Guardian Angels#CyberAngels

{{See also|History of the New York City Subway#Decline|l1=Decline of the New York City Subway}}

In the beginning, New York City Mayor Ed Koch publicly opposed the group. Over the years, the controversy has diminished. As citizen involvement and outreach have increased, there has been less public opposition to the group by administration officials. Koch later reversed his stance on the organization,{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,949448,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070219011132/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,949448,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 19, 2007 |title=Guardian Angels' Growing Pains |magazine=Time |date=January 18, 1982|url-access=subscription}} and former New York City Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg have publicly supported the group.

The original and main Guardian Angels activity is "safety patrol" in which members walk the streets or ride transit. Guardian Angels must be in uniform to represent the organization. They can be identified by their red berets and red jackets, or white T-shirts with the red Guardian Angels logo of an eye inside a pyramid on a winged shield.

Chapters operate similarly to franchise networks by supporting one another regionally under standard rules, regulations, and training. The Guardian Angels state that it is an equal opportunity organization that encourages diversity.

The organization accepts volunteers who have no recent or serious criminal record and are not members of a gang or racial-hate group. To join the safety patrol program, members must be at least 16 years old; youth programs for younger applicants are offered. Safety Patrol members are prohibited from carrying weapons and are physically searched by each other before patrolling. They are trained in first aid, CPR, law, conflict resolution, communication, and basic martial arts. Members are paired up and follow the directions of a patrol leader. If their own or other citizens' lives or health are endangered, they are allowed to do whatever is lawful and necessary.

The Guardian Angels have also begun to include youth programs, teacher programs, disaster response, an Internet safety program called the CyberAngels, and self-defense courses, as well as community outreach program to address issues beyond crime.

The Guardian Angels do not demand or ask for money on the subway.

In the 1980s when they were often seen on the subways, imitators would dress in clothing similar to the Guardian Angels' characteristic dress (including red berets) to impersonate them and solicit money.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/20/nyregion/new-york-day-by-day-impostors-in-subways.html|title=NEW YORK DAY BY DAY; Impostors in Subways|first1=David|last1=Bird|first2=David W.|last2=Dunlap|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 20, 1986}}

CyberAngels was founded in 1995 by Colin Gabriel Hatcher as an online "neighborhood watch." Originally, the group monitored chat rooms directly with the intent of apprehending sexual predators.{{Cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Milly |date=January 27, 1997 |title=Watching you? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/watching-you-1285452.html |access-date=February 11, 2025 |website=The Independent}} Later, the group took what it had learned and changed its focus to educating police, schools, and families about online abuse and cybercrime. In 1998, CyberAngels received a Presidential Service Award. MacSupport.com founder Tony Ricciardi was an early member of the group.

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File:Miami angels.jpgOutside of New York City, the Guardian Angels first established chapters in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Fresno, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston,{{cite news |last1=Farnsworth |first1=Phil |last2=Garboden |first2=Clif |title=Angels eyed: Photographing Boston's citizen safety patrols |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_boston-phoenix_1982-03-30_11_13/page/n103/mode/1up |access-date=12 August 2024 |work=The Boston Phoenix |date=30 March 1982}} Denver, London, Toronto, Dallas, Tokyo, Houston, Cape Town, Auckland, Savannah, Seattle, and York. Subsequently, the organization established chapters in smaller cities, such as the cities of Springfield and Brockton, Massachusetts; Sacramento and Stockton, California; and Portland, Maine. In May 2011, a chapter was organized in Indianapolis. The Los Angeles, York, Pennsylvania, and Sacramento Chapters worked with official law enforcement officers and agencies.

The Tampa Bay region of Florida has had two Guardian Angels chapters. The first Tampa chapter was established in 1984 and lasted until 1992. A second chapter was established in 1999. In 2017, when the Seminole Heights serial killer was active, the Tampa Bay chapter patrolled the streets of the Seminole Heights neighborhood.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fox13news.com/news/local-news/guardian-angels-seminole-heights|title=Guardian Angels' patrol of Seminole Heights continues through Halloween|website=FOX13news|date=28 October 2017}}

The Guardian Angels have been active in Orlando, Florida, due to the increase in murder and crime rates.{{cite news | url = http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/03/31/guardian_angels_launch_city_patrol_expand_across_us/ | title = Guardian Angels launch city patrol, expand across US | work = Boston Globe | date = March 31, 2007 | access-date = 2007-07-24 | first1=Suzanne | last1=Smalley}}

