Effort to establish militia for community protection faces backlash

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    CALAVERAS COUNTY, California (KOVR) — There is controversy brewing as several people in Calaveras County are working on plans to form a militia for protection.

The main organizer, Doug Rockey of Copperopolis, claims the militia would not be armed.

Rockey owns Spur R Guns. He hosted a community meeting this week about the formation of the Calaveras Community Service Militia. He told CBS 13 the effort is peaceful and he used the word militia to “attract attention.“

“If we called it a community meeting, how many would you think would show up? All of them said ‘we probably wouldn’t,’ ” Rockey said.

Rockey said he wants to establish a militia in Calaveras County that would serve as back up for local emergency resources

“They’re underfunded,” he said.

His effort drew quick backlash on social media, some calling it “racist,” “dangerous” and “a target for aspiring insurrectionists.”

“We’re not about walking around with guns we’re about helping anyone in our community it’s doesn’t matter what color, what race, we want to help everybody,” Rockey said.

The Calaveras County Sheriffs office said they attended the meeting Rockey organized and released this statement:

“The sheriff’s office does not support the Calaveras county community service militia and has no intention of supporting them.”

“We don’t want them to be affiliated we don’t want them to be part of the militia. They already are law enforcement,” Rockey said.

Although Rockey claims the militia would not be military, other militia groups have taken police actions into their own hands.

This includes a group in Oakdale last summer that patrolled the streets armed and in military gear ahead of a black lives matter protest that never happened. This group also faced quick condemnation from local police

Rockey said he’s looking to recruit electricians and plumbers, but also expresses beliefs in a future civil war and that militias area legal

According to Georgetown Law, all 50 US states have laws against private paramilitary organizations.

Doug Rockey said he intends to keep moving forward with his effort to create a peaceful militia.

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