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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Reply: Job, prison security job and criminal codes.

Mr. F,

I appreciate your time, and thank you for your input. I am a Corrections Officer in a mental health maximum security prison, I am also an emergency medical technician. My wife is a Paramedic (she can give drugs as a medic I as an emt can not) allow though we both see the horrors that man can and does inflict upon his fellow man, she does not believe guns are a necessity. She however is a saint and allows me to own firearms, she just let me order an AR-15 in 5.56 from stag arms, which is here in Connecticut. We live in a blue collar neighborhood in a wealthy town in the rural section of the state. I am 15 minutes from 2 major cities, and have the State police as the responding law enforcement. About a 12 minute response in an emergency if they are in the area.
My questions are many but will limit them to a few. Hope you have some time. First, public safety, when I first started working for a commercial ambulance system in the states capital, there was a drug war going on. Gang bangers were killing each other fairly regularly. There was however an unwritten rule that you do not shoot at the ambulances, and you don't start trouble in the Emergency Room. Since the collapse how is you ambulance services looked at, how are they treated by the masses, do the get assaulted, are they robbed for there narcs. Are they one of the safe marketable jobs that pay well in Argentina.


Sounds like you have things pretty well planned.
Let me tell you first that one thing I can assure you, there’s going to be a greater demand for security professionals of all kinds, and one of the few buildings the gov. will afford to spend more on is building more prisons.
They are going to be in high demand in the not so distant future.


Things got so bad here, with prison population in excess of 400% of it’s real capacity in some cases, that they ended up using metal containers to build portable cells in a hurry.
“Criminal in a can” :)


One of the things that changed a lot from the old days is exactly that, the loss of the criminal code.

There’s no code anymore. They don’t just steal your wallet, maybe they pop a round into you after you give it up just because they are so full of hatred towards those that have something.

A hatred that is fueled from the government. The government promotes the idea that poverty in this country has been caused by people that have money, no matter how hard they worked to make it. I guess it’s better than to blame themselves, and admit to be corrupt thieves.


You mention the ER. I can tell you of situations here where hosptial workers, including nurses and doctors, went on strike and refused to work anymore until someone did something about security inside the establishments.

They were being mugged, murdered and raped by the same people they were saving.
As I was telling you there no code anymore.

You get shot in a bad part of town, expect to bleed to death unless you can stop the hemorrhage yourself.


It is standard procedure in some parts of town for the ambulance to wait until a police vehicle is available to go along with them. They will not go in there alone. The vehicle, the crew, the equipment the ambulance carries, everything gets stolen, not to mention the risk to their lives.
This happens in places such as Fuerte Apache, La Salada, Villa 31, Villa Tranquila, parts of Lomas de Zamora, Lanus, Avellaneda, San Martin, just to mention a few.

Living in a nice part of town makes a difference when you are bleeding to death on the pavement. In Buenos Aires this means most of the capital district and parts of the northern suburbs. Very few other exceptions other than that.


Ambulances and police, sometimes they simply don’t show up at all.
Your family can file a complain once you are dead, if you they want to waste some time.

I know of just one case where I was surprised by the criminal code.
An armed robber returning the money to it’s victim after she told him her husband was in prison. Other than that, criminal codes are part of the past.


Second. Do you have a Department of Corrections ? I know you said that the cops are either corrupt or scared to do there jobs for fear of being targeted. How do your prisons run. What about healthcare. I work for the State of Connecticut and have PHENOMENAL health benefits. Ridiculously phenomenal and at a price that I would not leave my job, unless I was killed. When my twins were born they were 8 weeks early and had to stay in the intensive care unit for three weeks. They are fine now almost 3 years later but, the bill was 178,000.00 of which my insurance picked up ALL of it. Are medical providers treated well, or at least have job security. I mean mostly ambulance drivers.


We have a justice system, prisons etc. The problem is that they don’t do any good.
Sentences for almost any crime are way to low, the system itself is a joke.
Many dangerous predators are sent home with a bracelet, and warned to not leave home.

Not long ago a man that testified against a criminal was assassinated by this scumbag. He tortured him and his wife, raped her, killed them both. Their two little children disappeared two.
Man, did I pray for those kids, how I wished they were alive. They were little, 6 or 7 years old.


I was crushed a few days later when they found the slaughtered corpses.

And entire family of four brutally murdered by this piece of trash.
The bracelet didn’t work I guess.


I think your line of work is pretty safe. You’ll have lots of opportunities and your job will be in high demand as things get worse.

My post in the firearms section of your blog, stated that I was looking to consolidate calibers. I currently own a ruger 357 magnum and a XD 45. I am thinking that with the AR, if I were to sell of both pistols and get Glock 9mm one 17 for myself as I am 6'3 295 and my wife 5/9 160 a Glock 19. Then I would only need to worry about two calibers. I think that the 9mm is effective, and control able for my wife yet still has some stopping power. Also I would like to get her a Keltec sub 2000 in Glock 17 set up so she has an effective carbine out to 100 meters, without having to buy another caliber. I would truly like your opinion as I do worry about what will happen with the current economic predicament and the future lawlessness. My wife does not have a ccw but will get one if I whine hard enough. She is not afraid to shoot the weapons we own. She just doesn't regularly. She is however a very good shot. I hope I have not bombarded you with two much please feel free to post anything I have said if you think it will help the masses. I appreciate you giving me your email. I think you are an educated man, and value your opinion. I tell all of my friends who share my sense of paranoia to read your site, I hope that you and your family stay safe and well. My warmest regards to them.

