Local Government Encourages Citizen To Arm Themselves

[D.B. Cooper]

This on the heels of my previous thread. One of the local governments, in response to citizens' claims of inadequate policing and high crime, just passed a resolution encouraging every eligible citizen to "maintain a firearm together with ammunition" to deter crime. (I mean, unless you're a teacher in a public school, then, you know...don't.)

The back story is the borough (county) is about the size of Arkansas and the local government provides absolutely no law enforcement at all. (Two of the cities within that borough have a local PD.) They instead rely on the AK State Troopers, who are in the midst of a staffing shortage to the point there may only be five troopers on duty for the entire jurisdiction. Subsequently, the local government, rather than creating a sheriff's department (which has been discussed and opposed by tax payers) is now encouraging everyone to carry a gun and get training as a sort of jurisdiction-wide deterrent to crime.

One of the local legislators wants to create a Reserve Trooper or Voluntary Police officer program. (Which we touched on in my recent discussion of arming teachers in AK as some sort of voluntary teacher-cop combined position.) Things are definitely getting weird. I've heard of a town in GA that requires, by law, every home to be armed, but I always felt that was some sort of urban legend. This might be the first I've ever heard of government encouraging gun ownership in any sort of official statment/capacity.

Link to the article: https://alaskapublic.org/2024/01/18...residents-to-arm-themselves-amid-crime-fears/

The original text of the resolution (The original text is tldr) is linked in the article)

 

[Basura Blanca]

How much violent crime would one reasonably need to deter in a 25k sq mile area with a population of barely 100k people?
That's my take-away from the story. (Full disclosure: never been to Alaska although it's on my bucket list)

 

[Ignition Override]

My naiive first impression was that Chicago, Portland and Seattle had finally “seen the light”

 

[JeffG]

Why wouldn't rational adults be prepared to defend against violent crime with a firearm, anyway? Sorry for the obviously stupid rhetorical question. I don't need a government to tell me something so obvious, but that's just me.

 

[Jim Watson]

Things are definitely getting weird. I've heard of a town in GA that requires, by law, every home to be armed, but I always felt that was some sort of urban legend.

No legend, Kennesaw, Georgia. Not a large town, and you can opt out if you are a conscientious objector or such, but it is real.
Jeff Cooper said the way to prevent crime was to arm the good guys… ALL of them.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

How much violent crime would one reasonably need to deter in a 25k sq mile area with a population of barely 100k people?
That's my take-away from the story. (Full disclosure: never been to Alaska although it's on my bucket list)

Detroit violent crime rate per capita is 20.59. Mat-Su borough is 23.9. That whole area has a lot of property crime, A LOT of drug problems, etc.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

My first impression was that Chicago, Portland and Seattle had finally “seen the light”

Sorry to disappoint. Also: wishful thinking.

 

[wayneinFL]

They're encouraging firearms ownership by saying they encourage firearms ownership. It's all talk, no action, and expected from politicians.

Off topic, but linked in the article in the OP- it sounds like it was already working. A woman with a 44 mag against a burglar with a knife.

Wasilla woman kills home invader who stabbed husband, troopers say

Troopers say Justice Beaudoin-Martinez, 22, was burglarizing a home when the residents returned Sunday, leading to a fight in which he was shot.

alaskapublic.org

 

[caribou]

I live in a policeless community.
The State of Alaska has the VPSO or Village Public Safety Officer, uniformed but unarmed. Our were defunded in the 90's. When the State could afford them, they came back with the high price of oil,and defunded again as our states oil economy idles.
The Alaska state troopers are 45 minutes out if they are breaking records, but its almost universal to not call them.
Sometimes theres a 'fire watch/Village Patrol Officer' who will tell kids its curfue, and help when called to various tasks. Since Covid, that ended.

Were 500% armed and yet very few shootings, and 99% of those are self inflicted.
Were 650 people total.
We use the "swamp the MF" tactic of 20 or 30 people going into a violent situation/disturbance and swamping it. The same guys are also the VFD, the SnR the grave diggers/coffin makers, and the Noorvik Militia. The competent among us lead the various activitys, an expert in one feild is a worker in another.
Major felonys are delt with untill the AST actually arrives and we have a holding cell for them.
The city hires someone to sit at the desk and watch the guy in the cell. Thats the only paid guy.

 

[22250Rem]

Reminds me of the old saying that "when seconds count, the police are only minutes away". Except in some areas the police may be hours away; which reinforces the need to have a means of self defense, if need be.