In 2016, the Washington, D.C. chapter announced they would increase their presence on the Washington Metro following an increase in violent crime.{{cite news | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2016/01/08/dc-guardian-angels-group-says-it-will-patrol-metro-more-this-weekend-after-attacks/ | title = DC Guardian Angels group says it will patrol Metro more this weekend after attacks | newspaper = Washington Post |date = January 8, 2016 |first1=Dana |last1=Hedgpeth}}

A Guardian Angels chapter actively patrolled in Sydney in the early nineties but disbanded shortly.{{Cite web |title=American Guardian Angels told to go home - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/05/07/American-Guardian-Angels-told-to-go-home/6788705211200/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=UPI |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |date=1992-08-25 |title=GUARDIAN ANGELS TO PATROL AUSTRALIA FOR THE 1ST TIME |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1992/08/25/guardian-angels-to-patrol-australia-for-the-1st-time/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Orlando Sentinel |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=May 7, 1992 |title=SYDNEY OFFICIALS SAY THEY DON'T WANT GUARDIAN ANGELS PATROLLING TRAINS |url=https://www.deseret.com/1992/5/7/18982775/sydney-officials-say-they-don-t-want-guardian-angels-patrolling-trains/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}

A chapter was formed in Canberra, the capital city of Australia in 2008. Some school and internet-safety programs were conducted before the chapter was closed.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

In 2017, a branch was formed in the city of Logan in Queensland. They started patrolling local parks but have since been patrolling the streets and other public places.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}} In 2019, Guardian Angels began patrols in Melbourne and closed 12 months later in 2020.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

Image:Guardian Angels 1 (cropped).jpg, Alberta, on March 24, 2007, a group of Guardian Angel trainees did one last training patrol, the day before their expected graduation day. They toured the East side of the downtown.]]{{More citations needed|section|date=February 2025}}

A Toronto chapter was originally formed in 1982 and ran until 1984. A smaller chapter ran briefly in the Parkdale area of Toronto in 1992–1993 but disbanded.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}} The 2005 Boxing Day shooting resulted in the death of teenager Jane Creba on a busy downtown street and provoked renewed attention to law-and-order issues in Canada. Curtis Sliwa stated that he had been contacted by many Torontonians interested in having a local chapter. On July 13, 2006, a new chapter of the Guardian Angels Canada was formed in Toronto. However, both mayor David Miller and police chief Bill Blair stated they were not interested in trying what had not worked twice before.[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/guardian-angels-get-bumpy-ride-in-toronto-1.586154 'Guardian Angels get bumpy ride in Toronto'], CBC News, January 14, 2006 When Sliwa arrived with three other Angels, Miller declined to meet with them, stating that police work was best left to the police. Despite the opposition of the mayor, community groups, and the police chief, the Toronto Chapter moved ahead. 2006 mayoral candidate Jane Pitfield expressed her support for the Guardian Angels, as did former television anchor Peter Kent and former professional boxer (and now radio talk show host) Spider Jones.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}} Toronto's first group of Guardian Angels hit the streets Thursday, July 13 for their inaugural patrol in the city's downtown core. The group's official launch in Toronto came just two days after members were forced to move their graduation ceremony from a seniors residence on Dundas Street.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

A Vancouver chapter was in operation as of November 2006. There was a chapter there in the early 1980s. Some of the alumni from that group are assisting with the new chapter.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

An attempt to organize a chapter in Ottawa failed due to police and city refusing to cooperate, as well as a negative reaction and lack of interest from the majority of its population.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

A Calgary chapter was set up, with the first group finishing its training in March 2007.{{cite news | url = http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=b250c7ff-dfd9-47ed-aac5-55e043e188e1&k=18624 | title = Angels test their wings | work = Calgary Herald | page = B3 | date = March 25, 2007 | access-date = 2007-03-25 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071030201008/http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=b250c7ff-dfd9-47ed-aac5-55e043e188e1&k=18624 | archive-date = October 30, 2007 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}

A Halifax chapter is in operation as of May 2008. Recent outbreaks of violent crime in Halifax had prompted citizens to contact the Guardian Angels, urging them to start a chapter.{{cite news | url = http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=61369&sc=89 | title = Guardian Angels visiting Halifax | work = The Daily News | date = September 11, 2007 | access-date = 2007-09-11 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071031033146/http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=61369&sc=89 | archive-date = October 31, 2007 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}{{cite web|url=http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/882168.html|title=Nova Scotia News – TheChronicleHerald.ca|access-date=29 September 2017}}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

As of 2024, there is no record of active chapters in Canada.

