New York subway violence prompts return of volunteer vigilante group: should London follow their tracks?
The Guardian Angels, recognisable by their militant red berets and bomber jackets, returned to New York’s subways at the end of last year following a string of violent attacks.
New York founder Curtis Silwa stated that the Guardian Angels plan to increase their numbers, training and presence “as [they] did back in 1979”. CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
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As crime rates in London Underground stations increase, a City News study shows that 87% of Londoners believe that they would feel safer with the presence of a specially trained, non-police affiliated volunteer group, such as the Guardian Angels.
The “most horrific crime” calls for their return
In New York, on December 22th 2024, Debrina Kawam, 57, was set on fire whilst sleeping on a train. 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta-Calil was charged with her murder, at both first and second degree.
Guardian Angels founder, Curtis Sliwa described this as the “most horrific crime” ever committed in the subway system.
The returned presence of the Angels to New York marks a heightened level of disorder comparable to its 1970s “Fear City” era – characterised by rampant and violent crime against the background of economic crisis.
The London picture
Transport for London data shows an overall increase in the crime rate on the Underground.
The crime rate per million passenger journeys was at 11.2% in March 2018, increasing to 23% in 2021 and 24.9% on the same month in 2023.
March 2024 highlights a small decrease of 3.8% from the previous year.
Westminster is one of London’s underground stations which has seen an increase in crime rates in the past year.
Further, British Transport Police data shows that the rate of violence and sexual offences per 100,000 passengers has increased at Kings Cross St Pancras, Westminster, Tottenham Court Road, and London Bridge amongst others.
Indeed, busier stations have higher rates of reported crime than those that receive less passengers each day.
Westminster is one of London’s underground stations which has seen an increase in crime rates in the past year. CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
‘They didn’t do anything – literally nothing happened’
A recent City News study discovered that 72% of Londoners did not or would not report their experiences of violence or harassment to the British Transport Police.
Esme, 23, described the process as overly bureaucratic, confusing and lengthy. She was directed to contact multiple agencies and fill out various forms, all of which came to nothing.
A packed rush-hour tube had left her without choice but to sit on the floor. In an already imbalanced power dynamic, a man towered over her with his phone in her face showing explicit nude photos of himself for the entirety of her journey.
“Everyone’s just in such a rush the whole time” on the Underground, she said. Where faces become unrecognisable and surroundings are hazy, this kind of harassment benefits from a pardon that it would not receive in other areas of society. London Travelwatch also point out that different passengers are subject to different travel experiences, such as Black, Asian and Minority ethnic people, and women.
Esme suggests that having someone other than the police to deal with such issues would be a comfort to most passengers, “knowing that someone is always there would deter people from being so strange”, she said.
The volunteer group was set up in 1979, by McDonald’s night manager Curtis Sliwa (pictured), appalled by the crime he was a daily witness to. CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Its London Chapter followed a decade later, though received less financial support than their American counterparts, whose patrolling subway rides were paid for by the Mayor of New York.
Descent into London?
There have been little to no sightings of the red berets in the Underground over the past decade. Though in 2018, Andreas Schoyen, the National Director for the Guardian Angels in the UK, told This Morning that “police, local authorities, communities and individuals should work together to stand up” against increasing crime and violence.
This sentiment echoes the primary recommendation outlined by independent watchdog London Travelwatch. Their 2022 report on personal security, funded by the London Assembly, highlighted the need for active bystanders, who help victims in the moment or after the incident.
If the calling is there, much as it was in New York, the Guardian Angels could return to fulfil the active bystander role. Photojournalist Ian Duncan, who patrolled with the volunteers in the 90s, believes that their presence could benefit London today, particularly with issues such as knife crime.
Photojournalist spent a few nights with the London chapter in 1992. He saw them helping passengers in need on weekends. CREDIT: IAN DUNCAN
Londoner Siobhan Rastelli said that the group were ineffective and made no difference. Their powers to assist were uncertain, she said, and “incidents of sexual harassment continued to happen – every woman commuter would have experienced it”.
‘Tackling sexual offences is a priority’
The British Transport Police (BTP) said: “there is absolutely no place for sexual harassment or offences on the network. We have patrols of uniformed and specially trained plain clothes officers across the railway day and night to catch offenders and reassure passengers as they travel, along with over 150,000 CCTV cameras across the network”.
“We know that these crimes commonly go under-reported, that is why we continue to relentlessly campaign to encourage victims and witnesses to report to us – with this we expect the number of reports to continue to increase”.
BTP also launched the “Your Piece of the Puzzle” campaign in February of last year, urging all public information to be reported to convict serial offenders.
Guardian Angels UK HQ did not respond to City News on whether they would make an official return as their New York counterparts have done.
