Fed-up by the rise of crime in her neighborhood in Milwaukie, Oregon, 65-year-old, Coy Tolonen has decided to put matters into her own hands — using a Glock handgun.
The grandmother of three has organized a neighborhood “Glock Block,” a group of pistol-packing elderly neighbors seeking to deter crime, KOIN 6 News in Oregon reported.
Tolonen decided to start the group when her home was broken into last Thursday, she fears, by the same man who had stolen a bronze statue from her backyard earlier that day.
“It just made my blood run cold because our grandkids are playing here a lot, and one of them could have been snatched just as easily as the statue,” she told ABCNews.com.
Now the breast cancer survivor has taken a class and joined-up with other neighbors with concealed carry permits to try to keep their neighborhood safe. The neighbors have put-up fliers in their windows with their stated motto: “This is a Glock Block, We don’t call 911.”
“These guys need to know if you’re going to pick on a little old lady, then lots of the ladies I know are packing [guns]. They’re sweet ladies but if it’s their life, I’m sorry you’re going to lose yours,” Tolonen said.
However, local law-enforcement isn’t enthused.
Sergeant Robert Wurpes of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office told ABC News, “What we’re really talking about here is property crime. We don’t think firearms are the answer to this problem. However, we do understand gun ownership is a right. We understand that it’s frustrating when people get things stolen or are victims of crimes. Our concerns come into play when guns are involved because they’re dangerous.”
Tolonen is standing her ground, setting up meetings and firing range sessions with her neighbors.
Her ultimate goal? “I just want criminals to think twice. I want my grandkids to be able to play in the yard. It’s time that we step up,” she said.
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