Policing in the era of the new vigilantes

Author: James Dudley The definition of the word vigilante is as American as you can get: A member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law are viewed as inadequate); broadly: a self-appointed doer of justice. That is to say, if a community does not think justice is being done, community members will take up arms to defend themselves and bring miscreants to justice. A long history of vigilante activity America has loved...