Hannibal’s non-militia

12-20-2010 • syracuse.com

A funny thing happened on the way to creating the “Hannibal Militia.” Organizer Jon Alvarez learned from Oswego County Undersheriff Robert Lighthall that militias are illegal in New York state — except for the New York National Guard. No problem, said Alvarez. His goal all along was to organize a mutual-aid association, he said, sort of like a Neighborhood Watch. Undersheriff Lighthall says he’s all for a new group raising the level of community alertness — as long as members who see trouble call the sheriff or state police rather than take the law into their own hands.