When Strangers Show Up

deere755 · Jun 10, 2006

When you are talking about an ambulance that is a different story. Our county has 7 of them spread out through the county. An ambulance or a fire truck is a lot easier to get here then a deputy. I don't like the idea that it can take so long and I wish that it was different. I am just saying it is not uncommon for it to take that long in the country.

deere755 · Jun 10, 2006

When you are talking about an ambulance that is a different story. Our county has 7 of them spread out through the county. An ambulance or a fire truck is a lot easier to get here then a deputy. I don't like the idea that it can take so long and I wish that it was different. I am just saying it is not uncommon for it to take that long in the country.

midlf · Jun 10, 2006

Interesting thoughts on response and protection. Where we live we are covered by the county Sheriff. Good people but a longer than desirable response time is very likely for all the reasons given. We are two miles from the village and are included in the fire and ems district. In thinking about it, if I need fast response, maybe I should call 911 and tell them I have a fire and also chest pains. Nothing like a full response run to scare someone off.

I would like to pursue the self protection arena but the spouse is dead set against it. Her dad was a big proponent of firearms for self defense. Unfortunately he was also a short fused hot head with a drinking problem. There were several incidents in her childhood that have caused her to distance herself from any involvement with or proximity to firearms.

midlf · Jun 10, 2006

Interesting thoughts on response and protection. Where we live we are covered by the county Sheriff. Good people but a longer than desirable response time is very likely for all the reasons given. We are two miles from the village and are included in the fire and ems district. In thinking about it, if I need fast response, maybe I should call 911 and tell them I have a fire and also chest pains. Nothing like a full response run to scare someone off.

I would like to pursue the self protection arena but the spouse is dead set against it. Her dad was a big proponent of firearms for self defense. Unfortunately he was also a short fused hot head with a drinking problem. There were several incidents in her childhood that have caused her to distance herself from any involvement with or proximity to firearms.

JD3520 · Jun 10, 2006

"Don't bet your life on 911. The police are NOT there to protect you. They'll be there in time to take a report."

Stanley, thanks for the defense and, yes, I am insulted by his statement!!!

Our average response time is 12-13 minutes in my county. That's quicker than many large cities. I consider it my responsibility to protect the citizens of my county. It takes a certain type of person to make such an idiotic statement as he did.

If we wern't busy answering false alarms (approx 99% of all alarms are false alarms) or
explaining to Jane Doe that it is not a criminal offense that her ex-husband is 15 minutes late bringing little johnny home from visitation or
telling a neighbor his dog is barking and making his neighbors mad at 5:00 in the afternoon or
taking the drunk to jail that just hit his wife hard enough to put her in the hospital or
putting up some cows, before they cause an accident, because an owner is too cheap to build a decent fence or
removing a chicken snake out of a house for a 240# man who is standing on a chair and too afraid to do it himself or
responding to suspicious vehicles that simply drove by someone's residence and they do not remember seeing it before or ...
well most everyone else will get the message except him.

Stanley, I find that most people with his attitude have had a run-in with law enforcement anyway so he was probably, at one time or another, the CAUSE of a response delay by the police.

To Curt, I am very glad your kids are o.k. and sorry for the long response time. I would call your policing agency and find out what happened. If 45 minutes is the norm it may be time to let your county commissioners or city fathers know you need more officers/deputies on the street. If the citizens don't let them know they may think response times are o.k..

I'm glad everything turned out good.

JD3520 · Jun 10, 2006

"Don't bet your life on 911. The police are NOT there to protect you. They'll be there in time to take a report."

Stanley, thanks for the defense and, yes, I am insulted by his statement!!!

Our average response time is 12-13 minutes in my county. That's quicker than many large cities. I consider it my responsibility to protect the citizens of my county. It takes a certain type of person to make such an idiotic statement as he did.

