By Jacob Rose
Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the vigilante crime prevention group Guardian Angels, harshly criticized the recent relocation of hundreds of homeless men into Upper West Side hotels and announced new neighborhood patrols at open meetings in Central Park on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Sliwa, an Upper West Side resident who is running for mayor in 2021, spoke before an upset crowd on Sunday at the West 72nd Street entrance to Central Park, expressing dismay at what he perceives to be the city’s mishandling of the situation.
Sliwa promised to “put a lid on” any criminal activity or public disturbances with neighborhood patrols. The New York Post reported after Saturday’s meeting that Sliwa had called for “assigning 60 people to the Upper West Side in different shifts.” Guardian Angels members are unarmed volunteers and wear distinctive red berets and Guardian Angels shirts. The organization has been around since the late seventies, when members patrolled city streets and subways. Many New Yorkers welcomed the organization during the height of the New York crime wave in the 80’s, though the group also ran into controversy; Sliwa acknowledged in 1992 that the group had faked crimes for publicity.
Several Guardian Angels stood behind Sliwa as he spoke on Sunday, and the rest of the crowd cheered on Sliwa as he tore into Mayor de Blasio, NYPD commissioner Dermot Shea, and other city officials.
John Mindell, a local who attended the meeting, supports the group. “They’re a presence. I remember them from the seventies, and I believe they can accomplish an inhibition in potential wrongdoings,” he said.
Sliwa faulted Mayor de Blasio for shifting over $1 billion from the police budget to social service programs, and NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea—another Upper West Sider—for not employing specialized police units which he claims used to be more present in and around homeless shelters.
“You get limited, if almost no, response,” he said. “And if in fact the police in the 20th or the 24th precinct respond, they really don’t seem to do what it is they’re supposed to do.”
In the 20th precinct, where most of the shelters are located, crime is down 10% this year, the commander there has noted.
Sliwa criticized the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and its commissioner, Steven Banks, for not involving the community in the decision to relocate the homeless men.
“This was imposed upon you with none of the typical standards of the Department of Homeless Services,” he said.He claimed the DHS is providing an inadequate level of treatment for the homeless men. “The Department of Homeless Services only does one thing: warehouse human beings. There’s no therapy, no services, no outreach,” he said.
Sliwa also criticized the DHS for what he believes to be a lack of transparency about how many sex offenders remain in the new shelters.
“[The DHS] acts like, oh we transferred them. But where did you transfer them to?” he said.
DHS did not respond to a request for comment.
What an opportunist and carnival barker this Curtis Sliwa is.
Classic NY character over the years. Didn’t he get shot a few years ago or was that faked too? Also, remember some serious drama and controversy regarding his very public divorce.
Mayoral candidate? come on…
Mayor DeBlasio, signing in under the name “GG” and leaving these kind of comments is not going to help your cause. Everyone can see right through it.
How can someone who has donated years of time to protect our neighborhood be described in such a manner? Everyone has hiccups in life. If you got beaten up on the street for 41 years I’d like to see how tall you stand.
exactly. Apparently it takes a real many to hide behind a keyboard and not physically do anything to protect and better the neighborhood.
“What an opportunist and carnival barker this Curtis Sliwa is” — and DeBlasio is not? Do you recall how he left NYC to run for President? Do you recall how he won the election, by putting his teenage son in front of the cameras? — “Didn’t he get shot a few years ago or was that faked too? Also, remember some serious drama and controversy regarding his very public divorce.” — A faked shooting?! He almost died! Yes, he’s been divorced. So what? Did he ex-wives accuse him of abuse of any kind? Nope. Where is the actual criticism? It doesn’t exist. This man actually CARES ABOUT NYC, and he’s not some carpetbagger; he’s been doing this for 40+ years! SLIWA FOR MAYOR!
Jesus, dude.
Yes, all that is correct. He would still be better than BDB.
Actually, I don’t disagree with you.:)
God help us all.
A sack of potatoes would do better than BDB.
Even if they’re mashed!
“What an opportunist and carnival barker this Curtis Sliwa is” — and DeBlasio is not? Do you recall how he left NYC to run for President? Do you recall how he won the election, by putting his teenage son in front of the cameras? — “Didn’t he get shot a few years ago or was that faked too? Also, remember some serious drama and controversy regarding his very public divorce.” — A faked shooting?! He almost died! Yes, he’s been divorced. So what? Did he ex-wives accuse him of abuse of any kind? Nope. You’re just stating things that have happened in his life, what does that have to do with anything? Where is the actual criticism? It doesn’t exist. This man actually CARES ABOUT NYC, and he’s not some carpetbagger; he’s been doing this for 40+ years! SLIWA FOR MAYOR!
While the NYPD was doing nothing to stop the looters, Curtis Sliwa and some of his members attempted to guard an area of stores. He was smashed in the head with a hammer because of it. Sliwa is 66 years old. An incredible New Yorker.
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-guardia-angels-attacked-by-looters-20200603-vio6syiv6fbqnijrtuezahzipi-story.html
Incredible as in NOT credible?
uuuh, no. This guy staged two (2) crimes against himself for publicity. He is a using public problems to promote himself. I don’t want him or his paramilitary in my neighborhood. If he wants to help organize and neighborhood watch amonst us that is fine and welcome, but not a branded presence.
Well do I remember. Amazing people fall for this stuff. Just hope no one gets hurt because back in the day there were not nearly as many guns.
