Tucker Good/Unsplash Photo

In Hartford, Connecticut, a unique initiative has been launched by a group of residents associated with the Self-Defense Brigade and Walk In The Light Church of God, who have started conducting armed neighborhood patrols, Fox 61 reports. Their mission began on a Saturday with a dual agenda: educating participants about Connecticut’s gun laws and engaging in a community cleanup effort labeled as a “clean the street” event. During this inaugural patrol, more than two dozen volunteers took to Garden Street, not only to collect trash but also to symbolically cleanse the neighborhood of crime, especially in Hartford’s troubled North End.

The decision to form such patrols was motivated by the area’s ongoing violence, highlighted by a recent double homicide near the church. Archbishop Dexter Burke expressed his desire for positive change in the face of these challenges. The group has committed to patrolling the streets surrounding the church at least three times a week, primarily during the evening hours, in an effort to provide a sense of security and community solidarity.

“Two individuals got killed there, and we just decided it’s too close to the church. Enough is enough. We can’t allow it no more. that was the tipping point,” Burke told Fox 61.

This initiative has received mixed reactions from the local community. Some residents, like Berline Francois, who grew up in the area, welcome the involvement of community members in crime prevention efforts, emphasizing the importance of collective action over sole reliance on police intervention.

However, the approach of conducting armed patrols by non-law enforcement individuals has drawn criticism from the usual organizations, such as Mothers United Against Violence, and typical city officials, including Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam. The mayor expressed concerns about introducing more guns into the community, emphasizing the need for healing and collaboration rather than potentially escalating tensions with armed patrols. He highlighted the community’s fatigue with external groups bringing firearms into their neighborhoods and stressed the importance of unity and healing in addressing the city’s trauma.

“We are a community that face such trauma that is trying to work together to heal, and we need all of our leaders everybody who really cares about the city to come together and try to heal as a community, not to inflict more violence not to bring more weapons into this community,” Arulampalam told the news station.

Cornell Lewis, the founder of the Self-Defense Brigade, clarified their stance in response to criticisms, stating that their group does not operate as vigilantes. He underscored their commitment to organized, disciplined and legal security measures, including training in hand-to-hand combat, to ensure the safety and well-being of the neighborhood in a structured and lawful manner.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

66 COMMENTS

  1. The” powers that be” are afraid that these patrols will have positive results and show them up. Never show guns in a positive light is their mantra.

  2. Without googling I’m pretty sure this is a black church. Good for them & their flock!

  3. Of course the mayor is against it. If they have a net positive effect, it shows how little effort it really took to fight back against the crime the mayor has done nothing about. Prayer is a wonderful motivator, however prayer doesn’t stop crime. I’m all for bringing the whole community together and these patrols will, at least three days a week, make the streets a safer place to walk. Politicians never want to discuss the massive numbers of crimes prevented by armed citizens because they get no credit in those actions.

  4. Although the sadistic and murderous Far Right lust to gun people down in a hail of bullets, blood and carnage in reality armed patrols are pure insantity.

    Armed patrols are not trained in police work. They know nothing of the laws and nothing about de-escalation in a hostile encounter which leads to gun fire and needless deaths. Racism will also play into the armed patrols as well.

    Not to long ago a vigilante armed patrol gunned down a Black Man just for jogging through their neighborhood. The 3 White Racists all went to prison for years because of it. The female white prosecutor was fired because she tried to cover up the murder.

    • He’s sorry he might have offended the murderer, but he isn’t sorry that he allowed the murder to happen.

      • It is not Joe Biden’s fault the murderer was not deported, it was a Donald Trump executive order that let him stay in the country illegally.

        Of course, you won’t hear about that on Fox or OAN.

        “Trump blocks Venezuelans’ deportation in last political gift
        BY SCOTT SMITH AND JOSHUA GOODMAN
        Updated 10:58 PM EDT, January 19, 2021
        Share
        CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — With the clock winding down on his term, U.S. President Donald Trump shielded tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants from deportation Tuesday night, rewarding Venezuelan exiles who have been among his most loyal supporters and who fear losing the same privileged access to the White House during the Biden administration.

