Is there a point at which vigilantism becomes justified?

[xoggoth]

Angry Orpington residents are planning to start a vigilante group to take on a moped gang - but police have warned it could jeopardise their work.

Orpington residents' call to start vigilante group to tackle moped gang | News Shopper

Normally a pretty bad idea for the obvious reasons, no proper rules,no checks on suitability of individuals involved and lack of professional systems may result in violent action, likelihood of mistakes and the wrong people being accused.

However, when police budgets are being cut to such an extent that they won't investigate many crimes, when they don't tackle moped crime because of criminals' safety, is it so unreasonable for citizens to think about protecting themselves?

Discussy.

[northernladyuk]

Orpington residents' call to start vigilante group to tackle moped gang | News Shopper

Normally a pretty bad idea for the obvious reasons, no proper rules,no checks on suitability of individuals involved and lack of professional systems may result in violent action, likelihood of mistakes and the wrong people being accused.

However, when police budgets are being cut to such an extent that they won't investigate many crimes, when they don't tackle moped crime because of criminals' safety, is it so unreasonable for citizens to think about protecting themselves?

Discussy.

Are you tooling up to crush the saboteurs and enemies of the people to divert attention from your responsibility for the Brexit cluster****?

[BrilloPad]

I am totally opposed to vigilantism. Except for those who bring Brexit into threds unnecessarily.

The mods have abandoned us! We must strike back.

[northernladyuk]

I am totally opposed to vigilantism. Except for those who bring Brexit into threds unnecessarily.

The mods have abandoned us! We must strike back.

Do you want me to bump your safe space thread?

[SueEllen]

I am totally opposed to vigilantism. Except for those who bring Brexit into threds unnecessarily.

The mods have abandoned us! We must strike back.

What's a thred?

[BR14]

What's a thred?

it's an anagram of 'AA THRED'

[sal]

Those are some brave individuals, not for facing the gangs, but for accepting the very real possibility of Police going after them as easy pickings.

The scenario will be like that - Vigilantes knock down a moped thief, pin him down and call the police. Moped thief will go free due to lack of evidence, vigilantes will be charged with assault...

[BrilloPad]

Cromer disorder: Police 'misread' traveller threat - BBC News

It confirmed officers had been notified by Suffolk Police that a group of travellers had left Lowestoft having been involved in a disturbance there, and was heading for the county.
However, "the information and actions were not recorded on official systems" which meant it was not shared with key senior staff across the Norfolk force.

One can hardly blame the locals for feeling aggrieved at the polis.

[mattfx]

Realisticly what should be happening is the Police making a nationwide statement saying that moped crime of this nature will no longer be tolerated and where necessary excessive force can and will be used to prevent it. If you give the perps fair warning I see absolutely no reason why a couple of rubber bullets and subsequent falls off of scooters would really harm anyone, other than those breaking the law. (they'd probably get a healthy dose of acid when their contain breaks as they fall off too - nothing like a dose of your own medicine.) The Police only need to make an example a few times to make the majority of these crimes go away.

However, our relatively spineless enforcement agents aren't as comfortable as our foreign comparatives in using force to detain common criminals, which is a shame. Then again, they're probably too busy catching people doing 23 in a 20 trying to top up the budget shortfall to ensure they get their Christmas party this year.

Anyone even considering taking the law into their own hands in this instance is just asking for trouble. Either they will fail and get acid thrown in their face, or succeed and end up arrested for assault, false imprisonment, or worse.

[BrilloPad]

I am sure I saw an article yesterday about a topless lady in a block of flats shooting up - caught on the communal CCTV.

A resident called police who said to delete the footage. It might cause the lady distress......