During an extreme total collapse scenario, the kind of event where life as we know it has completely changed, it is very likely that law enforcement and emergency responders will be nonexistent. When things go bad (empty grocery stores, no utilities, mass riots, etc.) you are more than likely going to have to fend for yourself.
While those of us that are prepared for these situations understand the threats, there are some things that are often overlooked. When it comes to law enforcement during a SHTF event, there are a couple of things that you need to consider.
You need to be able to defend yourself.
During extreme emergency situations, the lunatics of the world are going to be roaming the streets looking for easy victims to target. If you’re serious about survival, you need to train yourself to defend against a violent attack. This means arming yourself with not only weapons, but knowledge and self defense skills as well. You simply can’t count on calling 911 during times of crisis; you must be able to defend yourself.
Your preps will be targeted, possibly by law enforcement.
If the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina taught us anything, it showed us that even the police might be out to take your preps and firearms. During the chaos of Katrina, military and local police confiscated guns, forced people to evacuate without their emergency supplies, and even looked on as people broke into local businesses. While a majority of law enforcement is made up of good people, disasters bring out the worst in everyone.
You must be prepared to deal with these types of events; unfortunately, that may mean having to get the hell out of dodge should things get to hot. Check out our Bug Out Resource Guide for information on how to prepare for these types of bug out emergencies.
You need to watch out for fakes.
Although it may seem counter intuitive to some, until things settle down you may want to avoid everyone – including law enforcement.
In a SHTF Scenario, you need to be on the lookout for everything, including people impersonating law enforcement and military personnel. If things start to spiral out of control, you will most likely see criminals preying on the innocent by pretending to be police or military officers.
Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I think many of our police and our military are heroes; I believe a majority of them will do everything they can to help people in the beginning. But when it comes down to a long-term collapse situation, human nature will take over. Most of them will likely leave to take care of their own families — who could blame them!
In the end, you need to be able to defend and take care of yourself. You, and only you are responsible for your safety. Don’t outsource it to some random law enforcement agency!
All of the people who posted on this site are correct. When shtf happens, there will be 2 types of groups: 1) those that will go along w/the power structures’ program of total control @ any cost, & 2) those that will resist & do the right thing,regardless of the cost. Decide now which group you will belong to, because that day is rapidly approaching. Stock food, firearms,first aid, & Scriptures in abundance now. Band together w/like-minded people right now, because destruction is coming. The chickens are coming home to roost. Get ready & God have mercy on us all for what will take place on the Earth!
Wow there are some serious conspiracy theorists and wack jobs! These are the same guys who preached UN blackhawk helicopters and military disarmament during the 90s.
What it boils down to is if you have your shit together you have nothing to worry about. If a major disaster occurs in your region and they tell you to evacuate just do it and remain low key. Any idiot who wants to shoot it out with law enforcement or National Guard will only end up dead and will you have to show for it.
If you are approached by law enforcement talking like some of you do compared to those of us level headed professionals it is you that will more likely end up in a bad situation and not us.
I was involved in the LA riots 92(USMC response ordered by papa Bush), the only firearms we confiscated were off of gang members that interfered with the fire department, regaining order or committing crimes. We had seen home/business owners outside/inside/rooftop armed and we didn’t give them a grief or confiscate their weapons because we knew we could not protect them 24/7 and the same occurred after hurricanes Hugo and Andrew as well as Katrina.
You should be more concerned about learning first aid/CPR and any other medical training or CERT training to prevent the fire department and accompanied law enforcement if the injury is questionable, you can prevent their response or by being cool and level heading you won’t raise suspicion.
The level sides of this argument make total sense. The wackjobs who think the gumm’nt is commin to get them have smoked way too much reefer and are too paranoid.
Good people will always outnumber the evil and crazies in North America. I have no fear that outside of the major cities, anything that happens, we will be able to overcome it.
I say “we” as I am Albertan and consider myself a “junior American”, at least in mindset.
