Preparedness
Hartford Citizens Tackle Rising Crime with Legally Armed Patrols
In the heart of Hartford, Connecticut, a neighborhood predominantly composed of black residents has decided to tackle the increasing violent crime by turning to an unexpected source of protection – a group of legally armed citizens. This self-appointed group, named the “Self-Defense Brigade,” hopes to reduce crime rates and establish a sense of security within the community, as reported by the New York Post.
The brigade consists of approximately 40 armed citizens who volunteer their time and resources to patrol Hartford’s North End, especially during the evenings and weekends. Donning body cameras as part of their equipment, they remain vigilant and committed to their cause.
“I believe in self-defense, but I will try to defuse it in every way possible.”
Their vigilance is not limited to the streets; the group’s arsenal expands to drones and 75 home surveillance systems to monitor possible criminal activities in real-time. This allows them to focus their attention on potential crime hotspots and respond accordingly.
Cornell Lewis, the founder of the Self-Defense Brigade, has been vocal about the reasons behind the formation of the group. According to Lewis, the local Democratic leadership has failed to ensure the safety of the community.
“The Democratic machine in Hartford is either unwilling or unable, incapable of doing it, and people are paying their tax dollars, and they’re not getting any kind of service.” Lewis said. “So we want the people to understand, number one, self-defense is not a dirty word.”
However, not everyone shares the same sentiment. Hartford’s Democratic Mayor Arunan Arulampalam has expressed concerns over the possibility of the group becoming vigilantes.
“Our community has seen so much pain and trauma, and what we need is for those who love this city to do the hard work of healing that pain, not walk around our streets with guns trying to take the law into their own hands,” Arulampalam said.
Despite criticism, Lewis remains determined to educate the community about self-defense, especially in situations where the police might not be available. Lewis also emphasizes the importance of de-escalation in potentially dangerous situations.
“I believe in self-defense, but I will try to defuse it in every way possible,” Lewis reiterated. “But if it’s clear that you’re going to attack, or you pull out some weapons, then we have a right to defend ourselves.”
Lewis firmly denies the accusations of the group being vigilantes and asserts that all members are trained in discipline legal security. He also adds that while all members have legal permits to carry concealed weapons, he himself is a fourth-degree black belt and has trained members in hand-to-hand combat.
The Self-Defense Brigade took to the streets after a tragic incident left two men dead in front of the Walk in the Light Church of God last February. Commenting on the group’s impact, Archbishop Dexter Burke said, “I feel that we are really putting a dent on crime. I think that we’ve exceeded 100% in terms of success.”
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Neal Mallett
June 21, 2024 at 11:34 am
They wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place if the mayor wasn’t so condescending and actually cared about the citizens concerns about crime and actually did something about it.
ardvark
June 21, 2024 at 11:57 am
Self defense especially with weapons tends to get in the way of communists goals, especially when the little people still have weapons!
David
June 21, 2024 at 1:03 pm
Criminals are going to think twice about committing crimes in areas where citizens band together to protect themselves and their families. Armed with modern weapons the protectors will definitely lower the crime rate. Now the judicial system should do their part and keep the thugs off the street. The democratic revolving door system is generating this need of self protection.
Bill
June 21, 2024 at 1:15 pm
We’ve entered a time where the crooked politicians are not looking out for the citizens. If theh think people are going to continue licking yhemsrlves in gheur homes and wait ghe inevitable attack, they are wrong. I commend these men.
kathy strickland
June 21, 2024 at 2:55 pm
It will be more and more necessary as the crime gets worse with the current problems we are having.
ME
June 21, 2024 at 3:17 pm
And this kind of crap would be illegal if WHITES were doing it to protect their property. Enforce the laws EQUALLY, otherwise, “laws” mean NOTHING.
TRM
June 21, 2024 at 4:33 pm
Are the vigilantes trained in the law? This program will end when they shoot the first person by mistake and they get prosecuted.
Old Man
June 21, 2024 at 8:34 pm
Shoot now, ask questions later.
Mary Gibson
June 22, 2024 at 5:08 am
Food for them. They stepped up when weak government won’t!
Mary Gibson
June 22, 2024 at 5:09 am
Good for them!!
David
June 24, 2024 at 12:50 pm
Citizens should be grateful their neighbors are willing to give up their precious time to help keep them safer. I support Police but they have been reduced to report writers. The Police vehicle these days should say “report writer” instead of “serve and protect”.
Herb
June 24, 2024 at 2:53 pm
Since the legal system is failing to control crime someone has to step up and do the job. An unarmed patrol would just be a target of criminals.
DAVID
June 25, 2024 at 7:13 pm
When government doesn’t do its duty the citizenry should do their duty. BUT AT THE SAME TIME VOTE THE JERKS OUT THAT DON’T DO THEIR DUTY