        Trump signed an executive order deferring for 18 months the removal of more than 145,000 Venezuelans who were at risk of being sent back to their crisis-wracked homeland. He cited the “deteriorative condition” within Venezuela that constitutes a national security threat as the basis for his decision.”

        Aren’t the actual facts just so fascinating…

        • And you won’t hear about how biden corrected any of that and only made it worse. Wide open borders are so easy to fix. Could have done that in his first week.

        • Joe can’t fix all of Donald Trump screw ups, there are just so many it’s impossible to keep track of Donald Trump’s mistakes.

          But face the facts, the only reason the Venezuelan murderer was still in the country is because Donald Trump issued an executive order blocking his deportation three years ago.

          “U.S. President Donald Trump shielded tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants from deportation”

          “A 26-year-old Venezuelan who had entered the U.S. illegally[5] was arrested by UGA police and has been charged with felony murder, false imprisonment, and kidnapping”

          Laken’s blood is on Donald Trump’s hands.

        • Wide open borders. And it’s all Trumps fault? 3years after the puppet took office and its all Trumps fault?

          I’ve said it before, miner, you’ve become a sad parody of yourself.

  7. This reminds me of the Guardian Angels that started in the 1970s. But they were unarmed. And even they made some people nervous.

    In the later 80s and early 90s, you had citizens. Black and white, began patrolling their neighborhoods. Some with guns. And of course the usual suspects didn’t like it.

    The libertarians liberals and the Left all said.
    You should not be using deadly force to protect private property. They said only the government should be allowed to use force to protect only government property.

    Of course, the original Neighborhood street patrols go back to the 1950s. With the Deacons for Self-Defense and Justice. And In their time. They found it necessary to actually shoot people.

    They had several gun battles involving neighborhood invaders. Known as the Klue Klux Klan.

    And back then, the police did not intervene.

    • I’m a libertarian, and feel that everyone *should* be able to defend their property with arms. Period, no quibbling.

      • to Dave O
        Most libertarians don’t think like you. The Libertarian Party doesn’t think like you.

        Libertarians believe that stealing is a non violent crime. And they believe it should not be an arrestable offense.

    • “This reminds me of the Guardian Angels that started in the 1970s“

      They are still around, and assaulting innocent people, with play-by-play commentary being provided by Sean Hannity on Fox E:

      “New York vigilantes take down ‘migrant’ on live TV – but he was from the US
      Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa claimed to Fox News’ Sean Hannity that man had been shoplifting, but NYPD has no evidence
      Guardian staff and agencies
      Wed 7 Feb 2024 22.29 EST

      As Sean Hannity was interviewing the founder of the Guardian Angels, a New York City-based vigilante group known for targeting immigrants, an off-screen disturbance took place and the camera panned to show group members confronting an unidentified man, pushing him to the sidewalk and placing him in a headlock.
      The bizarre incident played out Tuesday night during the primetime segment on Fox News meant to highlight alleged disorder and crime Hannity claimed was caused by asylum seekers arriving in New York City.
      Curtis Sliwa, the Guardian Angels founder, proclaimed: “In fact, our guys have just taken down one of the migrant guys on the corner of 42nd and Seventh where all of this has taken place.” Throwing his hands in the air, he added: “They’ve taken over!”

      The man is not a “migrant” but rather a New Yorker from the Bronx, police said on Wednesday afternoon. Though Sliwa claimed the man had been caught shoplifting, police provided no evidence to support the allegation.
      While the disturbing altercation played out on national television, Hannity blasted Democrats “for the surge of Joe Biden’s unvetted illegals in New York. And that could be because the so-called border czar is a little distracted right now,” alluding to the vice-president, Kamala Harris.“

      This is a perfect example of the problem of private citizens conducting ‘security operations’.

