Guardian Angels fly back to Hub

Guardian Angels fly back to Hub

By Laura Crimaldi | Tuesday, October 12, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage

Photo by AP (file)

The red-beret Guardian Angels are making a comeback in Boston, three years after their last foray sputtered amid an embarrassing scandal.

Members of Guardian Angels chapters based in Brockton and Florida have been conducting patrols for the last month in Downtown Crossing, the Theater District and Chinatown.

“We’re there to help. We’re not there because the police aren’t doing a good job,” said Ian Grace, 38, a Guardian Angels Brockton chapter member.

While overall crime is down 4 percent this year, according to Boston police, homicides are up about 37 percent with 55 so farthis year compared to 40 at this time last year.

Grace’s goal is to launch an all-Boston charter of the Angels to take over for the Brockton and Florida members.

“We want the Guardian Angels to be made up of the community,” Grace said.

The group has been plotting their return for months, long before the Sept. 28 Mattapan massacre that killed four people, including a mother and toddler, and critically wounded a fifth man.

“We didn’t want to make it seem like we’re capitalizing on a bad event,” Grace said. “That would have been impeccably bad timing if we did.”

The group walks specific beats, tries to “de-escalate” any problems they encounter and immediately call police with trouble, he said.

The Guardian Angels got an icy reception from Mayor Thomas M. Menino and police Commissioner Ed Davis when they last flew into the Hub in 2007 after New Yorker Chiara Levin, 22, was gunned down in Dorchester.

The group disappeared, however, after a member of the Boston chapter was outed as a Level 2 sex offender. A New Bedford chapter also recently disbanded.

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa said yesterday he’s not involved in the latest effort to bring the crime-watch group back to Boston.

“It’s a good, local home-grown effort,” Sliwa said. “It proves one man or one woman can make a difference and it has nothing to do with Curtis Sliwa.”

A Boston police spokeswoman meanwhile said all help is welcome.

“We encourage all residents and visitors to our city to function as eyes and ears to police,” said police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll.

But Pastor Bruce Wall, who let the group use his Global Ministries Christian Church as a headquarters in 2007, said he does not plan to be as “warm” with the Angels unless they plan on staying put.

“They really left without a warning,” Wall said. “They need to establish a base and make a commitment to stay here.”

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