wife combined (and I’m not a little guy), so there was no way my wife was gonna get physically involved.
July 8th, 2008
We tried to get a neighborhood watch in our community, but couldn’t even get ten people (out of almost 150 homes) to come to the meeting with the sheriff’s office.
Instead, I have made it a point to get know the folks bordering my property, and made sure that the president of the HOA knows I have video monitoring, an alarm system, a big dog, and lots of guns. Strangely enough, that made what little vandalism and assholery that had occurred on my block come to a screeching halt.
On the other hand, when Hazel and I witnessed a fistfight break out in the parking lot of our local grocer, we just kept right on walking until we were a safe distance (inside the store) away to call the cops. By the time we got inside, the fight was over and one of the thugs had already left the scene. At that point, the only one who should call the cops is the victim (considering it wasn’t mutual) or the store (since it was in their lot).
I guess the point is that I have given up tilting at windmills and now just want to keep my own kine. The cops can’t or won’t help, so we have to keep ourselves safe.
July 8th, 2008
My neighborhood actually has a functioning neighborhood watch. Not everyone is involved, but we have about half in it (52 of 113). I don’t consider that too bad.
Sadly, sometimes the only way people can get going on things like this is if there is a continuous string of problems. So many neighborhoods have virtually no problems with crime that it’s hard to get anyone interested in prevention.
Ted, I agree with and like your approach. I have done similar (in addition to being part of the watch group) but have not advertised further that my home is firearm enabled.
July 13th, 2008
Ha!
It didn’t take long for the local police to figure a way to cover that problem, they just started adding a fuel surcharge to every ticket they write.
July 20th, 2008
I’ve been thinking more and more about the inappropriatedly named “gated communities”. (The name implies that there’s 4 miles of gate instead of 4 miles of brick wall.)
They hire their own security. The city is still responsible for upkeep on the roads, but the residents determine who can drive on the streets.
Is there anything to prevent groups of neighbors from forming impromptu fenced communities?
July 29th, 2008
Where’d everybody go?
July 29th, 2008
It’s summer time Craig, we’re all very much busy with not staring at our PCs.
July 30th, 2008
Ted, Hazel, & myself are on vacation. There’ll definitely be more posting when we return.