St. Louis City Leader Says Police Ineffective,...

[CainA]

...Tells Residents to Get Armed

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,460725,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis city leader frustrated with the police response to rising crime called Tuesday on residents to arm themselves to protect their lives and property.

Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe said police are ineffective, outnumbered or don't care about the increase in crime in his north St. Louis ward. St. Louis has had 157 homicides in 2008, 33 more than last year at this time.

"The community has to be ready to defend itself, because it's clear the economy is going to get worse, and criminals are getting more bold," Troupe, 72, said Tuesday.

Troupe said that when he and residents approached a district police commander last year, they were told "there was nothing he could do to protect us and the community ... that he didn't have the manpower."

Police did not immediately return requests for comment. Chief Dan Isom told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he understands Troupe's frustration but doesn't support citizens arming themselves.

Carrying guns, he said, is not a "recipe for a less violent community."




Ok, this makes sense. The police say that they can't protect its citizens, but they(police) don't want the citizens to protect themselves(with guns). Hmmmm.

-Cain

[TDDude]

There's a good chance it's a misquote considering it's a newespaper story.

Regardless, we can assume there is a modicum of a bit of truth. One such nugget, albeit a sad one is that it takes a 72 year old man to have the guts to state the obvious.

I guess St. Louis has become a city of sheep if they allow this type of lifestyle for themselves.

I believe I'll stay in Houston.

[seamusTX]

Where do Bill White and Harold Hurtt stand on armed citizen self defense?

- Jim

[G.C.Montgomery]

Where do Bill White and Harold Hurtt stand on armed citizen self defense?

- Jim

Bill White, I believe, is part of the Bloomberg pack of anti-gun Mayors. Hurtt's policies generally move in lock-step with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. So, I'm not sure one should have to ask where either one stands. And given how he pushed for Tazers rather than officer training in the wake of A.J. Charbonneau's negligent shooting of a non-compliance subject; I'd be willing to bet that if Hurtt could, he'd completely disarm his officers.

SCOTUS has ruled the police have no duty to protect citizens. There is case law supporting civil immunity for local and state the government failing to protect citizens as well. It's a shame that in the face of these facts, most politicians in this country continue to perpetuate the idea that people are better off calling 911. 911 cannot help you unless you have the time to wait for their response. It's a great service for fire and EMS. But if there is a clear and present danger of imminent harm, you only have the rest of your life to solve the problem.

[seamusTX]

It was a rhetorical question.

There probably isn't much difference in the politics of Houston and St. Louis.

- Jim

[G.C.Montgomery]

It was a rhetorical question.

There probably isn't much difference in the politics of Houston and St. Louis.

- Jim

I figured you knew better...I'm suffering through what I think is the flu so I'm not exactly coherent right now. On top of that, I managed to earn my first salary bonus ever this year. I was ridin' on cloud 9 until two painful realities slapped me in the face...Marriage and Taxes! Uncle Sam took 30% and the wife took the rest!

[Purplehood]

[Charles L. Cotton]

Houston Mayor Bill White is most definitely part of the Bloomberg pack. When two other Mayors in Texas dropped out after learning Bloomberg was an anti-gun fraud, he chose to stay in. That speaks volumes. He also turned a deaf ear to the "scarlet letter" (Visitor Badge) issue that was raised shortly after he took office.

He is grooming himself for Governor or U.S. Senator and we need to make sure he gets to wear neither hat. Unfortunately, many people in Houston feel he has been a pretty good Mayor. That's not a difficult rating to achieve however, when compared to the train wrecks we've had in the Mayor's Office for decades.

Chas.

[seamusTX]

... two painful realities slapped me in the face...Marriage and Taxes!

Tell me about it. The term "marginal tax rate" hits home when you get a bonus. Congratulations anyway.

The better half's priorities are a given. You just have to hope that she spends the take-home amount and not the gross amount.

- Jim

[The Annoyed Man]

Here is a picture of Alderman Troupe in his district, talking to some of his constituents. It looks like a place where being well armed is a good idea. He's right on this one.



Chief of Police is a politicized position. There's just no way around that, no matter the city you're in. St. Louis is a predominantly Democrat party city, and that party is predominantly about disarming citizens. Even if the chief were himself pro-gun, he's saying what he says because he likes his job and wants to keep it.

[TDDude]

Where do Bill White and Harold Hurtt stand on armed citizen self defense?

- Jim

Since I don't live in Houston but only work there, I hadn't taken Bill & Harrold's gun stance much to heart. I do know that they don't talk up their anti-gun stance much like other mayors that I've heard.

It is correct that after Mayor Brown, Charlie Brown could have looked good running Houston so it's no surprise that Bill White's approval ratings have always looked good. Also, voting within the actual city limits of Houston is typically democrat so there's not much chance of Houston ever getting a conservative mayor during my lifetime. If the city limits would actually encompass the entire urban area of Houston, I would suspect that the democrat run city government of Houston would be gone by the next election.

[stroo]

I used to live just west of St. Louis. That part of St. Louis is not a place I would want to go even armed. BTW St. Louis is as anti-gun as Houston probably more so.

[seamusTX]

It ain't just the City of Houston. The recently departed Mr. Rosenthal was opposed to every form of non-LEO carry, and the sheriff's department and other LEOs went along with him.

- Jim

[da Packer backer]

It’s refreshing to see a city leader with some common sense. BTW, I'm in STL this week (traveling for work) and seen the coolest high speed car chase in downtown STL last night. I was walking back to my hotel from a restaurant and saw about 5 or 6 police cars hauling butt down Olive St and by the time I was near my hotel I saw the thug driving back on Olive St the wrong way (It's a one way street). The thug then attempted to double back on the PD and hit a curb during the process which made his car inoperable. Within 5 or 6 seconds ten police cars coming from all different directions completely surrounded the thug with guns drawn. I jumped inside of the hotel so I didn't get caught in any crossfire. It's to bad that the TV show "Cops" didn't have their camera crew traveling with the STL PD.

[seamusTX]

Welcome to the forum.

- Jim