Citizens on Patrol, Community Watch Programs

[3dfxMM]

Do you know if they used the 30.06 exact wording?

It's quoted above. Why would it matter? It's not a building or property.

He was asking about a building/property.

[cb1000rider]

Missed it.. my bad!

[carlson1]

Guys I guess I am totally lost here. I really thought I was being asked, "why did it matter?" I apologize for being so short.

[Bullitt]

Every time I get in my vehicle I am a citizen on patrol. If I see a crime I report it. Plus I am armed.

Anygunanywhere

I agree with the above.

However, I don't believe in organized watch programs and therefore would most likely NOT participate in one unless we had a Watts riot scenario or similar situation going on.

[cw3van]

Every time I get in my vehicle I am a citizen on patrol. If I see a crime I report it. Plus I am armed.

Anygunanywhere

That sir is the way you do COP.

[TacShot]

I went through our Citizens Academy and learned a lot. I learned joining the COP program and wearing a uniform shirt made you a "shoot me first" without a gun to defend yourself. No thanks.

[sanfordreed]

"for a while I was incharge of the stations seniors on patrol. They wore a uniform, (different color shirt) with patches and a cloth badge, drove a white marked car that said seniors on patrol,"
They should more accurately be called Seniors Always Patrolling, or SAP's.

[Diesel42]

I served for a while in east Fort Worth. I was happy to sign the agreement not to carry a weapon. The rules for Citizen On Patrol (COP) are very specific. As a COP, your job is to inform the police and watch as long as you are not in danger. You are "eyes and ears" only. Stay safe and leave the area if the situation turns bad.

Fickman is right. I also dropped the COP comittment because I can be a responsible citizen without the polo shirt and baseball cap they gave me. One more thing, I think each of us have to seriously consider any scenario before we attempt to follow, detain, or even speak to someone we think suspicious. When I was driving around my neighborhood with a police radio, I always knew where I was and nothing would make me leave my car. I was "eyes and ears" only, and my LEO friends were the first to say leave if I felt threatened.

My two cents.

I used to be a member of Fort Worth Citizens on Patrol. Their program involves patrols on foot, bicycle, or in your private vehicle. You have a police radio and "sign in" to start your patrol and "sign out" to end it. They do make you sign a paper saying you won't carry any firearm and explained it's required by their lawyers. You're also supposed to wear the polo shirt and use magnetic signs on your car during all patrols. If you're following all of the rules and get into some sort of liability issue, the city will defend you. If you're breaking the rules, you're on your own. I often did patrols with my wife as a ride along and SHE was carrying, but she had never signed the paper. I eventually decided that the program took too long, had limited benefits beyond the relationship I formed with a few area LEOs, and that I could do the same "eyes and ears" drives without a police radio. . . using the non-emergency number instead. Given the Zimmerman fiasco, the public perception of anybody in an altercation who was breaking the rules will not be good.

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Interestingly, the state against GZ tried to say he was a "wannabe" cop, yet the neighborhood watch coordinator from the PD said she asked GZ to join their COPs program and he declined. Wouldn't a "wannabe cop" have jumped at the chance? Also, it's important to note that, unlike COPs - which has distinct ways to say when a patrol is happening, neighborhood watch volunteers are never "on" or "off" duty. Any media reports saying he was "on patrol" are being sensational.

[suthdj]

And some more.

http://news.yahoo.com/constitution-chec ... 08700.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ScooterSissy]

...I know that statistically in TX, CHLers are something like 14 times less likely to be involved in viole[n]t crime than the general population...

That's good to hear. I would say that is a reflection of good CHL training that has an emphasis on not being in situations that could escalate into something else. I believe in stand your ground, but I do not believe in pursuit and confront. If other states, like perhaps FL, had better training programs, then we wouldn't have this current circus that is going on, IMO.

The case in Florida had nothing to do with "pursuit and confront". There's no evidence that the victim pursued, and certainly none that he confronted.