Is there a role for vigilantes in society?

When it comes to low level crime is it sometimes better to have a respected member of the community deal with trouble makers? Do we rely too much on the long arm of the law these days?

On one public housing estate in Darlington in northern England, a former boxer, “Fearless” Francis Jones, charges around six dollars a week – to deal with trouble makers. Shop keepers call him when rowdy teenagers gather outside their stores intimidating customers or throwing things at passing cars.  They say he responds immediately while the police force can take hours.