The more historical context you know (i.e. that Portland was a mob town into the 60s) the more grimly hilarious this official history of the Portland Police Reserves gets.

“Like sure we started in the 1920s as ‘Vigilantes’ but that was just the custom of the time. The important thing was legitimate businessmen giving Christmas turkeys to the poor!”

“Not only did this ‘rough and tumble bunch’ of uniformed, armed, lightly trained but unpaid men offer flexibility and support on missions like prostitution stings, but they’re civically involved, pushing for things like higher police salaries!”

“Also since 2011 they can arrest anyone in Oregon”