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Private police carry guns and make arrests, and their ranks are swelling
Washington Post via MSN ^ | 3/01/15

Posted on 03/01/2015 12:46:57 PM PST by Libloather

Michael Youlen stopped a driver in a Manassas apartment complex on a recent night and wrote the man a ticket for driving on a suspended license. With a badge on his chest and a gun on his hip, Youlen gave the driver a stern warning to stay off the road.

The stop was routine police work, except for one fact: Youlen is not a Manassas officer. The citation came courtesy of the private force he created that, until recently, he called the “Manassas Junction Police Department.”

He is its chief and sole officer.

He is a force of one.

And he is not alone. Like more and more Virginians, Youlen gained his police powers using a little-known provision of state law that allows private citizens to petition the courts for the authority to carry a gun, display a badge and make arrests. The number of “special conservators of the peace” — or SCOPs, as they are known — has doubled in Virginia over the past decade to roughly 750, according to state records.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Maryland; US: Pennsylvania; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: arrests; guns; police; private; virginia
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1 posted on 03/01/2015 12:46:57 PM PST by Libloather
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To: Libloather

I didn’t read the entire article. Who do the ticket recipients pay the fine to?


2 posted on 03/01/2015 1:03:13 PM PST by Boomer (Politically Incorrect and proud of it.)
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To: Libloather

I am all for it. The roided up wannabe soldiers are already on SWAT teams. If the ‘law’ is unwilling or unable to protect citizens they need to protect themselves.


3 posted on 03/01/2015 1:03:51 PM PST by Organic Panic
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To: Boomer
Privateers. Get your Letter of Marque.

Arrest 0bama.

4 posted on 03/01/2015 1:31:18 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: Organic Panic
I am all for it. The roided up wannabe soldiers are already on SWAT teams. If the ‘law’ is unwilling or unable to protect citizens they need to protect themselves.

I live in a urban area. Everyday I see dozens of unmarked cars (mostly SUVs) with flashing strobes behind tinted glass (invisible unless lit), some with civilian plates, driving erratically, the wrong way in traffic, blowing red lights, etc. The shoulder of the highway seems to be reserved for their use.

It's amazing.

And I know that every government agency has its own force: city police, county sheriff police, forest preserve police, each university has its own police, each community college has police, the park district police, the public transportation agencies each have police (rail, bus, interurban), the airports each have police. All are armed, all have powers to arrest and detain.

It's unbelievable when you start paying attention; these are just the ones you can see. Plus homeland, TSA, etc. It's crazy.

5 posted on 03/01/2015 1:38:54 PM PST by IncPen (None of this would be happening if John Boehner were alive...)
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To: Libloather

There was a place in Wyoming (I think!) that eliminated it’s police department not too long ago. The outgoing cops had all kinds of dire warnings about what would happen.

Later on I saw a post on another forum from someone who lives there, describing what actually happened. He said the people pretty much started looking out for each other, and the crooks quickly learned that the police had been there for the CRIMINAL’S protection, and hightailed it out! Meth houses, drug dealers, etc all disapeared after a short time. If they really need a cop, the state patrol will send someone but it might take a day for them to get there. So, most people just deal with stuff themselves.

(Note: I’m relaying this from memory, so don’t quote me on it. But that was the general idea.)


6 posted on 03/01/2015 1:42:00 PM PST by Ellendra (People who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with.)
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To: Libloather

I see several ups and downs to this.

To start with, there needs to be a recognition that all adults “of good character” are the enforcers of the law. That uniformed police are just a convenience, who carry out four things the public are not well equipped to do.

1) They are 24/7 watchmen.
2) They collect evidence at crime scenes.
3) They doggedly pursue those with warrants against them.
4) They maintain order in large groups of people.

Next, as the top county LEO, a Sheriff can deputize, both formally, and as auxiliaries, deputies, to maintain public order and in a “hue and cry” to form a posse. While little used today, this might be used to establish order during a disaster until professional support arrives, avoiding Katrina-like disasters.

Likewise, a Sheriff should coordinate the activities of “special conservators of the peace”, with his office and the local police department.


7 posted on 03/01/2015 1:42:19 PM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("Don't compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative." -Obama, 09-24-11)
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To: Ellendra

I saw that movie. /s


8 posted on 03/01/2015 1:43:16 PM PST by Usagi_yo
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To: IncPen
And I know that every government agency has its own force: city police, county sheriff police, forest preserve police, each university has its own police, each community college has police, the park district police, the public transportation agencies each have police (rail, bus, interurban), the airports each have police. All are armed, all have powers to arrest and detain.