 

[AlexanderA]

I've heard of a town in GA that requires, by law, every home to be armed, but I always felt that was some sort of urban legend.

No legend, Kennesaw, Georgia. Not a large town, and you can opt out if you are a conscientious objector or such, but it is real.

The difference is that Kennesaw, Georgia, was just trying to make a statement (a pro-gun ordinance to balance all the antigun local ordinances), whereas the Alaska jurisdiction is trying to solve a very real problem (the lack of local police).

 

[Jim Watson]

True, but Kennesaw reported low crime rates after their statement.

 

[jmr40]

Kennesaw was a small town when the law was enacted in 1982. No longer a small town, I live about 30 minutes north of there. It made no difference in crime either way. It was never intended to be enforced with no penalties for non-compliance. There was little crime before and little today. But it sent a strong message when enacted. Which was in response to a total gun ban in Morton Grove Ill.

Mandatory Gun Ownership in Kennesaw, Georgia

While Kennesaw, Georgia, passed a law making gun ownership compulsory in 1982, the law was never enforced and didn't cause crime rates to plummet.

www.snopes.com

 

[CDW4ME]

Good. Carry all the time then you don't have to wish ya did.

 

[Basura Blanca]

They're encouraging firearms ownership by saying they encourage firearms ownership. It's all talk, no action, and expected from politicians.

True, but that's the nature of all nonbinding resolutions. The reason I asked about crime deterrence is because it's not specifically mentioned in the text of the resolution itself. I suppose an imaginary defendant in an imaginary prosecution could as a means of justifying a defensive shooting, point to the resolution and say that the state outright encouraged everyone to be their own police force.

 

[W.E.G.]

You know its serious when the locals form a backhoe club

 

[PistoleroWadcutterGANG]

Just saying, "He was on my lawn."

 

[D.B. Cooper]

True, but that's the nature of all nonbinding resolutions. The reason I asked about crime deterrence is because it's not specifically mentioned in the text of the resolution itself.

Perhaps not directly and/or explicitly, but they sure do allude to it.

"WHEREAS, proper and responsible ownership and maintenance of firearms can contribute to personal safety and security; and
WHEREAS, proper and responsible ownership and maintenance of firearms can contribute to the safety, security, and general welfare of the community"

(emphasis added)

I suppose an imaginary defendant in an imaginary prosecution could as a means of justifying a defensive shooting, point to the resolution and say that the state outright encouraged everyone to be their own police force.

I never would have thought of that. I doubt it would hold much water in a courtroom, but it's another way of viewing the resolution.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

You know its serious when the locals form a backhoe club

Just saying, "He was on my lawn."

So...I'm just going to throw this out there for the sake of discussion...

The self defense laws in Alaska are incredibly weak and, by and large, stacked against the armed defender. AK may be a "stand your ground" state, but it's pretty weak.

 

[nettlle]

I would think local government would be the first to through me under the bus.

 

[caribou]

Alaska has such a small population that nearly every crime is a % point. Alaska's total population is way less than 1 Million people.

We might still be the state withe "The highest crime rate" although thats a bit skewed.

 

[jmorris]

Alaska's total population is way less than 1 Million people.

You beat DC, Vermont and Wyoming.

Place Rankings - Data Commons

datacommons.org

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Alaska has such a small population that nearly every crime is a % point. Alaska's total population is way less than 1 Million people.

We might still be the state withe "The highest crime rate" although thats a bit skewed.

Statistics can be skewed to tell any story you want them to tell. I'd feel a lot safer in Mat-Su valley than Detroit. Which is ironic that the government is advising everyone to be armed.

 

[jmorris]

Stories are told from different points of view, being armed simply gives one more options to defend themselves than if they only had their hands. Can be a game changer in ones ability to smite an opponent.

The .gov folks have armed folks protecting them, not much more you need to understand about the importance of the matter. After that it's an implementation issue.

The only thing shocking is their admission to not being able to do their job, protecting the people that elected them. Still beats them telling you everything is great and couldn't be better but some feel better when they are lied to...

 

[bearcreek]

The only thing shocking is their admission to not being able to do their job, protecting the people that elected them. Still beats them telling you everything is great and couldn't be better but some feel better when they are lied to...

I view that a little differently I guess. Once an organization establishes the precedent that it's going to "protect" people, all kinds of other negatives start to pop up along with that "positive". IMO, it's not necessarily a failure for a government to say that it wants people to protect themselves. That's moving towards the ideal.