If we wern't busy answering false alarms (approx 99% of all alarms are false alarms) or
explaining to Jane Doe that it is not a criminal offense that her ex-husband is 15 minutes late bringing little johnny home from visitation or
telling a neighbor his dog is barking and making his neighbors mad at 5:00 in the afternoon or
taking the drunk to jail that just hit his wife hard enough to put her in the hospital or
putting up some cows, before they cause an accident, because an owner is too cheap to build a decent fence or
removing a chicken snake out of a house for a 240# man who is standing on a chair and too afraid to do it himself or
responding to suspicious vehicles that simply drove by someone's residence and they do not remember seeing it before or ...
well most everyone else will get the message except him.

Stanley, I find that most people with his attitude have had a run-in with law enforcement anyway so he was probably, at one time or another, the CAUSE of a response delay by the police.

To Curt, I am very glad your kids are o.k. and sorry for the long response time. I would call your policing agency and find out what happened. If 45 minutes is the norm it may be time to let your county commissioners or city fathers know you need more officers/deputies on the street. If the citizens don't let them know they may think response times are o.k..

I'm glad everything turned out good.

LMTC · Jun 10, 2006

( The police are NOT there to protect you. They'll be there in time to take a report."

Stanley, thanks for the defense and, yes, I am insulted by his statement!!! )

You can be insulted as little or as much as you want, but the FACT remains that the US Supreme Court has ruled, in numerous cases, that the citizenry does NOT have a constitutional right to police protection. Now while I will agree that the vast majority of LEOs would do their utmost to protect most citizens, the FACT remains that there is no legal mandate that requires such. Add to that the logistics of rural areas and very busy metros, and there are bound to be times when you are in deep muck if you are not prepared to protect yourself.
Read HERE

Bottom line--I have been burglarized three times, robbed at gunpoint one time, threatened at gunpoint one other time, and in NONE of those instances was there a police officer present to protect me. I am not at all criticizing police for this, just making the obvious point that if police were able to protect us all all of the time there would be no crime. And if the police are required to protect us, then they are not suceeding at their job a tremendous amount of the time.

Let's keep this all in perspective. Fact is most police work is follow up....some is deterrence. All necessary, and without it there would be even more crime. And occasionally a police officer will go to great lengths, even sacrificing his or her life, to protect someone. But they just can't be there all the time.

LMTC · Jun 10, 2006

( The police are NOT there to protect you. They'll be there in time to take a report."

Stanley, thanks for the defense and, yes, I am insulted by his statement!!! )

You can be insulted as little or as much as you want, but the FACT remains that the US Supreme Court has ruled, in numerous cases, that the citizenry does NOT have a constitutional right to police protection. Now while I will agree that the vast majority of LEOs would do their utmost to protect most citizens, the FACT remains that there is no legal mandate that requires such. Add to that the logistics of rural areas and very busy metros, and there are bound to be times when you are in deep muck if you are not prepared to protect yourself.
Read HERE

Bottom line--I have been burglarized three times, robbed at gunpoint one time, threatened at gunpoint one other time, and in NONE of those instances was there a police officer present to protect me. I am not at all criticizing police for this, just making the obvious point that if police were able to protect us all all of the time there would be no crime. And if the police are required to protect us, then they are not suceeding at their job a tremendous amount of the time.

Let's keep this all in perspective. Fact is most police work is follow up....some is deterrence. All necessary, and without it there would be even more crime. And occasionally a police officer will go to great lengths, even sacrificing his or her life, to protect someone. But they just can't be there all the time.

Freds · Jun 10, 2006

( When you are talking about an ambulance that is a different story )

I would hope so, but for police or ambulance you still dial 911. I would hope a cop patroling could make it here more quickly than a volunteer driving to the fire dept., waiting for the crew and then driving to me, but you never know....

Freds · Jun 10, 2006

( When you are talking about an ambulance that is a different story )

I would hope so, but for police or ambulance you still dial 911. I would hope a cop patroling could make it here more quickly than a volunteer driving to the fire dept., waiting for the crew and then driving to me, but you never know....