Comics seem to tap into the urge by Americans, and people of the world to fight crime unhindered by the laws which allow criminals to go free, or force a police officer to avoid something wrong. Right now we have a film about a young man who dresses up as a costumed hero and fights crime. I see how there are groups of average people who dress as superheroes and do not fight crime but are active in patroling to avert it.
Now WI someone in the US took to going out and patroling to stop criminals? For the sake of arguement let us say in the 1980's when the US crime rate was at its high point, and men like Bernie Getz became popular for taking the law into his own hands, some person or persons went about a American city and "fought crime?"