Two brave men

[Dot Matrix]

Recently, we have found ourselves trying to combat crime, go to work, protect our property and support our neighbors.

The police advised us to have a few "BIG" guys walk the neighborhood to help stop crime. It iis not the 50's. Kids have guns. Criminals have guns.

When I saw this story about these brave men I had to post it. These are plain old citizens trying to do their part as volunteer police who had no weapos....

Pekearo, 28, was a writer with a book scheduled to be published soon, the mayor said. Marshalik, 19, a student at nearby New York University, had emigrated from Russia, Bloomberg said.

The younger man joined the auxiliary force after deciding he wanted to become a prosecutor.

"He would say he really enjoyed it," said Tatyana Kochergina said at her cousin's suburban home. "He got along with everybody on the squad. Sometimes he would ride along with the NYPD. He felt like it was where he wanted to be."

Auxiliary officers are not issued bulletproof vests but can wear them if they buy their own. Pekearo was wearing a bulletproof vest, but only one shot hit the vest; bullets punctured his skin six times.

Someone taped a sign to a neighborhood lamppost, along with pink silk flowers. It read: "Rest in peace, our beloved auxiliaries."

City officials said the two auxiliary officers, the first to die in the line of duty since 1993, would get full police honors at their funerals. Only five other auxiliary officers have died on the job in the city's history.

Kelly said the city's nearly 4,500 auxiliary officers are not required to respond to emergency calls, but often serve as the "eyes and ears" of the police force.

"Day in and day out, they sacrifice their free time and energy for the people of our city," Kelly said.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/16/nyc.shootout.ap/index.html

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/16/nyc.shootout.ap/index.html