Posted on 12/16/2012 6:25:54 AM PST by tje
In response to a recent increase in crime, Paragould Mayor Mike Gaskill and Police Chief Todd Stovall offered residents at a town hall meeting Thursday night at West View Baptist Church what could be considered an extreme solution — armed officers patrolling the streets on foot.
Stovall told the group of almost 40 residents that beginning in 2013, the department would deploy a new street crimes unit to high crime areas on foot to take back the streets.
"[Police are] going to be in SWAT gear and have AR-15s around their neck," Stovall said. "If you're out walking, we're going to stop you, ask why you're out walking, check for your ID."
Stovall said while some people may be offended by the actions of his department, they should not be.
"We're going to do it to everybody," he said. "Criminals don't like being talked to."
(Excerpt) Read more at paragoulddailypress.com ...
What’s wrong with getting cops back out on the streets patrolling again like they used to?
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Not a thing as long as you stick to Bumper Morgan and his ‘trick night stick’.
One of his ‘great lines’, while being accosted by a couple of punks, was “See that box over there? Go open it and pick up the phone and tell whoever answers to send an ambulance to this address. YOU are going to need it” or something along that line.
Dressing cops as Storm Troopers to patrol the streets of a relatively small city seems like a ‘test case’.
Of course we will get the ‘well look at Israel’ crowd.
While back someone had ‘mentioned’ why the US troops aren’t endeared to the locals in war torn countries like back in WWII - VN etc and one reason pointed out that back in WWII the people knew they were being liberated AND the GI’s had ‘treats’ for them.
Today’s Troop is no less friendly BUT they are forced (by necessity, I know) to run around looking like Space Men with layers of gear etc and once the ‘locals’ get wind of the ROE, all bets are off.
Nothing wrong with cops walking the beat on face value...
"[Police are] going to be in SWAT gear and have AR-15s around their neck," Stovall said. "If you're out walking, we're going to stop you, ask why you're out walking, check for your ID."
Of course that is not what they are doing...
There used to be this thing called the 4th and 5th amendment...
Liberals killed them...
Worth repeating.
“It’s for your own safety, citizen, now face the wall and spread em’.”
Municipal curfew laws in this land are older than the nation itself. They can generally be struck down or overturned with legal challenge as to its constitutionality, but that depends on whether the townsfolk are for or against it enough to either file a challenge, or simply fire the mayor at the next election.
Times have changed and so have police uniforms. People know that the cops are up against some real bad actors and need more protection than in the old days. If this is done right, the cops will get to know the people who live on their beat, win their confidence and get feedback on the criminals in the neighborhood. There are mainly law abiding citizens who live in slum areas who would like to have the criminals removed from their streets. It was done successfully on the streets of Baghdad, why not also in Paragould?
Oh, when they come around to get whatever guns you might have I doubt you’ll say much of anything.
Free country? After what you’ve seen the last four years? Really??
I certainly agree...
"If you're out walking, we're going to stop you, ask why you're out walking, check for your ID."
Here is my problem...
Innocent until proven guilty is still a concept in this land...Any law abiding citizen should be able to walk down the street unmolested without being presumed guilty ..
The cops know who the bad "actors" are...break down their doors, arrest their asses and clean up the streets...
Much easier and safer to harass granny toting her groceries home...
Thanks for that reality check. Still walking a beat, just looks paramilitary since that's the world we live in.
Seems extreme, but that's reality as we've created it. Life imitating art?
Why not just put ordinary cops back to walking the beat! Why the psudo-military display!
who live on their beat, win their confidence
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Yes, that is a great goal and should work.
First, the citizens have to work with the police in getting these criminals off the streets BUT why would one cooperate with the Police when the bad guy gets booked, is back on the street before the Police have all their reports filled out and terrorizing the neighborhood BEFORE the ‘local Policeman’ gets back on his beat.
