An interesting idea being acted on in the Bronx

The area in the Bronx known as 'the Country Club' is more than likely less crime ridden than your neighborhood. Well-to-do communities often are. People in that area have one of the same gripes many citizens in many other cities and towns have, the police response they say, is lacking. Instead of sitting back and complaining, the Country Club homeowners are looking at doing something proactive; civilian crime patrols. Now this idea isn't new, it has been used in extremely high crime areas. But for the citizens to say the police don't respond and if they have to take patrols into their own hands they will is certainly catching local attention.

Police almost universally detest citizens patrolling. They like subservient neighborhood associations that start neighborhood watch programs. They do not like citizen patrols.

This does raise a valid discussion point on citizen patrols. Just how do they see themselves 'on patrol'. Now the Country Club neighborhood association wants to carry nothing more than cell phone with cameras for communication and to build a database they can share with police in pictures. Police sometimes rightly worry about citizen patrols too quickly becoming vigilante groups if the mood turns ugly. In fact the Country Club patrol wannabes know all to well the story of the arrest in 1996 of some Hasidic patrol members on charges that they had beaten a black man in Crown Heights. Valid questions need valid answers about exactly what kind of patrols are being used but on the other hand courts have ruled in people's right to protect life and property again and again.

What say you Jersey City (or anyone in the Jersey City Desk reading area), do you feel like police have things under control and your neighborhood has no need for such a citizen police force or do you read this and think that's exactly what our neighborhood should be doing?