  8. I wish them luck. I’m going to hazard a guess that Hartford has street gangs. They may fight to keep the streets. These people better be ready for it. The mayor doesn’t like the idea because the government wants control of everything in a citizen’s life and these people are taking control of more of their life. Remember, gun control is not about guns. It’s about control.

    • AQ, LE can do it if they were unfettered by the politicians. We have two federally subsided apartment complexes feet outside of the town limits of municipality in my county. So, the S.O. They were ruled by the Hillside Boys. You knew you were talking to one because they had it tattooed on the inside of their forearms. Long sleeves? No worries. The top two of front teeth were gold. Only those two. No grills. I kept as much pressure on them as possible, but I only worked 12 hours a day and had other calls to answer. They were 24/7. Then the management company decided to hire off duty deputies for security. Two per shift. It fell to me to supervise it. Now we there on a regular basis and didn’t leave for calls. Although, they tried false 911 calls. Zone deputy responded; we stayed there unless he called for backup and would then return. I told a couple of them once we were taking back the Hill and my gang included every deputy, state trooper and city officer in the county. Remember the politicians? A couple of months later the mayor came to speak to me. He complained that the Hillside Boys had moved operations into his town and he was going to talk to the Sheriff. Something about all the overtime he was paying us. Should have seen his face when I told him it wasn’t costing the county a dime. Take it up with your chief. I’ll be happy to help. It wasn’t long before the Hillside Boys were an unpleasant memory. Dead, prison, etc. I ran into one a couple of years later. Fresh out of DOC. I said, “I told you we were taking back the Hill.” He said, “Yeah, and you damn sure did!” And walked away. I didn’t do this by myself. It was the guys that worked that detail with me that really did it. Of course, there was a pretty good gun fight between LE and them before it was all said and done. War story for another time.

  10. This reminds me of the US Army Rangers. Who had a real live fire fight. In I think Tacoma Washington. And of course their marksmanship was outstanding. They missed on purpose.

    The drug gangsters who had invaded their neighborhood. Could feel and hear the bullets whiz past their heads.

    The Athens TN revolt comes to mind as well. In that example they used explosives as well as guns.

    The 2A is about “ARMS”. Not just about guns.

    • Chris that would have been 2 Bn. I vaguely remember hearing about that incident, but it was long after my time. Besides, I spent the better part of four years in SE Georgia, so I wouldn’t have known them anyway. Sounds like 2nd Bat to miss and say it was intentional. lol

  11. A big shout out to the people in Texas. Who started the “banana in my empty holster” campaign.
    They help to normalize the open carry a firearms nationally.

    Or in other words they made it okay for white people to do it too.
    big(smile)

  12. Fine.

    However, how about
    1. No sex till you’re married.
    2. Don’t get married until you finish school and can support yourselves without welfare.
    3. Discipline your children and teach them not to shoot each other, and to follow 1. and 2. above.

    This would do more than bailing out a boat with a hole in it.

    • I totally agree. Now if you can just get the libertarians liberals and the left to agree with the christians. When the christians said it’s best, to have abstinence before marriage.

    • Wray Epps,

      That is a fine (and effective) solution. Alas the masses will reject that solution because they mistakenly think that it denies them pleasure and happiness.

    • No sex until marriage.
      So, giverment and church is involved with love?
      A piece of paper or a churches blessing does not create marriage, the heart does.

    • “No sex till you’re married“

      So the government forcing their way into my bedroom is the smaller government you folks keep talking about?

      Or will you be using your private vigilante group to enforce your religious prohibitions?

      Thanks for clearly revealing the conservative religious fascism you folks have planned for America.

      • As opposed to the woke, politically correct form of fascism you back.

        Fascism is fascism. In your zeal to stamp out what little human and civil rights we have left you are simply bringing on the fascism.

      • Miner49er
        You love the government in the bedroom. You and The Libertarians Liberals and the Left. You all love replacing the father with a government welfare check.

