On Patrol With The Guardian Angels

The Guardian Angels were founded in 1979 by a then-young Curtis Sliwa who was concerned about crime in New York City’s subway system. Since then, the volunteer safety patrol, distinguished by its member’s distinctive red berets and satin jackets, has expanded to more than 130 cities in 13 countries.

Like the tide, there has been an ebb and flow in interest in the Guardian Angels. In New York City they used to be almost omnipresent on crime-ridden subways as some 4.5 million people (in pre-pandemic days) rode the system daily. But as crime declined, so did interest in the Angels. Their presence over the years become more of a novelty, and many Angels, who grew older and more established, hung up their berets -they thought- for good.

But now as police release increasingly frightening crime statistics, interest in the Guardian Angels has renewed. But they aren’t just riding subways. Now they also patrol crime ridden neighborhoods.

One such neighborhood they’ve been patroling is Manhattan’s Chinatown. Not really because of rampant crime. But ever since the pandemic, there’s been an increase in the number of racially motivated attacks in the neighborhood.

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa speaks with volunteers preparing to patrol Manhattan’s Chinatown

The Angels are a familiar sight in Chinatown. During an hour’s long afternoon patrol many people waved to and smiled at the Angels. There were several…