In 1993, local Guardian Angels were founded in several German cities like Berlin and Hamburg to patrol the local S-Bahn and U-Bahn facilities.{{Cite book|first=Martin|last=Beck|title=Wachen, kontrollieren, patrouillieren |chapter=Gefallen(d)e Engel? Die Guardian Angels in Berlin und Hamburg |date=September 15, 2004|pages=179–194|doi=10.1007/978-3-322-81012-0_10|isbn = 978-3-8100-4158-6}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/berlin-umstrittene-engel_aid_141201.html|title=Umstrittene Engel|first=FOCUS|last=Online|website=FOCUS Online}} Currently, the Guardian Angels are still active in Hanover and have been renamed Schutzengel, which is the German translation of the English denomination.{{Cite web|url=https://schutzengel-hannover.de.tl/Wir-.ue.ber-Uns.htm|title=SCHUTZENGEL HANNOVER – Wir über Uns|first=Frank|last=Rumpf|website=schutzengel-hannover.de.tl}}

A local organization of the Guardian Angels was formed in Japan in 1996. The Guardian Angels Japan has chapters in most of the major cities and is second only to America in membership and activities. Keiji Oda, the founder and president of the Guardian Angels Japan, joined the Boston and New York City chapters in the 1980s. The Guardian Angels concept faced opposition in Japan, but Oda succeeded in convincing Japanese officials that the organization would be run by Japanese members for the Japanese people,{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} and the principles of the organization were not just American but universal. Official acceptance culminated with a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2005. The Guardian Angels were the first community organization in Japan to be awarded non-profit status.{{cite web|url=http://www.japantoday.com/jp/feature/954|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061110184653/http://www.japantoday.com/jp/feature/954|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 November 2006|title=Japan Today article about the Angels|access-date=29 September 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070919a2.html|title=Cops to offer ¥100,000 for tips that catch sex traffickers|date=19 September 2007|access-date=29 September 2017|via=Japan Times Online}}

In 2007, a chapter formed in Mexico City led by the Canadian professional wrestler Vampiro.{{cite news| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2007/12/05/2007-12-05_former_wrestler_vampiro_to_take_bite_out.html | location=New York | work=Daily News | title=Former wrestler 'Vampiro' to take bite out of Mexico City crime | first=Rich | last=Schapiro | date=December 5, 2007}}

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In January 2006, the Guardian Angels opened its New Zealand Headquarters in Henderson, a suburb of West Auckland, New Zealand. The New Zealand National Director was Andy "Chieftain" Cawston.

New Zealand's inaugural Guardian Angels Patrol was held on January 13, 2006. The Guardian Angels were active in South Auckland for a short while.

On August 30, 2007, Curtis Sliwa graduated from the Auckland CBD Chapter, led by Anna "Kimodo" Cruse. This Chapter's first official patrol was the following evening.

Members of the Wellington Chapter held their inaugural training and orientation Patrol on October 6, 2006, in the Auckland CBD.

Within New Zealand, The International Alliance of Guardian Angels was recognized and registered as a Charitable Trust for tax purposes. Their headquarters were in the Waitakere Community Center, Ratanui Street, Henderson. In 2016 the New Zealand chapters disbanded.

{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2021}}

Cybertanod, Role Model Cop, and the Barangay PeaceKeeping Action Team (BPAT) program of The Philippine National Police are some of the contributions of The Guardian Angels Philippines Chapter in Police organization. Joint police programs of the Guardian Angels resulted in national awards for officers and local police stations where the Guardian Angels work. The chapter covered Southern Mindanao and recently expanded into Northern Luzon. Today, the Philippines Chapter aims to spread the program in the Southeast Asia region and is currently developing an independent Citizen Police Organization concept for the region. The local chapter gathers support to host the 1st Joint Police and Guardian Angels Annual International Citizen Safety Patrol as its beyond border initiatives on Guardian Angels violence prevention — Global Public Safety awareness campaign. The effort in Southeast Asia is under the watch of Mike Zarate as National Director for Philippines.

