The leader of a church in Hartford, Connecticut, has pushed for the formation of an armed citizen patrol to supervise the streets.
Archbishop Dexter Burke demanded armed citizen patrols after Garden Street experienced a spate of gun-related crimes, including a double homicide near his church in February.
Cornell Lewis, a local activist, spearheaded the effort and launched ‘Minister Cornell Lewis’ Self-Defense Brigade. ‘
Archbishop Burke’s solution to local violence has drawn criticism from Hartford’s mayor, Arunan Arulampalam.
Mayor Arulampalam, a Democrat, said: ‘Adding more guns into the midst of trauma, into the midst of pain in our communities, is just going to lead to more deaths.’
Cornel Lewis (pictured) heeded Archbishop Burke’s call and founded ‘Minister Cornel Lewis’ Self-Defense Brigade’
Archbishop Burke (pictured) grew disillusioned with the city’s lack of action when it came to violence, and called for the formation of citizen armed patrols
In Connecticut, open carry is illegal, so all of the patrol members must keep their weapons concealed
The patrol, which has also tasked itself with picking up trash in the community, has elicited condemnation from other local leaders as well.
Reverend Henry Brown, speaking on behalf of Mother’s United Against Violence, told NBC: ‘We are not supporting any individual patrolling the streets. We are about finding solutions and peace.’
He added: ‘We don’t need more guns.’
For Archbishop Burke, the armed patrol was something of a last resort, a decision he made after growing tired of seeing his community in the throes of violence.
He was annoyed with the lack of action, the repetitive prayer vigils playing themselves out over and over again, nothing ever leading to change or progress.
‘Such a practice has gotten old,’ Burke wrote. He called it a ‘strategy to placate communities of color.’
The double homicide in February happened only a few blocks from his church, The Walk in the Light Church of God, and it convinced him that an armed patrol was necessary.
Archbishop’s Burke solution to local violence has received blowback from other local leaders, including Hartford’s mayor
Some residents approved of the patrol’s presence, calling their deployment ‘appropriate’
The patrollers are also picking up trash in the local area
For Archbishop Burke, the armed patrol was something of a last resort, a decision he made after growing tired of seeing his community in the throes of violence
Burke announced: ‘We are going to bring an armed security that’s going to walk the streets with individuals, help them to the bus stop. Help them to the grocery store and patrol the area.
He assured members of the community that members of the patrol are ‘going to have licensed, concealed weapons, [and are] going to assist in fighting crime.
Hartford residents have shown a mixed reaction to Burke’s plan.
Some have echoed the mayor’s and Reverend Brown’s concerns, saying things like: ‘The more guns you put out, the more violence you’re going to get.’
While other residents have proven more receptive: ‘I think it’s appropriate.’
Cornell Lewis’ patrol mounted their inaugural watch on Saturday in Hartford’s North End.
They picked up trash and appeared to comply with the state’s firearm’s laws, which forbid open carry.
Lewis has said that his patrol will watch over the streets a few times a week, and that they will be patrolling at night as well.
‘It’s not just a one-time thing,’ he said.
The leader of the patrol also tried to refute claims that they were engaging in a form of vigilante justice. Reverend Brown, of the Mother’s United Against Violence, had previously even said: ‘This is not a vigilante era. This is not the wild, wild West.’
On Saturday, Lewis said: ‘We are not vigilantes. We are a group of people that are disciplined and trained. We go to the shooting range.
‘The people on Garden Street came to us and asked us for help.’