Woot! Woot! Easy Pickin's in that Ritzy-Titsty Neighborhood! Y'all Come!
Posted on 10/30/2013 6:51:10 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
SANFORD --
More than a year and a half after Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, the city of Sanford is making major changes to its neighborhood watch program, including banning volunteers from carrying guns while on patrol, and forbidding them from pursuing anyone in their neighborhoods.
Sanford's new police chief, Cecil Smith, said the neighborhood watch program as it was operated while Zimmerman was part of it was dysfunctional and had no accountability.
"In this program, it is clearly stated that you will not pursue an individual," Smith explained. "In this new program, it clearly indicates that you will not carry a firearm when performing your duties as a neighborhood watch captain or participant."
Smith said when he took over as Sanford's chief of police in April, the neighborhood watch program Zimmerman was part of was still operating the same way it was when he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin more than a year earlier.
Though Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder in July, Smith said the program needed to be re-evaluated, so he stopped it completely until changes could be implemented.
"We've seen this happen already, where an individual was declaring that under the auspice of neighborhood watch, he was performing a duty that he wasn't," Smith explained, calling the previous state of the program dysfunctional, disorganized and disjointed.
"There was really no accountability. There was no true recognition. There were concerns with regards to training. There were concerns with how the program was being run," Smith continued. "We put a cease to the neighborhood watch program, essentially, in the manner it was in before, and what we're doing now is really, truly revamping the entire program, starting from scratch."
In addition to the ban on guns and following suspects, the revamped neighborhood watch program in Sanford Additionally, will include mandatory background checks. It will also include designated block captins who will have direct lines of communication with a new division of officers created to work with neighborhood watch members. Before the new rules, a civilian was the liaison between police and watch volunteers.
Smith said the new program is really just getting back to the basics of what neighborhood watch is supposed to be.
"Neighborhood watch is a very simple organization. It's about neighbors helping neighbors, talking to neighbors about ways to make their neighborhood safe. That's it," Smith said. "Again, do I think I'm going to make every person happy about our requirements that you don't be armed? I'm not going to make everyone happy, but not everyone has to be part of the program."
The police chief said he's excited about the changes, and plans to be on hand at a community meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 5, when residents are encouraged to come and voice their concerns.
So now nobody goes on patrol. Really keeps the neighborhood safe.
Don’t think he has the legal authority to prevent people from arming and defending themselves.
All he can do is prevent neighborhood watches. Another liberal biting his nose to spite his face.
Woot! Woot! Easy Pickin's in that Ritzy-Titsty Neighborhood! Y'all Come!
PS - Now they’ll just put up signs that say something like “No Crime Area” or “Gun Free Zone” - that will stop anyone from committing a crime there.
Screw the neighborhood watch program, just take a heavily armed walk.
Good luck with that. FL law says, without characterizing who is carrying, that municipalities may not make laws contrary to FL state law as regards firearms and RKBA.
Period. The city cannot make people, who may be endangered and acting as volunteer private citizens, go unarmed if it is under FL law their legal right to do so. Period.
The thugs won.
But let's not allow facts to cloud our knee-jerk reactions.
“Again, do I think I’m going to make every person happy about our requirements that you don’t be armed? I’m not going to make everyone happy....”
I’ll bet the crooks will be happy. Or at least feel a little safer while plying their trade.
“Again, do I think I’m going to make every person happy about our requirements that you don’t be armed? I’m not going to make everyone happy, but not everyone has to be part of the program.”
What an effing DICK. His house will be targeted first...and then we’ll have another Republican Convert joining the fold!
*SMIRK*
So because a thug was found to have attacked a neighborhood watch by a jury, other watchers can’t defend themselves similarly? this is liberalism 101
The thugs are taking back THEIR streets and making it safer for them to commit their crimes.
Good luck with that chief!
FL law says, without characterizing who is carrying, that municipalities may not make laws contrary to FL state law as regards firearms and RKBA.
Period. The city cannot make people, who may be endangered and acting as volunteer Neighborhood Watch private citizens, go unarmed. Under FL law their legal right to do so. Period. Municipalities do not trump state law.
ANY comment I would have on this would be seen as racist.
Okay all you little Trayvons, HAVE AT IT!
That was my thought, exactly. We used to do Neighborhood Watch in a VERY safe neighborhood, patrolled in cars, never needed to be armed. Those circumstances seem not to obtain in Sanford so I’d be damned if I’d volunteer there. Only a fool would sign up for that potential suicide mission.
Well, most “official’ neighborhood watches I know of are unarmed to begin with. The same way most posts involving private security guards are unarmed. So, in terms of being an official representative of the housing association, the HA may well be within their legal rights here to forbid the watch from being armed.
Now, a private citizen who chooses to drive through the streets of his own neighborhood for pleasure, while happening to keep an eye out and while happening to be armed, is probably another matter.
They replaced the “disgraced” and completely correct former police chief with a proper pigmented and PC “interface” to the minority population. To make things “fairer”. This is total BS. And, the guy is a moron to think they can “ban” anyone from carrying under FL law. Not going to happen.
So, don’t go out on patrol, just take your dog for a walk.
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