It's unbelievable when you start paying attention; these are just the ones you can see. Plus homeland, TSA, etc. It's crazy.

I'm pretty it's worked out exactly as the Founding Fathers intended. After all, they themselves had a cop under every rock after the Founding, didn't they?

Or not. I can never keep that straight.

It's either there were a minimal number of constabulary types in the big cities, or there was a police officer for every five citizens...

9 posted on 03/01/2015 1:46:29 PM PST by kiryandil (making the jests that some FReepers aren't allowed to...)
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To: Ellendra; Pelham
He said the people pretty much started looking out for each other, and the crooks quickly learned that the police had been there for the CRIMINAL’S protection, and hightailed it out!

It's called "anarcho-tyranny", and the "Managerial State".

Samule Francis: “we refuse to control real criminals (that's the anarchy) so we control the innocent (that's the tyranny).”

Hat-tip to FReeper Pelham.

10 posted on 03/01/2015 1:49:43 PM PST by kiryandil (making the jests that some FReepers aren't allowed to...)
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To: Paladin2
Privateers. Get your Letter of Marque

I probably haven't seen those words, "Letter of Marque", since high school, (I didn't go to college), thanks for the reminder and I didn't even have to look it up.

11 posted on 03/01/2015 2:01:08 PM PST by Graybeard58
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To: Graybeard58; Paladin2

I’d like to know how and by whom was a Letter of Marque issued and what authority did it grant the Privateer.


12 posted on 03/01/2015 2:09:51 PM PST by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: IncPen
I don't know how it is in your state but here, the local constable and every other leo in the state have the authority to arrest anywhere in the state and in "hot pursuit" or "fresh pursuit" even cross state lines into bordering states, with whom we have reciprocity agreements.
13 posted on 03/01/2015 2:09:53 PM PST by Graybeard58
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To: MileHi
I’d like to know how and by whom was a Letter of Marque issued and what authority did it grant the Privateer.

Governments, in our case, His Royal Highness B.H. Obama.

14 posted on 03/01/2015 2:14:44 PM PST by Graybeard58
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To: kiryandil

Thanks, kiry. Sam Francis was a fearless writer whose work shouldn’t be forgotten.

The GOP establishment hated him. ‘Conservatism, Inc.’ hated him. In my opinion that’s high praise indeed. Francis didn’t “grow” and he wasn’t interested in altering his thinking to appeal to the aspirations of politicians who will throw American culture under the bus if they think it will give them one more vote or a favorable press.


15 posted on 03/01/2015 2:18:40 PM PST by Pelham (The refusal to deport is defacto amnesty)
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To: Graybeard58
Governments...

Generally, yes.

16 posted on 03/01/2015 2:22:52 PM PST by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: Paladin2
Nice one Paladin !

Privateers. Get your Letter of Marque.

17 posted on 03/01/2015 2:24:33 PM PST by onona (Obama's entire term reads like a John Semmens post.)
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To: MileHi

“I’d like to know how and by whom was a Letter of Marque issued and what authority did it grant the Privateer.”

This has some information but it’s a bit vague:

http://www.constitution.org/mil/lmr/lmr.htm

In 1812 two Letters of Marque were ‘issued by President Madison under (an) Act of Congress.

and then there was this gem:

In December 1941 and the first months of 1942, the Goodyear blimp Resolute was operated as an anti-submarine privateer based out of Los Angeles. As the only US craft to operate under a Letter of Marque since the War of 1812, the Resolute, armed with a rifle and flown by its civilian crew, patrolled the seas for submarines. See Shock, James R., Smith, David R., The Goodyear Airships, Bloomington, Illinois, Airship International Press, 2002, pg. 43, ISBN 0-9711637-0-7


18 posted on 03/01/2015 2:26:39 PM PST by Pelham (The refusal to deport is defacto amnesty)
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To: Libloather

Hopefully this will place more pressure on public police units to improve their training and build reputations for going after actual criminals and doing genuine good work towards making our towns and cities safer. Maybe this will help bring an end to a justice system where its members are awarded simply for placing as many people in prison as possible regardless of whether or not they were actually endangering anyone. And an end to the mentality where going after crimes without a victim is seen as accomplishing something.


19 posted on 03/01/2015 2:31:48 PM PST by youngphys01
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To: Pelham
Thanks. Looks like Congress can authorize and then the President signs off on specific cases maybe?

I'll have to look into it a little out of curiosity.

20 posted on 03/01/2015 2:31:49 PM PST by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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