Guardian Angels
| Founded | February 14, 1979 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Curtis Sliwa |
| Focus | Public Safety |
| Location |
|
Area served | Global |
| Website | www.guardianangels.org |
The Guardian Angels is a non-profit international volunteer organization with the goal of unarmed crime prevention. The Guardian Angels organization was founded on February 14, 1979, in New York City, by Curtis Sliwa. Since then, it has expanded to more than 130 cities and 14 countries worldwide.
Sliwa originally created the Guardian Angels to combat widespread violence and crime on the New York City Subway system. The organization originally trained members to make citizen's arrests for violent crimes. They patrolled streets and neighborhoods without involving police or any outside authority, but also provided educational programs for schools and businesses.
Sliwa told The New York Post in December 2024 that the group's focus will shift to include conducting wellness checks on homeless individuals, as well as those who seem emotionally distressed.