Americans will have to face off against:
US troops
FEDS
MERCS
UN TROOPS
DRONES
FELLOW AMERICANS
FOREIGN TROOPS
GANGS
RELEASED CONVICTS
TRAITORS
etc.
Iam a member of the law enforcement community, and trust me a few of the people I work with I would not trust when the SHTF. Beware protect your own against all if its bad out there your good friend next door will slit your throat for those baked beans.
What are you on?
I just want to say that most of the comments have been given by men I bet.
I happen to be a single female with no kids, no husband or boyfriend, no family and no dog. So how am I supposed to protect myself? The gangsters in my neighborhood are already trying to kick in my door while sleep at night. I am a target, they see I am alone. If the shtf, I will be one of the first ones to be robbed, raped and killed. My cupboards are full and my neighbors already look like they don’t have furniture much less food. We are already in a major economic collapse. I get strangers at my door already. Just last week there was a guy who said he worked for the FBI and tried to make me let him in. I called and they said they never sent anyone here.
The facts are that the world is going to Hell in a hand-basket and times are extremely tough. People are broke, without jobs due to cheap, illegal alien workers taking their jobs, American Airlines just screwed over thirteen thousand lifetime employees in the DFW area and that happened just last week, so no telling how bad it’s gonna get here. I already know people who don’t have a car and there are no buses. I know people who have cars and no gas money. People who smoke and have no money for a pack of smokes. What do they do? They break into cars, they commit robberies, they scam people’s identities, they come to your door dressed as the FBI.
My point is, we are in the beginning stages of shtf and you might even call them the “birth-pangs” of a time that is worse than ever before in the history of the world. It is called the Tribulation Period.
And as far as the ” living off grid” thing goes…well they have rfdi chips in the car tags and infrared to find you at night in the woods and satellites that can read a pack of cigs from the sky. Big Brother is watching you, he always has been. Get ready for Hell.
SingleFemale, I very much agree with Knight; your best chance is to band up with others. Your job might keep you in DFW, but if it doesn’t, I would get out of the city. Once you find a rural home, make good friends with the ladies around you. Befriend mothers, grandmothers, aunts. Babysit when you can. This isn’t me saying ‘get in the kitchen and make me a samwich’, if you endear yourself to them; become the person they trust taking care of their kids, then when the SHTF they will gladly add you as one of them, and protect you.
Add to your skills – woodcraft, metalworking (casting/forging/welding), basic electrical, construction, farming, clothing making, first aid, learn to shoot and defend the family. If you feel you can’t do it alone, DON’T! I presently have a few useful skills and a lot of useless ones. Right now the ones I make my living from are useless for SHTF, but I am working on that.
On your community, especially young mothers, DO NOTHING to make them paranoid about you and their men – would you ask your partner to protect someone who might be scary competition? Your job is to befriend them and the kids – not because woman can only do that, but because it’s the easiest way for you in, socially.
You can try the hard way, being equal to ‘one of the guys’, but I promise the social community of the women is much easier, safer method. Notice nowhere in here do I say ‘get a man’ – just make friends, become part of a community that isn’t hiding their heads in the sand.
That FerFal guy says that during the Argentinian meltdown, isolated homesteads were hardly safe. I agree that the police and military will hardly be your friends in such a scenario. Going toe-to-toe with either is a fool’s errand. Never let your opponent dictate the terms of the encounter. You will lose.
Firstly, I hold a different opinion of L.E. Coming from a big city. I’ve learned to view L.E. as an adversary (NOT ENEMY) who, no matter how polite at times, is searching for things to cite/arrest over. Aside from that, being from a communist country (Mother California Comrades) police are endowed with “nanny powers”, as self defense is treated like a crime. With that said, when I see a blue uniform, I think organized coercion by agents of the state. Katrina taught me that you don’t even have to be making yourself a target, the militarized police can murder you and get away with it, pre or post collapse. Militarized as in YOU, the public are the adversary, those guys haven’t P.T.’d in years. To me, police are the best armed and organized gang around, that also doesn’t have to worry about getting arrested for killing; Consequently, they’re the most dangerous people post collapse IMO.