Peter.

PS. If you ever come to the states and stop in Connecticut please drop me a line I would be honored to have you in my home, for dinner or even just coffee. Thank you again.

I think you are doing well. Glocks are pretty much the best thing around in terms of handguns. Just make sure you have several boxes of premium defensive ammo. FMJ kills as well, but good 124 gr JHP 9mm has better stopping power. I’d go for Gold Dot +P+ 9mm if I were you.
The keltec is also a good idea, since you take advantage of the 9mm ammo you already need for your handguns.
That's one of the reasons why I like pistol caliber subguns. Not a rifle but still better than just a handgun.

I’d also get a couple of AKs and concealed body armor vests. The price is still very low and if personal liberties keep going the same way in USA, you’ll deeply regret you didn’t get them when you had the chance.
You’d cry if you knew how much I paid for my USED body armor vest.

The AKs are just common sense ( 10 mags for each and ammo), buy two and you’ll never regret it. You can sell them for a nice profit a few years later if need the money that bad.

If things turn out the way I want and I end up traveling a bit in USA I’ll take you up on that offer. ;)

Take care, and thanks for the nice words.

FerFAL

10 comments:

Bro. Brandon B. said...

Peter,
just make sure you never ever ever ever ever ever become complacent around anyone - but especially criminals. Even in the hospital you can be at risk.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/17884-police-officer-brian-steven-gregg

Whatever job you have: make sure that you work and interact with people to a degree that you will be the very last employee they would fire if they had to lay everyone off.
BBB

Unknown said...

I can't help but thing that, whatever level of crisis you're talking about, it's a good thing to be a cop.

After all, shy of a total collapse of society, the last thing any government's going to decide to do without is cops. Those in power will make sure the people who protect them are still doing that.

And, hey, if we ever did end up in a 'zombie apocalypse' scenario, well, post-collapse, the skills of a law-enforcement officer will be in demand.

FerFal, you've mentioned your local law enforcement in passing a few times, I wonder if you could elaborate on things like how effective they are, level of corruption, are they more often killed in the line of duty since the crisis hit, anything else you think might be relevant?

Anonymous said...

You mentioned a few places in the city that are safer than others. Puerto Madero is in a bubble of its own though. Surrounded by the canel, its like it has its own moat. The naval police are everywhere - its like a place from somewhere else dropped into Buenos Aires. How long can that last.

FerFAL said...

Puerto madero is indeed a bubble.

How long can they keep that?

Well I think they can keep that for a very long time.
They have like 5 cops per block.

Even with that amount of police there's some petty crime, and robberies, people get too confident there sometimes.
But yes indeed, it's much safer,like an island.

As long as there's capital to support that, I think it can go on for decades.
Even if something terrible happens like a civil war, where do you think the efforts will be concentrated?
They sure as heck wont worry much about Florencio Varela, if you know what I mean.

FerFAL

Norcal said...

If you don't want to be a cop, there would be, I think, many anciallary jobs in law enforcement, like police dispatcher, probation officer, etc. So then you are not as directly in the line of fire.

I'm thinking also security consultant will be big. When you look around the houses in Cali, they are like glass houses! No defenses unless you go to the tougher side of town.

I have to say here in our area we are still very safe. You never hear of "violent" crime. Only that someone has broken into the car, when you were parked somewhere. And that is not that common. We are so lucky in most parts of Cali you can walk around (at least in the daytime) in much safety.

The weather is fantastic, it's a lovely area. I wish the crash was not happening. I hate to see so many people lose their jobs and houses.

Anonymous said...

PKS said:
"And, hey, if we ever did end up in a 'zombie apocalypse' scenario, well, post-collapse, the skills of a law-enforcement officer will be in demand."

I'd take former military over cops in that case any day. Last I heard, cops don't get the kind of training to survive in a ZPAW the way military guys do.

Semper Fi!

Anonymous said...

Doc Outlands: Cops dont do the same as military. Cops still have to enforce laws with minimal force. this doesnt NECESSARILY apply to military. You cant "plug and play' a cop and a marine.

Anonymous said...

Just another comment: Glocks and AKs.

I too have based by defense on those two weapons. You just cant go wrong with a SAR-1 with an Aimpoint, and a Glock 17 with +P+ ammo.

Both are rugged, and forgiving of a moderate amount of abuse.

Anonymous said...

Shambhala: That was kinda my point. ;) In a zombie apocalypse world, I'd take someone who *wasn't* concerned with 'minimal force' restrictions. My unit was full of cops and I know all too well how hard it is to make one do the other's job...even harder when they have to do one job one day and then change hats and do the other job the next day.

okc.onsiterepair said...

On the point of Body Armor, the best
stuff is Class IV Body Armor with
trauma pads and rifle plates.

That is the only thing that has
a chance of stopping .308 and up.

the older plate style is heavy,
but it is a lot cheaper than
things like dragonskin.