  13. “The mayor expressed concerns about introducing more guns into the community, emphasizing the need for healing and collaboration rather than potentially escalating tensions with armed patrols.

    ‘We are a community that face such trauma that is trying to work together to heal, and we need all of our leaders everybody who really cares about the city to come together and try to heal as a community, not to inflict more violence not to bring more weapons into this community.‘” — Hartford, Connecticut Mayor Arulampalam

    Oh, I see. So when a rapist is viciously tearing the clothes off of a woman in order to rape her, that woman is supposed to try to, “come together and try to heal as a community,” with her rapist, NOT respond with violent force to her rapist. Got it.

    The Mayor of Hartford, Connecticut is sick in the head–as are all others who promote similar sentiments.

    • The Jewish community of New York City had engaged in this sort of program well before the 2000s in Crown Heights.
      The first of these organizations had a name straight out of the old testament, but they disbanded over 50 years ago:

      “Satisfied with police protection in their neighborhood and hopeful of presenting a less chaotic image of Crown Heights, the Maccabees, one of the best known of the city’s civilian patrol forces, have disbanded.

      The group, which was founded by a Hasidic rabbi in 1964 to fight a then rising crime wave in Crown Heights, boasted at its peak a membership of 500 men, most of them young and most of them Jews.”

      https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/31/archives/job-done-maccabees-of-brooklyn-break-up.html

  15. Basically; These are concealed permit holders and they have been carrying concealed in the ‘community’ already. But now they group together, go out and pick up trash in the neighbor hood (not the criminal type – actual garbage type trash) still carrying concealed and call it a ‘patrol’. Suddenly its a big deal ?

    https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/armed-citizen-patrols-start-in-hartford-amid-violence-concerns/3238606/#:~:text=launched%20in%20Hartford.-,A%20new%20controversial%20armed%20citizen%20patrol%20has%20launched%20in%20Hartford,raising%20concerns%20about%20the%20effort.

    “It was important to come out here because we believe that we have to keep the community safe, keep the community clean. And we’re doing this by being out here for a few hours, clean up the community, pick up the trash,’ said Marcus Long, of Hartford.

    …

    ‘We are legally armed and we are patrolling,’ said Cornell Lewis, the founder of the Self-Defense Brigade. ‘The people on Garden Street came to us and asked us for help.’

    While there did not appear to be open carry – which is banned in Connecticut – organizers previously told us those armed would be licensed and have concealed weapons.”

    But now the left wing idiots don’t like the idea of of someone actually doing something that makes a statement about it and picks up the trash too – after all, the left wing agenda does not survive if they don’t have victims and a population they can keep afraid which is the reason why none of their programs actually work to decrease victims.

    • Reminds me of the old saying,” if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself ” .

    • Well you know, these sorts of things can turn ugly.

      Especially when Sean Hannity gives live play-by-play of the felonious assault by the vigilante group:

      “In a recent incident caught live on Hannity’s show on Fox, Marco Pina, a Bronx resident described as a migrant and shoplifter by Curtis Sliwa, the leader of the Guardian Angels, was attacked by members of the vigilante group in Times Square. Now, a lawsuit is on the way“

  16. It’s just beginning, soon, known criminals will be found in several locations with nobody knowing what happened to them. Neighborhoods WILL be safer as their predators get culled. You know it’s coming, this is what these moronic DA’s don’t understand is the natural consequence of not providing justice. The police were never about protecting the civilians but protecting the criminals from the civilians.

    • I have that same thought.
      Honest people do not want to spend time locked up, the criminals know this. I believe if someone commits a crime and the community knows who did it the community should be able to hunt them down and resolve the issue.
      What I ask is wrong with a store owner chasing down the robber and shooting them in the back? Its against the law.

      • “the community knows who did it“

        Sure they do.

        “I ask is wrong with a store owner chasing down the robber and shooting them in the back?“

        What if the shoplifter isn’t a shoplifter?
        And Sean Hannity provides a play-by-play of the Felonious assault?

