Ohio official tells residents to 'arm themselves' amid police cuts

[jody]

Source: USA Today

When the Sheriff's Department in Ashtabula County, Ohio, was cut from 112 to 49 deputies, just one vehicle was left to patrol the 720-square-mile county.

Asked what residents should do for protection, Common Pleas Judge Alfred Mackey replied, " Arm themselves," and added, "We're going to have to look after each other."

Area gun dealers and instructors told WKYC-TV, Cleveland that they've noticed an uptick in sales and interest in self-defense classes.

One instructor, Tracy Williams, said the cuts mean "you don't have any other option" other than to listen to Mackey's advice.


Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/04/ohio-official-tells-residents-to-arm-themselves-amid-cuts/1

[RC]

1. What is going to happen?

Socialism or anarchy?

[jody]

3. Don't know but last year a CA district attorney faced with LEO cuts said he would not prosecute most

crime unless it was a serious felony.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

5. Neither --> Life as usual. People everywhere are already responsible for their imediate safety.

Even in districts that have enough cops and cruisers to literally put one on every street corner... police often can't respond fast enough to stop crimes in progress. The police need notified and then they need to physically get to the crime scene. I would be impressed with any response times under 3 minutes for the average city or suburban town (less for rural areas). A violent crime MIGHT take 60 seconds to commit before the criminal flees. If you can't defend yourself... hoepully the criminals let you live.

Expecting cops to actively "protect" you is simply an unreasonable request. They're only normal people.

[jody]

6. Self-defense is a personal problem. When attacked & seconds count, police are minutes or hours away.

[Mithreal]

10. We better all wear gun holsters then. I think I can modify my jammies too.

I get what you are saying, but law enforcement sets a tone for the community.

[Kolesar]

14. In this case, the "tone" is weepy-paranoia...eom

[Mithreal]

19. Perhaps. If laws are not enforced, or more randomly, the tone will change.

The same can be said of DU.

[Xenotime]

16. I vote for socialism.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

22. I would too, but if things get go south, anarchy tends to be the winner

for the same reason communism always fails

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

2. I need to go out and git me some more guns.

There should be some sort of security subsidy (say $250/yr) for qualified citizens to spend on aiding their security.
Then I could afford bigger guns.

[WCGreen]

4. That's freeper land...

And very rural. There are few cities of any size in the whole county.

[GreenStormCloud]

7. Arm yourself. That is sound advise anyway. N/T

[GentryDixon]

8. Court TV or whatever it is called these days

will have a wealth of story subjects. Stay tuned.

[Supersedeas]

29. I can't stomach it.

[doc03]

9. Sounds like excellent advice to me n/t

[formercia]

15. I agree

I stocked-up early, when prices were not to bad.

A gun for every occasion.

[Paladin]

11. Talk About A Wet Dream For The Crowd Down In The D.U. Guns Forum. (n/t)

[Xenotime]

17. No shit. Sometimes I can't tell if I'm on a progressive board or not.

[jody]

20. Don't you know that progressive liberals believe in individual rights and oppose totalitarian govt?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

21. Incredible the people who want to restrict rights and dare to call themselves progressive and libera...

[Paladin]

23. I Can Always Count On D.U. Gun Enthusiasts Confirming The Points I Make.

Thanks again.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

24. You rarely if ever make "points" and we all know your anti civil rights bias

[Paladin]

26. Oooh, Ouch! I'll Cry Myself To Sleep Tonight Over That One.

Give some indication that you give a shit about a "civil right" other than every nutcase in the country having access to as many guns as they want, and maybe we'll talk, "Professor".....

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[X_Digger]

12. As I said in the dupe thread.. what's new about this?

Anyone who has lived in a truly rural community knows that police are 30-45 minutes away most of the time.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

18. That is certainly the case for me, 30 minutes on a good day

Now that I have finally managed to suppress the OHV trespassing, I don't need them nearly as often.

[lib2DaBone]

13. There is plenty of police protection .....

If the Sheriff's Department is not busy kicking in doors for possession of one marijuana cigarette.. if they just switch their priority...they will have plenty of personnel. They will also have plenty of jail space.

Concentrate on handling accidents, crimes in progress and coverage of the business districts...and everything else will be just fine.

Homeowners out in the boonies should get a sidearm.. and get used to strapping it on... don't wait for the DEA or SWAT teams to come rescue you.

Besides...Law Enforcement's main goal over the last 10 years has never been protection of the people.... it has been a numbers game and control of funding, as well as a move to wards militarization.

My Grandfather and father were both Police Officers who walked a beat. They knew everyone in their neighborhood and they knew all the family names. They cared about their neighborhoods.. those days are long gone.

[depakid]

25. Yet another day for the terminally stupid and cowardly in America

[Enrique]

27. so that's where Ashtabula is

http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/youre-gonna-make-me-lonesome-when-you-go

(...)

I’ll look for you in old Honolulu,
San Francisco, Ashtabula,
Yer gonna have to leave me now, I know.
But I’ll see you in the sky above,
In the tall grass, in the ones I love,
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go.