Posted on June 3, 2014

Armed Citizens Form Group to Keep Eye on French Quarter

Andy Cunningham, WDSU (New Orleans), May 29, 2014

In the French Quarter a new group is forming and ready to hit the streets.

They call themselves the French Quarter Minutemen and are made up of all volunteers who possess concealed handgun permits.

The founder told WDSU they are not vigilantes, but additional eyes and ears in an area of the city very sacred to them.

“We all share a common love for the French Quarter and we want its beautiful history to be preserved,” said Aaron Jordan.

Jordan said what inspired him to form the group was the severe beating of jazz musician Doug Potter [Ed: See here], who was attacked after a gig in the Quarter right outside the 8th District Police Station.

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He said they would obviously follow the law and not use force unless forced to.

Louisiana is an open-carry state, which means someone can openly carry a firearm in public.

Jordan said they wouldn’t openly carry their weapons.  As concealed carriers, their firearms would be hidden by clothing.

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Jordan said they would dress in plain clothes and likely walk in pairs looking for suspicious people and activity, then report it to police.

“With the way things are now, I don’t understand how this could be a bad thing,” said Jordan.

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In 2007, shortly after Hurricane Katrina, a similar group, the Guardian Angels, patrolled the streets of New Orleans.

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