XPost: alt.barnyard, ny.politics, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
XPost: sac.politics, alt.law-enforcement

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/democrats-sue-gop-county-executive-over- armed-volunteer-unit-they-say-amounts-to-an-illegal-militia/ar-AA1ytNMZ

NEW YORK (AP) — Democrats in suburban New York are suing a Republican
county executive over his creation of an armed unit of volunteer
residents, saying it amounts to an “illegal, taxpayer-funded civilian
militia.”

Nassau County Democratic lawmakers argue in their complaint filed
Wednesday that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman lacked the legal authority to form a cadre of special sheriff's deputies with “authority to
use deadly force and make arrests under color of law.”

They say state law authorizes local sheriffs to deputize only trained law enforcement officers from other agencies in emergencies — not private
citizens.

“New York State law is clear: only professional, sworn officers can wield police powers,” said Josh Kelner, whose law firm Kelner & Kelner joined
the Free and Fair Litigation Group to file the suit on behalf of
Democratic lawmakers. “Blakeman’s militia is illegal and a clear threat to public safety."

Democrats, who are the minority in the county legislature, also complain Blakeman's office has ignored their public records requests seeking basic details of the program, including who is being recruited, the scope of
their training, the specific weapons they will carry and the total
taxpayer cost of the program.

Blakeman didn't immediately respond to the secrecy claims, but in a
statement dismissed the suit as “frivolous" and suggested Democrats were defaming the 26 volunteers sworn in to date, many of whom are retired
military and law enforcement officers.

He has said the armed deputies are required to be licensed gun owners,
must complete 12 hours of classroom instruction and practice on the firing range.

He's also stressed the deputies would only be called on when the county, located just east of the New York City borough of Queens, faces a natural disaster or other major emergency.

The deputies would be assigned to protect government buildings, hospitals
and critical infrastructure, and not be used to quell protests or patrol streets, as Democrats and other critics have suggested, according to
Blakeman.

Democrats, in their suit, note the county already has one of the largest
local police forces in the nation, with some 2,600 sworn officers. State troopers also serve Nassau County and dozens of local villages have their
own police forces.

The county can also call up hundreds of unarmed civilian volunteers
through the Nassau County Auxiliary Police and the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management Community Emergency Response Team, according to the litigation.

"Defendants have not publicly explained how a group of less than one
hundred armed civilians would materially aid the thousands of trained, registered, sworn, and armed police and peace officers available to meet
the needs of Nassau County residents in the event of an emergency," the
lawsuit states. “Authorizing minimally trained private citizens to wield
force on behalf of the government – and during an emergency no less –
poses clear and obvious safety risks, both to trained law enforcement and
the public at large.”


--
November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump. We look
forward to America being great again.

The disease known as Kamala Harris has been effectively treated and
eradicated.

We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.

Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.

Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)