NCJ Number
158783
Date Published
1995
Length
195 pages
Annotation
This book presents the rationale and techniques for establishing an armed citizen defense alliance that will take to the streets to deny criminals the opportunity to commit crime.
Abstract
The rationale for the organized citizen armed response to crime is that crime is rampant in the United States and law enforcement and the criminal justice system have broken down. The appropriate response in such a situation is for citizens to arm themselves, learn to use their weapons in self-defense, and take to the streets in an organized fashion, using weapons for self- defense and the defense of families and neighbors. The author advises that he does not support vigilantism in the sense of going after criminals after they have committed crimes and escaped. The role of the armed defense alliance is to stop crimes in progress or dissuade the criminal from even trying to commit crimes through citizen vigilance; cooperation with police; and a legally armed presence on the streets, in homes, and at public meeting places. This book's chapters provide a detailed plan for organizing, recruiting, and implementing a community self-defense group. They explain the pitfalls of such groups, including getting around restrictive gun-control measures and avoiding adverse publicity. Case studies show how armed alliances have succeeded in making their neighborhoods safe places. The author also warns that even more dangerous than the street criminal are the criminal "tyrants" who would seek to disarm citizens through gun control laws.