Latest crazy idea?? Concerned resident aims to form armed militia to patrol Stockton

[Royal Sloan 09]

Source: Stockton Record

By David Siders
Record Staff Writer
April 07, 2009 6:00 AM
STOCKTON - A retired truck driver and Vietnam War veteran said Monday that he is forming an armed militia - mostly men with rifles and armbands, four to a car - to patrol Stockton this summer, when at least 43 police officers are to be laid off.

Alan Pettet, 66, said he has recruited 18 men, most of whom are ex-military. He said the militia will train at a firing range and "activate" if the city lays off any officer, as it intends by July 1.

The likelihood of an armed militia materializing is uncertain - there are legal concerns, and posturing to influence City Hall is not uncommon - but for a neighborhood activist even to advance such a proposal was indicative of frustration about Stockton's awful budget forecast. The City Council is expected by July 1, the start of fiscal 2009-10, to order police layoffs and spending reductions citywide to balance a general fund budget that is otherwise expected to be $31million in deficit by June 2010.

Pettet, a midtown neighborhood activist who has a Desert Eagle pistol, said militiamen will detain suspected criminals and call police to arrest them. They will wear armbands and will patrol in a car marked by a magnetic sign, he said.

"It's going to be 'Stockton Armed Militia,'" Pettet said. "'SAM' for short."

Neither the Police Department nor the city administration was impressed.


Read more: http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090407/A_NEWS/904070327/-1/rss02

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Read the comments section for more insight to the crazyiness of central California, oh my, WTF!

[Ian David]

1. Fucking communists. They should be charging people who call them for help! n/t

[Critters2]

27. LOL!! Yeah! Whatever happened to good ol' American capitalism?! nt

[fascisthunter]

2. "mostly men with rifles and armbands"

where have we seen this before?

[billyoc]

3. California: Oregon's Florida.

[GOPNotForMe]

4. Rude!

Just kidding. Florida is a mess. But it's my mess, so back off! ;)

[MonkeyKnifeFight12]

11. You gotta be kidding...

Your stance is that there are no gun toting hillbillies in Oregon?

[northzax]

5. he's advertising that he has a desert eagle?

please. talk about a gun made for show.

[GinaMaria]

22. self delete - wrong place

[Tempest]

6. So they're going to drive around in a car marked as a militia vehicle?

All they're going to do is help improve some criminal's aim.

I see this ending very badly, for the vigilanties.

[balantz]

7. Just what the increasingly fascist government wants to happen? n/t

[Mari333]

8. god i hope this doesnt catch on

thats all I need to see..a bunch of old fartes driving around with loaded weapons in my neighborhood. this does not bode well.

[FailureToCommunicate]

14. True, their aim wouldn't be as good as the young farts that ride around now (criminals not police)

[Mari333]

15. as an old farte myself

I dont want ANYONE assuming they can just drive around in their pickup deciding who is a criminal and who isnt. I dont give a shite whether the perp is old or young, its not up to some old guy in a pickup truck to decide who should be arrested and who shouldnt. people are trained for that, and only people who are trained should be doing it.

[slackmaster]

9. I have the perfect logo for their cars!

[xchrom]

10. ...

:eyes: ah yes -- the never ending charm of vigilantes.

[crankmob]

12. stockton is a rough town; after losing 40+ cops this seems inevitable

if the communities approve and/or involve themselves then this could be a good thing.

if it's just a few nuts that want to bully people(like a lot of police do) and play cowboy then the communities still have the city/police to handle them.

[Royal Sloan 09]

13. Just love those reader's comments section

the repugs/freeper type's getting excited and restless for some sort of action.
The "SAM" for short, means Shoot All Minorities, to the repug types.
Holey Bejeebus, what is wrong with these people?

