Police Protection

17 Feb 10

This expression of concern from a college professor and student:

"I know you've done a Quip or two in the past about the role metropolitan and campus police play in citizen/student protection, but I wish you'd cover the topic again, particularly in light of the current contestation regarding concealed carry at my campus, CSU (Colorado State University)."

Very well. Here is the deal:

Police are charged with a "general duty" to investigate suspicions circumstances and identify, apprehend, and charge criminals, once a crime has been committed. We also have a "general duty" to answer calls in a timely manner and patrol the community in a good-faith effort to deter crime. Of course, all this must be done within the constraints of our resources.

In some cases, courts are empowered to issue "restraining orders," but, as we know, the "restraint" is not physical. The court-order is merely a piece of paper. Who compulsively commit violent crimes are seldom deterred.

So, "citizen protection" is, and must remain, a general term. Police do the best they can, but we are never tasked with a specific duty to provide absolute protection to any particular individual at any particular time nor place, nor are we required to respond to calls within a specific amount of time.

And, we get paid the same, regardless of outcome!

Logical conclusion: You're on your own!

Colorado citizens, including students attending universities (assuming they are twenty-one or older), can own and even carry (with appropriate permits) guns for their own, personal protection. Guns, ammunition, and accessories are generally available via any number of commercial, retail sources. Competent training is also available through a number of accomplished instructors.

Keep in mind that guns, like alcoholic beverages, are highly regulated, and thus technical violations of confusing and poorly-written ordinances, arbitrary "rules," as well as randomly-enforced political agendas, will always make it impossible to anyone to know is he is "law-abiding" or not!

My suggestion is that every citizen/student look squarely at his personal security situation, and then make appropriate decisions. However, such decisions should be made based on facts and reality, not some self-deceptive, mythical notion of "police protection."

Violent death is one thing you can't "do over!"

/John

Book to Read!

17 Feb 10 Book Recommendation: You seldom get credit for doing what's right, and righteousness is rarely fun, nor glamorous, nor easy, but it burns in your heart that it is the only right way to do something. It shines in your eyes and puts steel in your backbone, in the face of the gravest of circumstances. When you are one who is set up that way, or know someone who needs an example, Mortal Shield, a novel by my friend and colleague, Thomas A Taylor, published by Southeast Missouri State University, is the book to read. It is inspiring! /John