Armed Patrol Taking Steps to Protect NW Side Neighborhood from Crime

[hamsterjill]

SAN ANTONIO, TX - Armed with high-powered rifles, men dressed in fatigues and black T-shirts emblazoned with the word, “Security,” trekked through the streets of a Northwest Bexar County community in the wee hours of one recent morning. Many of their neighbors, meanwhile, slept soundly in their homes.

Members of the group, called the “Armed Volunteer Security Detail,” asked us not to reveal the exact location in which they patrol. However, the neighborhood is located in the area of Loop 1604 and Culebra Road.

The self-appointed keepers of the gated subdivision also were careful to hide their identities, shielding their faces from our camera. What they were not shy about, though, was their purpose—to make their community safer.


http://www.ksat.com/news/armed-patrol-taking-steps-to-protect-nw-side-neighborhood-from-crime






This is in my own backyard, and it is very frightening to me. It will only be a matter of time until someone is killed.

[Iggo]

1. And that's not illegal because...?

[hamsterjill]

5. Open carry laws.

Open carry laws allow this to happen.

[Iggo]

6. Fucking flashers. (n/t)

[hamsterjill]

7. Disaster waiting for a chance to happen.

Men like this are much too eager to kill someone. If they were interested in mere patrolling, they'd be doing it in pairs and with tasers perhaps, but not with AR-15's.

[Iggo]

9. They're frustrated because they have these fabulous toys that they're not allowed to play with.

Frustrated and armed.

[stone space]

2. In Colombia, they are called "paras".

That's short for "paramilitaries".

[haele]

3. Is there that much crime in the area?

Or are they just out hunting "illegals"?

BTW, in my experience, when it's a middle class "neighborhood watch" or gated community, a rash of car burglaries - especially the "rifling" through the car type - are usually the result of one of the neighbor's teens and his/her friends, or one of the neighbors on meth or heroin.

Homeless and/or undocumented are not going to be in those types of areas at night - they tend to hide or be on the move at night rather than stay somewhere and hang out. Besides, as I had overheard on the trolley one day, "rummaging" in areas where there are no people around is safer if one wants to find useful objects that can be traded in for cash or food.

And a real gang member or career criminal steals cars, drives them off to a remote location, and strips them.

I suspect these "patrols" will stop when they collect enough of the neighborhood youth to draw the ire of "respectable" parents, or shoot one of those darling little over-privileged snowflakes or their disreputable friends.

Haele

[hamsterjill]

4. There isn't that much crime to my knowledge, and I tend to agree with your assertions.

I agree that it's usually neighborhood brats that are "rifling through cars", etc. AND the idiot with the gun even admitted that he left his car unlocked.

But I think this is going to become a commonplace occurrence in areas where open carry is allowed. You will always have some idiot with a gun who wants to relive his glory days (article indicates they are all ex-military) and takes advantage of the fact that he can now sling a gun over his shoulder to look tough.

I would hate to see anyone killed over a vehicle. If these men insist on patrolling their own neighborhood, then I think that's fine. But I don't think they need to be doing it with AR-15's, and I don't believe they need guns at all. They can patrol public streets all they want, but they don't need to be armed.

We are reverting back to the stone age.

[safeinOhio]

8. Somebody light off a pack of firecrackers.

Be a great youtube video.

[hamsterjill]

11. Except that a bullet from an AR-15 is going to go through a wall.

I'm certainly no gun expert, but the article indicates that some of the men have AR-15's. With as close as homes are (generally) in subdivisions, and particularly (in reality) in this area of town, a stray bullet is going to go through the wall of a home that is totally unrelated to anything.

Someone can be asleep in their own bedroom minding their own business and get shot when some yahoo thinks he's playing Rambo.

[msongs]

10. shielding their faces = cowards, like bank robbers, not willing to be held accountable for actions n

[hamsterjill]

12. Yes. You would think if they are so proud of their actions that they'd be willing to be identified.

n/t