Cops not fans of real-life superheroes

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SAN DIEGO, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Cops in California's San Diego County say the presence of two real-life costumed crime fighters is acceptable only under the correct conditions.

A police spokesman in Chula Vista, Calif., said when San Diego would-be superheroes Mr. Xtreme and MidKnight take to the streets to protect citizens, they should focus on non-violent forms of crime-fighting, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Saturday.

"Anyone who goes out and tries to assist law enforcement by handing out fliers and being proactive against the criminals is appreciated," spokesman Bernard Gonzales said. "But when you start physically involving yourself in crime fighting, that's vigilantism."

San Diego police Capt. Chris Ball agreed, saying the two amateur crime-fighters should stick to simply reporting crimes and serving as witnesses.

But Mr. Xtreme, whose identity is a secret, said he and his fellow crime-fighting members of an online superhero community are well within their legal rights.

"We don't harass people, don't violate their civil rights. First and foremost, we prevent crime," he said. "We do what we are allowed to do legally as citizens."