The world is changing as the geek culture of today flourishes and takes over the pop culture of yesterday. One of the more interesting influences that this alternative culture has had on the world comes in the form of real life superheroes. That’s right, they’re not just regulated to the pages of comics or the big screen anymore. People are putting on costumes and patrolling the streets, looking for crimes to fight, much like the movie
Kick-Ass.
This new breed of heroes are not all punch and kick, however. Many use their costumed personas simply for the purpose of doing charity work. Others participate in crime watch programs, looking for potential infractions of the law and then reporting their findings to more legitimate police forces. But some get more involved, using physical force to capture bad guys.
Though these activities are frequently condemned by police as dangerous to those involved, there are actually laws in place that support the costumed lawmen. Citizen’s arrest laws allow a person who witnesses a crime to legally apprehend the offender as long as they turn them over to the police. After that, it’s treated just like a normal arrest for all intents and purposes.