[bobalew]

16. Well, I grew up in Stockton, in the 60's & 70's

It was, and always will be land of the stupid, and home of the economically oppressed, and Realm of the Rich overlords. Man, am I glad I left. It was a crap-hole Armpit. No Jobs, Bad police services, and a very bad economy. 1/3 of the population was on Welfare, 1/3 were working at the canneries for half the year, and on unemployment for the other half, and the Other third sold all the rest of them services, with a few rich doctors, lawyers, businessmen, Growers/Farmers and bureaucrats in the mix. The Last existing "Skid Row", was in Stockton. They used it a a movie venue, for depression era, hard-times movies. Then that went away, except for a small piece under the charter way overpass. Anyone ever been to Xochomilco's, The 24 Hr Mexican restaurant there? Ya wanta meet some of Stockton's Underworld figures, that's where you'd go... It doesn't look as if it's improved any, or the denizens have gotten any smarter in the last 35 years.
Regards, Bobalew

[county worker]

17. The first thing they will do is begin to racial profile all Hispanics and making them show proof of

citizenship like the Gestapo in Hitler's day.

[diamidue]

29. This was my first reaction.

Hispanics make up 34% of the total population of Stockton - as opposed to the 41% white population. A full 55% of the population is minorities.

I wonder how many of these militia guys are white. Probably all. I would hope not tho. To work, they will need to include members of the minority community.

[GiveMeFreedom]

18. I grew up in Stockton, "Someplace Special",

but moved away 7 years ago to a rural community. I knew a couple of guys who were "solid gang members" and they could be very scary. This Armed Militia will be gunned down in the streets faster than they can recruit new members. Is this the start of anarchy in America? Stockton lead the nation, for a while, in home foreclosures and the city's blight is still growing.

Stockton, CA, population 286,926, is located in California's San Joaquin county, about 27.3 miles from Modesto and 40.4 miles from Concord.

I'll never forget this:

The Stockton massacre was an incident of mass murder that occurred on January 17, 1989, at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California, United States. The gunman, Patrick Purdy, who held a long criminal history, shot and killed five schoolchildren, and wounded 29 other schoolchildren and one teacher, before committing suicide. His victims were predominantly Southeast Asian refugees.

[BobTheSubgenius]

19. It's good to develop hobbies in one's golden years...isn't it?

To Surve and Pertect. Holy shit, is this a bad idea! Sarge, Lefty, Brooklyn and Clem, armed to the teeth, "patrolling" the streets, thinking they have some kind of authority. It's mind-boggling.

I imagine it gives these loons a chance to use the "well regulated Militia" part of the 2nd Amendment as an argument, though.

[Mz Pip]

21. Somehow I think they

will sort of ignore the "Well regulated" part of the 2nd amendment. :eyes:

[gabby garcia]

20. I thought this was gonna be about that wingnut

Michelle Bachman.
:crazy:

[GinaMaria]

23. What's going on in Stockton?

Is this a high crime area? Gotta say, this sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

[Bluebear]

24. Oooh, "armbands" too.

Wonder what design they will choose?

[Duke Newcombe]

25. Facepalm.

I wonder if it's too late to move to Lodi?

[jody]

26. Why doesn't CA Governor use the California State Military Reserve and unorganised militia?

California State Military Reserve

California Unorganized Militia

143. Whenever the Governor is satisfied that rebellion, insurrection, tumult or riot exists in any part of the state or that the execution of civil or criminal process has been forcibly resisted by bodies of persons, or that any conspiracy or combination exists to resist by force the execution of process, or that the officers of any county or city are unable or have failed for any reason to enforce the laws, the Governor may, by proclamation, declare any part of the State of California or the county or city or any portion thereof to be in a state of insurrection, and he or she may thereupon order into the service of the state any number and description of the active militia, or unorganized militia, as he or she deems necessary, to serve for a term and under the command of any officer as he or she directs.

121. The unorganized militia consists of all persons liable to service in the militia, but not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.

122. The militia of the State consists of all able-bodied male citizens and all other able-bodied males who have declared their intention to become citizens of the United States, who are between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, and who are residents of the State, and of such other persons as may upon their own application be enlisted or commissioned therein pursuant to the provisions of this division, subject, however, to such exemptions as now exist or may be hereafter created by the laws of the United States or of this State.

[Critters2]

28. Oh, yeah. This will end well. nt