I, for one, do not see the need for a beat cop or one that is in everyday contact with the public, being dressed in para military garb, with rifles slung over their shoulders.
If that makes one comfortable or feel ‘safe’ one is fooling oneself.
Two recent ‘related’ events...”Cops in NYC surround single (suspected) gunman, open fire, wounded several bystanders”.
22 year old CIVILIAN in OR has the drop on shooter and doesn’t shoot because he knew others were in his potential line of fire.
When the shooter ‘noticed’ the ARMED CIVILIAN, the crisis came to a halt with the ‘next shot’ taking himself out.
Now who showed greater restraint and common sense?
And the 22 yo was correct, you don’t wildly open fire just because you have a weapon. If the situation is right you shoot - NOW how would he have acted if the shooter was just shooting everyone in sight? More than likely he would have taken him out BUT we will never know those kind of answers till confronted.
I carry and I carry where I am not ‘supposed’ to, but whether it be ‘false security’ or not I feel ‘safe’ and in my 73+ years have never been mugged, held up, attemped car jack etc despite the fact that my ‘work’ has me in some of the seedier parts of towns and cities, at all hours of the day or night, an attempt on occasion, but never the full act.
I don’t ‘push’ the issue, but I don’t back down and, thankfully, have never deemed it necessary to open fire, and saw fit to draw only on a couple of occasions but the ‘punks’ usually turn tail if you are able to somewhat defend yourself.
The ferals will counter with IEDs.
Aside from the SWAT gear and AR 15, this sounds just like the TPF* of the 60s-70s in NYC.
* TPF - Tactical Patrol Force
Somebody wearing body armor and combat boots (and maybe a helmet), with an assault rifle around his neck, is a soldier. Sorry, but I remember cops wearing white or blue shirts and carrying revolvers.
And if that “soldier” earns a paycheck from a government entity, that makes him a “government soldier” by most definitions.
In other words ... a Redcoat.
“Huge drug problem and uptick lately in violent home invasion. We’ve had a recent influx of thugs it seems. The east side/lake street area is basically a slum for the most part and is getting exponentially worse with each passing year.”
This question may be considered impolite and inappropriate, if so, the moderators can remove it.
That said, I understand that Arkansas has something of a “black belt” (as do other states in the deep south). Levon Helm mentioned this in his book, “This Wheel’s On Fire”.
Does Paragould lie within it?
This type of governmental response is probably due to “Diversity!”
“What’s wrong with getting cops back out on the streets patrolling again like they used to? That way they get to know who belongs on the street on their beat and who doesn’t.”
Because the cops today ain’t your Granddaddies cops. The cops today are paramilitary occupation forces that are getting boatloads of Federal funding for arms and equipment. They seem to have a disdainful attitude towards not just the creeps and malefactors in our society but towards everyone.
Those of you who have cruised Alaska may have noticed your ship being escorted both into and out of port by high speed USCG patrol boats.
If you looked closely enough you would see young men manning .30 cal machine guns on the bow. This is supposedly to deter terrorist acts taking place in our sleepy communities. But rather more importantly it has served as a major inconvenience for those of us who make our living on the water and In my opinion serves absolutely no purpose other than moving/conditioning the masses towards a police state.
Almost every summer I placed a call to our local Coast Guard base complaining about the young jackboots.
No, the city is overwhelmingly white. Probably 97-98%, maybe even higher. The largest minority I suspect is actually hispanic.
More specific to your question - The racial makeup of the city was 97.87% White, 0.04% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
A clue might be found in the fact that Paragould is home to Arkansas State University Paragould, Arkansas Northeastern College, Black River Technical College, and Crowley's Ridge College.
Lots of young folks, and perhaps a growing drug problem?
The crime stats show the area to be...'safer' than 3% of the cities in the US. Yes. http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ar/paragould/crime/
I'd take a pass at visiting there if you are doing a tour of the Deep South - maybe just go to NO and get mugged in the French Quarter - more scenic after all.
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