        “STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A New York City man who was manhandled by members of the Guardian Angels last month in Times Square during a live television broadcast says he’s considering a lawsuit against the group, as an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is ongoing, according to reports.

        Marco Pina, 22, was deemed a “migrant” and a “shoplifter” by Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa during a Sean Hannity broadcast, as members of his group pushed the man and placed him in a headlock. The NYPD has since confirmed Pina is not a migrant and has lived in the city for 20 years, the Daily News reported.

        At the time of the incident, Sliwa was being interviewed by Fox News host Sean Hannity about crime in the area.“

        • Oh good gawd Miner49.
          I’m a shopkeeper, a guy pokes a gunm in my face, steals some shit and leaves, I grab my gunm and chase him down the street and fire two blast in his back for stealing my shit and poking a gunm in my face and I don’t want him coming back to do it again or do it to someone else either. But no,the law won’t let you do that.
          And hu the fck is sean hannity?

        • You sound like a broken record miner. Focus on one incident to tear down a whole movement.

          We get it. You’re hoping your brand of fascism will sweep to power on the backs of desperate citizens that are unprotected.

        • “You sound like a broken record miner“

          “Those who refuse to learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them”

    • Story from Fargo, ND. “Don’t try that in a small town.”

      Fargo is at the crossroads of I-94 and I-29. Drug gangs thought it would be a good place to set up. The gang initiation involves randomly killing civilians. After the second little-old-lady was murdered while stopped at a traffic light, the sheriff was informed that two people, one from Crips and one from Bloods, could be found in a ditch outside of town. There was a .308 hole in both. (For those that don’t know, .308 is a common hunting round. Extremely powerful. Knocks down deer DRT. Seen that experiment 6-for-6.)

      Last I heard, there were no more little old ladies dying at traffic lights.

      Against those of The Flesh, the fear of Death is an awesome weapon.

    • Read the Tom Clancy book “Without Remorse” where John Clark starts killing criminals.

      Criminal: “Why are you doing this?”

      Clark: “Practice.”

  17. There is nothing morally wrong with law-abiding citizens openly carrying long guns or side arms and patrolling their neighborhoods.

    Open carry should be legal everywhere, with a long gun or sidearm.
    Long gun or side arm it doesn’t matter.

    And if your side arm happens to be a sword that’s okay too.

  18. I see absolutely no problem with this approach to crime and the criminal element. Most such groups should be formed. You would see a drop in the crime rate that would astound the Left.

  19. I had to go over to Oklahoma, today. Needed to take a nature break, so pulled into a little convenience story, which happens to be right across the road from the local school. Parked kinda catty-wumpus to everything, because I was towing another vehicle. Looked across the road, and saw an odd looking sign, odd color, rather unattractive and attention grabbing. Words to the effect, “Our teachers are armed, don’t screw with us asshole!” I should have taken a picture, so I could report the exact language used. It was subtle, like a sledgehammer.

    The idea that people need cops to defend themselves needs to die a horrible death. When seconds count, the cops are only donuts away.

  20. Read the book about Athens revolt. The veterans went to the national guard armory and got the ‘good stuff” and someone else got some dynamite and that ended the whole thing. May need to do again. When the law and courts are compromised , then law abiding citizens have to step up and correct things.

  23. Pete, that thought terrifies the left. You’re on their list now. Welcome to the club.

  24. I fled CT 10 years ago a little after the post Sandy Hook tyranny was imposed.

    This news made my day!!!! citizens excersizing their 2nd amendment

  26. Archbishop Dexter Burke and his group are seeking all the support they can get visit their church website or call 8608396627. Walk In The Light Church of God located in Hartford CT, they are receiving donations to purchase body cameras, security cameras, bullet proof vests and shield and other crime fighting equipment. The are committed to fighting crime and ridding their community of bad actors and those who support and benefit from crime.

Comments are closed.