The Return of the Guardian Angels Highlights the Failures of NY Leadership
A clear indication that leaders in New York have completely failed to instill a sense of safety among riders: the Guardian Angels are making a comeback in the subways.
Founder Curtis Sliwa announced on Sunday that the volunteer group will resume patrolling the subway system after a four-year break due to alarming crime rates and the horrifying arson murder of a woman who was reportedly homeless on December 22.
Sliwa expressed his intention to increase recruitment to levels seen in the 1970s and enhance training, stating he had “never seen” subway crime as severe as it is currently.
To underscore Sliwa’s assertion, an incident occurred the following day when a man had his throat slashed during an altercation on a C-train platform.
The office of Mayor Adams dismissed the Angels’ return as a “meaningless stunt,” which may hold some truth—most of their role is symbolic. Their patrols can only offer wellness checks on those experiencing mental health issues or homelessness, monitor for suspicious activities, and alert law enforcement to potential problems.
Nevertheless, every set of observant eyes is beneficial, as is any visible enforcement at a time when many New Yorkers feel justifiably fearful about entering the subway system, worried about being stabbed, robbed, or even pushed onto the tracks—let alone more severe consequences.
Consider the recent weeks: On Christmas Eve, a man attacked a victim, stabbing a man in the wrist and a woman in the throat at Grand Central. The same day, Sebastian Zapeta-Calil allegedly set a woman on fire and left her to perish on the F train, and two individuals were stabbed in the face and chest on the 7 train.
Just days prior, a disturbed individual stabbed a random passenger on the Q train.
Murders in the subway system have surged by an alarming 60% so far this year, and that’s with ridership still significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels.
While Governor Hochul insists that her deployment of National Guardsmen has improved safety, she has yet to take the most critical step needed to protect New Yorkers: removing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Mayor Adams increased police presence in the subways earlier in March, but the effectiveness of that approach is significantly diminished when perpetrators are continually released back onto the streets by lenient prosecutors and judges.
At the same time, 58,000 criminal migrants are roaming the streets of New York City, a consequence of the Biden administration’s open-border policies.
The subways have become treacherous environments; those who continue to use public transportation inevitably share spaces with repeat offenders and individuals with serious mental health issues.
Regardless of one’s opinion on the Guardian Angels and their distinctive red uniforms, they represent a logical and beneficial response to the glaring public safety void left by New York’s leaders.
And this void is certainly glaring.