The Guardian Angels South African Chapter was started by Carl Viljoen in 2004 in Cape Town.{{cite web|url=http://www.freewebs.com/guardianangelssa/|title=Guardian Angels South Africa – Dare to Care|access-date=29 September 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.shellseeker.co.za/ga.html|title=Guardian Angels – South Africa|access-date=29 September 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080328215534/http://www.shellseeker.co.za/ga.html|archive-date=28 March 2008}} Other chapters are in Kuilsrivier in the Western Cape and Potchefstroom, North West Province.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tangsoodosa.com/guardian_angels_potchefstroom.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828152554/http://www.tangsoodosa.com/guardian_angels_potchefstroom.htm|url-status=dead|title=Guardian Angels Potchefstroom|archive-date=August 28, 2008}}{{cite web|url=http://www.guardianangels.org/safety_full.php|title=Guardian Angels Chapter List|access-date=29 September 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605205208/http://www.guardianangels.org/safety_full.php|archive-date=5 June 2008}}

{{unreferenced section|date=January 2020}}

In London, the Guardian Angels are an independent, non-profit, non-political voluntary organization whose main purpose is to tackle violent crime, act as positive role models for young people, and serve local communities. This branch was formed on May 14, 1989, but by 2007, their numbers had dwindled almost to zero.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} In the United Kingdom, the law requires that people use only "reasonable force" as appropriate to the situation, which leads Guardian Angel training to focus on using the minimum possible force and only to use force to prevent a dangerous situation from escalating. All violent crimes are reported to the police, and intervention leading to citizens' arrests (legal in Britain) or use of force is only employed in extreme cases. Guardian Angels in the UK are unarmed but all fully trained in self-defence, first aid, and law for personal and community protection.

The London Chapter seemed dormant for several years.{{Cite web|title=Guardian Angels to patrol our streets|url=https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/15887730.guardian-angels-patrol-streets/|access-date=2021-11-03|website=Echo|date=22 January 2018 |language=en}}

In 1992, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa issued a public apology for faking several subway rescues in the 1980s in order to get publicity for the group.{{Cite news |last=Gonzalez |first=David |date=Nov 25, 1992 |title=Sliwa Admits Faking Crimes For Publicity |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/25/nyregion/sliwa-admits-faking-crimes-for-publicity.html |work=New York Times}}

In October 2020, various individuals running for the New York City Council expressed concerns that the presence of the Guardian Angels might bring tensions to their neighborhoods.{{cite news|last=Garber |first=Nick |date=2020-10-14 |title=Guardian Angels Patrol UES, But Not Everyone Wants Them |url=https://patch.com/new-york/upper-east-side-nyc/guardian-angels-arrive-patrol-ues-who-wants-them-here |work=Patch |access-date=2021-02-05}}

In February 2021, Patrick Bobilin, a candidate for the New York State Assembly, posted a video to Twitter showing members of the Guardian Angels allegedly harassing and attacking protesters, including Bobilin, as they returned from a Stonewall Inn protest.{{Cite web|last1=Offenhartz|first1=Jake|date=2021-02-05|title=Self-Proclaimed Subway Defenders Seen Fighting With Riders In Video|url=https://gothamist.com/news/self-proclaimed-subway-vigilantes-seen-fighting-riders-video|access-date=2023-01-26|website=Gothamist|language=en-US}}

In February 2024, several members of the Guardian Angels shoved a man to the sidewalk and put him in a headlock during a live interview with Sliwa at Times Square. During the interview, which came a week after a widely publicized brawl between several migrants and NYPD officers, Sliwa stated that the man was a migrant. He also stated that the man had been caught shoplifting. In a later segment, he added "[...] Let's just say we gave him a little pain compliance, his mother back in Venezuela felt the vibrations. He's sucking concrete, the cops scraped him off the asphalt[...]" The NYPD later said the man was actually from the Bronx, and they did not provide evidence of the man shoplifting. Sliwa told The Associated Press he believed the man was a migrant because he spoke Spanish and had been encountered with other Spanish speakers on patrols. The man was issued a summons for disorderly conduct.{{cite web |title=On live TV, Guardian Angels rough up a man in Times Square then misidentify him as a 'migrant' |url=https://apnews.com/article/guardian-angels-times-square-migrants-curtis-sliwa-dacb23b7cfe0679d12642bca116543d4 |website=AP News |access-date=February 8, 2024 |date=February 7, 2024}}

• City Angels
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• Lisa Evers

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• [http://www.guardianangels.or.jp Guardian Angels Japanese chapters]

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Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City

Category:Organizations established in 1979

Category:1979 establishments in New York City

Category:Neighborhood watch organizations