@ jarhead. it wasn’t active duty military confisgating lawfully owner firearms during katrina. it was nat guard and local le. im a former 0351 USMC assaultman. we wouldn’t have dared take firearms away from homeowners and business owners when they needed them the most. myself and most of the guys in my unit would have refused that order as unlawful (goes against the letter and spirit of the constitution… that thing we swore to protect at all costs.)
but… some NG and some LE would behave as they did in katrina. don’t expect USMC professionalism from anyone but Marines.
my 2 cents
i honestly feel that police and military are to be considered the most dangerous potential hazard in a SHTF situation. things were screwed up so badly during katrina that we cannot trust governmental agencies to honor (letalone protect) our constitutional rights.
prepping really doesnt do you a d@mned bit of good when the government takes away your means of protecting your preparations.
@singlefemale – buy a gun or two and some ammo. find neighbor or two who has similar fears and agree to work together in a SHTF situation. nothing says you can’t go down swinging.
@johndoe – somewhat agree. LE is my biggest fear in a SHTF. not the earthquake/emp/virus. the local LE. my biggest hope is that citizens rise up against any and all gun control laws following a catastrophic situation.
You no longer have to know morse code.
I do not trust most cops now. Why would I trust them during a crisis.
Plan, plan, plan. Train, train, train. Join together with other like-minded citizens. There is safety in numbers.
EEE: Well done.
I’ve read all the posts…I’m a retired, career LEO and unfortunately saw the effects of 6 hurricanes and the response frm FED agencys and LE agencys. Not all these people were/are bad. Just are here @ssHoles in everyday life, there were some who enjoyed their ability to make a horrid situation worse. I have a son who is career military, and I know they are looking ahead to SHFT for their protection…yeap not evryone is a knuckle draggin ID10T who obeys blindly. Prep, protect, and pray that things do not end up as some of the posts predict. We all know that our DC boys are running this country by EO and NOT by what or how the poeple would like. I suggest you read these executive orders…some are very scarey. WE/you can’t do everything, but as some have sadi pick your friends and find those who will work, play and fight for a common good. Disasters bring our the crap in every location…just remember that “if” you take the time to provide for your own, it will buy you time to “think” calmly and maybe survive a real crappy situation. Just my .02 worth.
If an EO says the gooberment can do something, then I guess I’ll have to blindly obey whatever authority they have given themselves.
It took the federal government 11 years to get Osama, still hasn’t pacified Afghanistan, failed in Iraq.. and you guys think there is going to be a massive, coordinated Federal takeover during a crisis?
Worry about your local situation, but drop the tin-foil hat nuttery of blue-helmeted troops and detention camps.
In doing research on an urban survival book I am writing, one thing I found out at least about the city I live in (Oakland, CA) 95% of the police force does NOT live in the city and the majority those live 30 miles away (still in the county). The chances of them getting back into Oakland if the overpasses go down in n earthquake are 0.
Folks. In my humble opinion, the first thing you need to do is get close to God. We are in the end times and 2013 is going to be worse than anything you can imagine. Yes prepare, but this is God’s show and don’t forget it.
I dont quite know what to think,as I already live in the middle of nowhere in mountains. Where would I run to? All my neighbors are armed ex moonshiners.
God is getting ready to judge the USA, by allowing those that have rejected Him to have their sinful way on earth…but Jesus is going to take the Christians out of this world first. Even if you don’t believe that, at least give your life and heart to Jesus while there is time – just in case I am right. Jesus saves. Repent and look up for your salvation is nigh. Accept the free gift of eternal life.
Sheriff departments are lead by an elected official not under the thumb of a mayor or any other political entity. They are citizens who have friends and neighbor. If any of the first responders will stand there ground it will be the sheriffs.