Minneapolis residents ready to defend against looters fearing no help from police

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - As soldiers, police, and troopers have pushed through the Twin Cities in hopes of restoring order after days of riots, some residents have decided to defend themselves from any trouble.

FOX 9 caught up with one group, some armed with bats, that have decided to protect their own block in the area of 16th Avenue and 28th Street.

Members of the group say they are concerned someone might threaten them or their neighbors and police might be unable to respond.

Tanya, who was among the group, says she has no assurance that police would be able to help out if looters or burglars attempted to access their homes or troublemakers tried to set a fire.

"We are just trying to protect the residential areas here," explained Tanya. "This is our neighborhood. This is all we have and we can't have it burned down or torn apart by people who aren't from here."

Tanya was joined by a large number of her neighbors looking to intervene. Thankfully, Tanya says the group hasn't seen many issues. Instead, they've seen a lot of people trying to get out of the city.

However, Tanya says the group will be on watch all night if need be.

"There's no one else to protect us, so we have to do it ourselves," she said. "[Police] can't go everywhere, they can't be everywhere."

Not far away, FOX 9 also encountered a group ready to protect and defend a store in Minneapolis armed with guns. That group expressed similar concerns about the threat presented by looters.

City and state leaders however are urging people to stay home and stay inside while soldiers and police work to secure the city.