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HeadlineNew York subway violence prompts return of volunteer vigilante group: should London follow their tracks?
Short HeadlineWould London benefit from anti-crime group 'Guardian Angels' return?
StandfirstThe Guardian Angels, recognisable by their militant red berets and bomber jackets, returned to New York’s subways at the end of last year following a string of violent attacks.
As crime rates in London Underground stations increase, a City News study shows that 87% of Londoners believe that they would feel safer with the presence of a specially trained, non-police affiliated volunteer group, such as the Guardian Angels.
The “most horrific crime” calls for their return
In New York, on December 22th 2024, Debrina Kawam, 57, was set on fire whilst sleeping on a train. 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta-Calil was charged with her murder, at both first and second degree.
Guardian Angels founder, Curtis Sliwa described this as the “most horrific crime” ever committed in the subway system.
The returned presence of the Angels to New York marks a heightened level of disorder comparable to its 1970s “Fear City” era – characterised by rampant and violent crime against the background of economic crisis.
The London picture
Transport for London data shows an overall increase in the crime rate on the Underground.
The crime rate per million passenger journeys was at 11.2% in March 2018, increasing to 23% in 2021 and 24.9% on the same month in 2023.
March 2024 highlights a small decrease of 3.8% from the previous year.
Westminster is one of London’s underground stations which has seen an increase in crime rates in the past year.
Further, British Transport Police data shows that the rate of violence and sexual offences per 100,000 passengers has increased at Kings Cross St Pancras, Westminster, Tottenham Court Road, and London Bridge amongst others.
Indeed, busier stations have higher rates of reported crime than those that receive less passengers each day.
Westminster is one of London’s underground stations which has seen an increase in crime rates in the past year. CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
‘They didn’t do anything – literally nothing happened’
A recent City News study discovered that 72% of Londoners did not or would not report their experiences of violence or harassment to the British Transport Police.
Esme, 23, described the process as overly bureaucratic, confusing and lengthy. She was directed to contact multiple agencies and fill out various forms, all of which came to nothing.
A packed rush-hour tube had left her without choice but to sit on the floor. In an already imbalanced power dynamic, a man towered over her with his phone in her face showing explicit nude photos of himself for the entirety of her journey.
“Everyone’s just in such a rush the whole time” on the Underground, she said. Where faces become unrecognisable and surroundings are hazy, this kind of harassment benefits from a pardon that it would not receive in other areas of society. London Travelwatch also point out that different passengers are subject to different travel experiences, such as Black, Asian and Minority ethnic people, and women.
Esme suggests that having someone other than the police to deal with such issues would be a comfort to most passengers, “knowing that someone is always there would deter people from being so strange”, she said.
The volunteer group was set up in 1979, by McDonald’s night manager Curtis Sliwa (pictured), appalled by the crime he was a daily witness to. CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Its London Chapter followed a decade later, though received less financial support than their American counterparts, whose patrolling subway rides were paid for by the Mayor of New York.
Descent into London?
There have been little to no sightings of the red berets in the Underground over the past decade. Though in 2018, Andreas Schoyen, the National Director for the Guardian Angels in the UK, told This Morning that “police, local authorities, communities and individuals should work together to stand up” against increasing crime and violence.
This sentiment echoes the primary recommendation outlined by independent watchdog London Travelwatch. Their 2022 report on personal security, funded by the London Assembly, highlighted the need for active bystanders, who help victims in the moment or after the incident.
If the calling is there, much as it was in New York, the Guardian Angels could return to fulfil the active bystander role. Photojournalist Ian Duncan, who patrolled with the volunteers in the 90s, believes that their presence could benefit London today, particularly with issues such as knife crime.
Photojournalist spent a few nights with the London chapter in 1992. He saw them helping passengers in need on weekends. CREDIT: IAN DUNCAN
Londoner Siobhan Rastelli said that the group were ineffective and made no difference. Their powers to assist were uncertain, she said, and “incidents of sexual harassment continued to happen – every woman commuter would have experienced it”.
‘Tackling sexual offences is a priority’
The British Transport Police (BTP) said: “there is absolutely no place for sexual harassment or offences on the network. We have patrols of uniformed and specially trained plain clothes officers across the railway day and night to catch offenders and reassure passengers as they travel, along with over 150,000 CCTV cameras across the network”.
“We know that these crimes commonly go under-reported, that is why we continue to relentlessly campaign to encourage victims and witnesses to report to us – with this we expect the number of reports to continue to increase”.
BTP also launched the “Your Piece of the Puzzle” campaign in February of last year, urging all public information to be reported to convict serial offenders.
Guardian Angels UK HQ did not respond to City News on whether they would make an official return as their New York counterparts have done.
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