Predominantly black neighborhoods in Hartford, Connecticut, have turned to groups of armed citizens to patrol the streets by ground and air to prevent violent crime.
The so-called “self-defense brigade” of about 40 legally armed citizens independently patrol the streets of Hartford’s North End, mostly at night and on weekends, wearing body cameras, said group founder Cornell Lewis.
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When its armed volunteers are not on the streets, the group monitors footage from 12 drones hovering above neighborhoods and 75 home surveillance cameras installed in nearby areas.
“The Democratic Party establishment in Hartford is either unwilling or unable to do it, and people are paying their taxes and not really getting any services,” Lewis told Fox News. “So, number one, I want people to understand that self-defense is not a dirty word.”“
The Self-Defense Brigade, founded by Cornell Lewis (center), is made up of about 40 armed citizens from Hartford, Connecticut. (David Hamelberg)
Hartford’s Democratic mayor, Arunan Arulampalam, condemned the group, saying he worried it would engage in vigilante behavior.
“Our community has experienced a lot of pain and trauma, and what we need is for those who love our city to work hard to heal that pain, not roam the streets with guns and try to enforce the law in their own hands,” Arulampalam said in a statement to Fox.
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Lewis insists the brigade is not a vigilante movement, and that all members are trained in discipline and legal safety. The roughly 40 volunteers in Hartford have legal concealed weapon permits and are there for self-defense.
“I’m a fourth-degree black belt and I’ve trained everyone in martial arts,” Lewis said.
Cornell Lewis, founder of the Self-Defense Brigade, said his group also monitors more than 70 security cameras installed in homes around the area. (Brian Lenas)
The group began patrolling the neighborhood at the behest of Archbishop Dexter Burke of Walk in the Light Church of God. After a shooting near his church in February that left two men dead, he had enough.
“We feel like we’ve really reduced crime,” Burke said. “We’ve had a success rate of over 100 percent.”
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Burke says putting local residents on patrol helps combat the anti-snitch culture in black neighborhoods. As for concerns that this is just armed vigilantes, Burke points to the use of cameras.
He said the body cameras and drones are meant to provide evidence of crimes to be turned over to police, but the cameras also serve to protect the group’s volunteer members.
Volunteers in the SDF have legal permits to carry concealed weapons. (Brian Lenas)
Both Burke and Lewis said they have heard from residents in other parts of Hartford, as well as in New Haven, who are interested in patrol service.
but New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker He reportedly said he was strongly opposed to the idea of armed patrols in the city.
“This is a bad idea and it’s unwelcome for a few reasons. We need fewer guns on our streets, not more,” Elicker told WTNH News 8.
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But Burke said the initiative has worked well in the neighborhood and he has no plans to back out.
“Praying alone isn’t the solution,” Burke said. “We can pray all day, but it’s something we have to do.”
