Guardian Angels to step up Phila. subway patrols
The local chapter of the Guardian Angels, the volunteer security patrol, will increase its presence on Philadelphia subways, the group's founder said this afternoon.
The local chapter of the Guardian Angels, the volunteer security patrol, will increase its presence on Philadelphia subways, the group's founder said this afternoon.
The additional manpower comes in the wake of two brutal incidents during the last two weeks, said chief Angel, Curtis Sliwa.
The most recent eruption of violence occurred Tuesday afternoon when a 23-year-man was stomped into a coma following a fight on a pedestrian concourse at 13th and Market Street near the Market-Frankford Line. Two weeks ago, a man with a hammer attacked a dozing passenger on the Broad Street Line.
Reinforcements from the Angel's New York City chapter will bolster the local chapter's 30 members, Sliwa said.
Guardian Angels plan to assemble tonight at 13th and Market Streets to "raise some awareness of what's happening," said local commander Scott Gallagher.
"We're going out there to give people some peace of mind and make them as safe as we can," Gallagher said.
It is unclear how long the increased patrols will be in place.
Despite their good intentions, the Guardian Angels will not be able to ride the subways for free, or even at a reduced cost. They'll have to cough up the $2 fare just like every other commuter, Sliwa said.
"We'd be able to do more if we'd have more access to the trains," Sliwa said. "But everytime we go in, we get charged. It really makes our work costly."
