OREGON ( STRONG arm of the LAW ) Posse -WALKING Tall

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Associated Press/Jeff Barnard - In this Oct. 12, 2012, photo, Sam Nichols, left, and Glenn Woodbury pose in front of Woodbury's pickup in O'Brien, Ore. The two men are part of a newly-formed neighborhood watch …more that does armed patrols around the rural area to deter crime since budget cutbacks have left the Josephine County Sheriff's Office with just three patrol deputies and limited jail space. (AP Photo/Jeff Barnard) less

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O'BRIEN, Ore. (AP) — There's no room in the county jail for burglars and thieves. And the sheriff's department in a vast, rural corner of southwest Oregon has been reduced by budget cuts to three deputies on patrol eight hours a day, five days a week.

But people in this traditionally self-reliant section of timber country aren't about to raise taxes to put more officers on the road. Instead, some folks in Josephine County, larger than the state of Rhode Island, are taking matters into their own hands — mounting flashing lights on their trucks and strapping pistols to their hips to guard communities themselves. Others have put together a virtual neighborhood watch, using Facebook to share tips and information.

"I believe in standing up for myself rather than waiting for the government to do something for me," said Sam Nichols, a retired marina manager.

Nichols has organized a posse of about a dozen fed-up residents who have started patrolling the small community of O'Brien, which has about 750 residents.

"We call ourselves the CAC Patrol, Citizens Against Crime," he said.