I was actually pretty impressed by the neighborhood watch program official from Dade County.
When she appeared on NPR, she was emphatic that a properly run program screens folks with the characteristics that have been reported about this guy, that properly run programs are affiliated with local law enforcement, that participants are trained not to carry guns, and that they are trained to not follow suspects. They are the eyes and ears, but not the arms of the law.
Regards,
D-Ray