[ Originally published on March 3rd, 2015 ]
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A
little
known Virginia state law
allows citizens to form their own private police forces, complete
with the authority to carry firearms and
badges and to
make
arrests. Known as
SCOPs
[Special
Conservators of the Peace],
these vigilante Virginian law enforcers number around 750
individuals and task themselves with performing the same duties as
civilian law enforcement.
SCOP Requirements:
► Submit
a minimum $10,000
USD
[United
States Dollars] security
or cash bond to their
local government.
► Possess U.S. [United
States of America] citizenship.
► Be
at least 18
years of age.
► Complete
130
hours of entry-level training standards.
► Have no criminal
convictions.
► Pass
a drug and alcohol screening, for which they must pay $41.50
USD
► Possess
a comprehensive insurance policy with a minimum of $10,000
USD
in
coverage.
► Register their
fingerprints with local law enforcement.
►
Register with the U.S.
Department of Criminal Justice Services
Once
these requirements
are met, these SCOPs are allowed the same legal latitude as civilian
law enforcement. They are allowed to use the words “POLICE”
and
“LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER”
on their
badges
or uniforms
and identify themselves as such to the public.
This
law has raised
concern
with the public, as the SCOPs
receive only a tiny
fraction of the training
as traditional civilian law enforcement
[who
generally receive between 580
and 1,200
hours of training]
and have
virtually
no
oversight from
local government,
increasing the potential for abuse of power. They are not required to
identify to civilians that they are a separate entity from local
civilian law enforcement agencies.
In
2009, a SCOP named Kevin
Bukowski
got
into a heated argument with a woman over a parking dispute. He
entered her vehicle and held her and her 2
children at gunpoint. He was later convicted of abduction in 2012.
There are also disputes
between SCOPs and civilian law enforcement. These Conservators of the
Peace obviously encroach on the territory of civilian law enforcement
and decrease their revenue-generating ability. Many civilian law
enforcement agents view SCOPs as vigilantes who are trying to skirt
the system and take the law into their own hands.
In
2012, over 20
residents of a Baltimore, Maryland neighborhood filed a $25
million
USD
lawsuit
against Cleveland, Ohio SCOPs, claiming that they abused residents,
violated their civil rights and performed illegal stops, detainments
and arrests.
In
2005, a Washington D.C. [District
of Columbia]
SCOP carried out an armed robbery under the guise of a
“LAW
ENFORCEMENT” officer.
Washington
D.C. has a similar law on the books, requiring only 40
hours of training for
SCOPSs,
as does Maryland, who leaves training requirements up to the
discretion of local governments.
Stay
conscious my friends.
~ Merit Freeman
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