Posted on 03/10/2005 3:43:04 PM PST by Willie Green
HARRISBURG -- Way back in 1872, a deputy sheriff from Philadelphia traveled all the way to the northwest corner of Pennsylvania to bring back a suspect.
But instead, the suspect killed the sheriff, and the killer was then captured and hanged by a private group of "volunteers" who called themselves the State Police of Crawford and Erie Counties. The vigilantes then carried the bodies of both dead men back to Philadelphia.
"The group was also created to round up horse thieves," apparently a serious problem at the time, Col. Jeffrey Miller, commander of the Pennsylvania State Police, told a state Senate committee yesterday.
The Crawford/Erie group was even officially sanctioned and empowered by a state law in 1872. The law -- now under attack by the state police union -- allows the private group to wear uniforms with insignia reading "state police," to carry weapons, to have a marked police vehicle, to detain suspects and make arrests.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
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I noticed that this has not really been a problem over the years. Nobody, evidently, was aware of this law and or they didn't want to be associated with a group that might be confused with the State Police.
Seems that the State police are being alarmist, almost slanderous about guys who are just trying to help.
This law needs to be repealed. Any day now, someone is going to be pulled over by someone claiming to be a member of the "State Police" and then robbed or beaten or worse. Isn't impersonating a police officer a crime in just about every state?
As a native of Crawford County, Pennsylvania I must say I had some pretty good ancestors. They settled the area way back when it was the western frontier.
I wonder if there's a labor union behind this story suddenly appearing on he radar?
Isn't impersonating a police officer a crime in just about every state?
“The Crawford/Erie group was even officially sanctioned and empowered by a state law in 1872. The law -- now under attack by the state police union -- allows the private group to wear uniforms with insignia reading "state police," to carry weapons, to have a marked police vehicle, to detain suspects and make arrests.”
"Here piggy piggy piggy, the union bosses have some candy for you..."
If they authorized to wear such insignia and such, they aren't impersonating anyone. They aren't vigilantes either, they are are legally constituted posse, or a subset of the state's militia, or both, depending on the particular situation at hand. Actually they are more like the militia, in that a posse is usually an ad hoc group formed for a single mission. Although in some places the reserve force for the sheriff are called a "posse".
NEVER SAY TO A COP
1. I can't reach my license unless you hold my beer. (OK in Texas)
2. Sorry, Officer, I didn't realize my radar detector wasn't plugged in.
3.Aren't you the guy from the Village People?
4. Hey, you must've been doin' about 125 mph to keep up with me. Good job!
5. Are You Andy or Barney?
6. I thought you had to be in relatively good physical condition to be a police officer.
7. You're not gonna check the trunk, are you?
8. I pay your salary!
9. Gee, Officer! That's terrific. The last officer only gave me a warning, too!
10. Do you know why you pulled me over? Okay, just so one of us does.
11. I was trying to keep up with traffic. Yes, I know there are no other
cars around. That's how far ahead of me they are.
12. When the Officer says "Gee Son....Your eyes look red, have you been
drinking?" You probably shouldn't respond with,"Gee Officer your eyeslook glazed, have you been eating doughnuts?"
bet all their "concerns" would go away if the "State Police" paid union dues...
No kidding! That's the job of the 'real' police...
So nobody outside the 2-county area knew these guys existed? Somebody has a lot of back pay coming. :o)
And who the heck is Logan? (last line of article)
People can do that regardless - this law makes no difference.
I have said it before I will repeat it , Nothing frightens a police officer like Civilians who have to do their job because they either cant or wont.
You can drive your girlfriend off a bridge and leave her there to drown, but if you pull down a child molester and beat the crap out of him you will probably serve time.
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