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They hang'em, I reckon...

When we lived in AZ....my Dad was a Deputy in the Maricopa (Phoenix area+) County posse ...they had general posse members, horseback, jeep and air. My dad was in the air posse...mostly looking for persons lost in the desert, prisoner excapees, animal control and/or trouble with round-ups. They were all commissioned Peace Officers-Reserve in the State of AZ during their volunteer service. Between meetings and or time in the field...a total of 10 hours per month required service. Most of them put in five times or more that than each month over the years.

I have seen officers on the "Dashboard Cam" type TV shows requesting civilian assistance to help hold down a resisting suspect they were trying to handcuff, when back-up wasn't close by. I'd suspect that's the most common (even if it's not very common at all) invocation of the authority granted by this law.

Been there and done that. I wouldn't hesitate to ask a citizen to help out if there were no other LEO resources available or on scene and I needed help.

There have been occasions when I've been driving late at night and have witnessed a lone LEO on a traffic stop with multiple occupants out of the car. I've pulled over and waited until another unit arrived, or the traffic stop was over, just in case they needed some assistance. It's a very lonely feeling when it's just you and a car load of people on a late night stop and your nearest cover is quite a distance off.

I've done it before. A rodeo clown helped me arrest a guy.

I will give another example. Goose Creek CISD does not allow their security officers to break up fights or physically restrain them. The head security guard (i hesitate to use the word chief) had instructed two of them at a high school not to get involved.

The SRO at the school said if he needed them, he would call on them, and she said they would not. He was able to show her the law and explain they were required by law, regardless of what a policy said.

Baytown wrote:

A rodeo clown helped me arrest a guy.

But was he in uniform?

No, he was "off-duty".

Baytown wrote:No, he was "off-duty".

Did he distract them for you?

Baytown wrote:I've done it before. A rodeo clown helped me arrest a guy.

I'd have to think that a rodeo clown is right up there with a chiropractor on the list of People I Wouldn't Want to Fight.

Baytown wrote:I've done it before. A rodeo clown helped me arrest a guy.

I will give another example. Goose Creek CISD does not allow their security officers to break up fights or physically restrain them. The head security guard (i hesitate to use the word chief) had instructed two of them at a high school not to get involved.

The SRO at the school said if he needed them, he would call on them, and she said they would not. He was able to show her the law and explain they were required by law, regardless of what a policy said.

Welcome back!

Chas.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:

Baytown wrote:I've done it before. A rodeo clown helped me arrest a guy.

I will give another example. Goose Creek CISD does not allow their security officers to break up fights or physically restrain them. The head security guard (i hesitate to use the word chief) had instructed two of them at a high school not to get involved.

The SRO at the school said if he needed them, he would call on them, and she said they would not. He was able to show her the law and explain they were required by law, regardless of what a policy said.

Welcome back!

Chas.

+1 Good to see you posting Brother.

jbirds1210 wrote:

Charles L. Cotton wrote:

Baytown wrote:I've done it before. A rodeo clown helped me arrest a guy.

I will give another example. Goose Creek CISD does not allow their security officers to break up fights or physically restrain them. The head security guard (i hesitate to use the word chief) had instructed two of them at a high school not to get involved.

The SRO at the school said if he needed them, he would call on them, and she said they would not. He was able to show her the law and explain they were required by law, regardless of what a policy said.

Welcome back!

Chas.

+1 Good to see you posting Brother.

+2

It's probably invoked after the fact when a person helps take down a suspect (cop yells "Stop that man!" and a civilian obliges). All the police officer has to say is that the officer requested the person's help and the person is assumed from that moment forward to have been acting in an official capacity as an apparent agent of the police, therefore the DA wouldn't press vigilantism charges and the person would be largely immune from civil suit for injuries as a result of the takedown.

I doubt however that a sheriff would have such insufficient forces in his department that he would FORCE anyone to join a posse. If a criminal group gained such force as to be a law unto itself, the sheriff would call in the feds. It certainly is not an issue in major cities; Here in Dallas they could have 2 dozen officers in full SWAT gear outside your door in 15 minutes if someone calls in a hostage situation.

Liko81 wrote:It's probably used as a measure; invoked after the fact when a person helps take down a suspect (cop yells "Stop that man!" and a civilian obliges).

Good point.

Liko81 wrote:I doubt however that a sheriff would have such insufficient forces in his department that he would FORCE anyone to join a posse.

I agree. No one wants reluctant helpers at their back.

Liko81 wrote:It certainly is not an issue in major cities; Here in Dallas they could have 2 dozen officers in full SWAT gear outside your door in 15 minutes if someone calls in a hostage situation.

That's true, but there are many places in the west where the individual cops are 100 miles apart, and that's a long trip even by helicopter.

- Jim

Here in Dallas they could have 2 dozen officers in full SWAT gear outside your door in 15 minutes if someone calls in a hostage situation.

More like an hour for SWAT but you would have plenty of Patrol officers there within that time frame if the call was dispatched properly.

CHL/LEO wrote:

Here in Dallas they could have 2 dozen officers in full SWAT gear outside your door in 15 minutes if someone calls in a hostage situation.

More like an hour for SWAT but you would have plenty of Patrol officers there within that time frame if the call was dispatched properly.

Yeah, Dallas SWAT has to finish busting up poker games first.