Sounds like a publicity stunt to me. Also these guys in red are gonna mess with some of the wrong people and get hurt, because I’m sure there’s going to be a fair amount of profiling involved in their choices of suspicious characters. Sliwa is also a super right-wing radio shill, I thought the UWS had better values than to stand behind that type of character.
Check out the NYDN link posted above. These guys can handle themselves just fine.
From the NYDN article linked above: “The Guardian Angels linked arms as looters tossed lit fireworks at them. One of the looters attacked Sliwa and group member Aram Sabet. Others threw a bag of garbage at the Angels.
“They were hell bent on getting through us and getting to the McDonald’s, and we just held our ground,” Sliwa said, describing it as an “all-out battle.”
Seems like they can handle themselves just fine.
And you think standing by de Blasio is better? I’m sure you voted for him didn’t you? Gimme a break.
This is the only man speaking up for the people of this city. Thank you Curtis!
There was a high-profile Daily News article that suggested that Corey Johnson was giving those that voted “no” on the recent budget cuts (and thus, against his wishes) significantly lower discretionary budget allocations. He denies this, but the numbers suggest it might be the case.
Helen Rosenthal voted no (I believe she did so because she wanted deeper police cuts), and got reduced discretionary budget allocation, and thus perhaps has attracted Corey Johnson’s ire.
Given Corey Johnson had the WJ Hotel closed to shelter residents, and that these residents were then transferred into Helen’s district (the Lucerne) I wonder if there is a huge dose of politics in all this. To be sure, speculation, but if so Helen would be more on the receiving end of all of this rather than the architect.
To put this more succinctly, the speculation is:
Corey Johnson is flexing and punishing those who voted “no” on the recently passed budget. The evidence is the discretionary budget amounts members were given (see Shant Shahrigian’s Daily News article).
Helen voted “no” (wanting deeper police cuts) and is on the receiving end of his retribution. She gets a much-cut discretionary budget, *and, at about the same time*, Corey Johnson intervenes to close the WJ Hotel in his district (which was housing addicts), and these largely go to the Lucerne, when it first opens to addicts.
Call me a tin-hat-wearing nutter, but this kind of city-governing this sounds at least as plausible to me these days as some kind of objective process to find sites.
If it is true, it is beyond infuriating.
And here we are.
Honest question: The heyday of Guardian Angels was before my time, but in today’s environment (social and political), how effective would vigilantism be?
I wholeheartedly welcome Sliwa’s (or anyone’s for that matter) potential efforts in curbing crimes and QoL issues in the neighborhood but I have my doubts about enforcement from G.A. Hopefully they prove me wrong.
Hooray Curtis. The UWS needs you right now!
Vigilantism!
Vigilantism!
Hank ’em high!
Then hang ’em again!
He has my vote. Run, Curtis, run.
Finally a glimmer of hope from the disaster that de Blasio, Brewer and Rosenthal, and the DHS has wrought. Unfortunately our voices have not been heard until they placed these latest shelters in the West 70s & 80s.
Curtis, if you’re reading this, please don’t forget the families and residents of the West 90s and 100s that have had to deal with the dangerous shelters in our midst for years.
It’s about time we took back control of our safety and quality of life.
Agree 110%! Don’t forget the 90s and 100s. We have had an over-saturation of problems for years due to local pols allowing the area to be a dumping ground.
Curtis Sliwa will clean up NYC, THEN we can re-balance things.
“Things Fall Apart”
Yes, this may make some people smile, perhaps:
But the beginning of the end of our neighborhood began with the loss of hundreds of parking spaces for the construction of electric bike lanes — no thought given to the middle-class Upper West Sider who uses his or her car daily to get to his job out of town. And we did not protest, not really.
It continued with the daily threat to UWS pedestrians, who now have to look five ways before and when crossing streets, and when walking in parks, to avoid getting struck by bicycles, e-bikes, electric scooters, and Revels (r.i.p.). And we did not protest, not really.
And because we had shown ourselves to be such patsies, and because our neighborhood had already begun to fall apart — we were willing (and even eager!) to put up with such affront — the city administration, sensing our weakness and fractured state, decided to place with us three homeless shelters all at once.
Because they sensed, quite correctly, that there was no more “us.”
Well we also cant seem to get rid of those booksellers on 72-73/Bway. The psychotic tall thin seller who screams at everyone…been there for years. The books are stored overnight with a filthy tarp..our streets are a storage unit. The entire UWS is a storage unit…just dump everything and everyone here….my neighborhood has become a public toilet. IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE. NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE ON THE UWS. THANK YOU DHS AND DEBLASIO AND THE VERY CORRUPT HELEN ROSENTHAL YOU ALL HAVE KILLED THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
A lot of upper west siders consider themselves liberal, and then find themselves inhibited by what that is supposed to mean, even though they disagree with what’s happening before their eyes.
the cancel-culture also hurts people from speaking out. people literally are afraid to speak out, for fear of being called racists, classists or whatever.
so I think instead of speaking out, they are more comfortable quietly “voting with their feet”and leaving.
If the police don’t do what they’re supposed to do, in Silwa’s view, why does he want to give them another billion dollars? Would they do what they’re supposed to do for another billion?
You’re not following the script. The NYPD isn’t doing what they’re supposed to do because the cuts make them feel irrelevant. The cuts weren’t intended to reduce the overall City budget; the money is being allocated to another department. There’s no confusion that they’re being told that another department can do parts of what used to be their job better.
Let them do what they have to do. It’s not like the NYPD is an effective police force.
Our next mayor
Bless you Curtis
+1
I’m not a fan of vigilantes, but thank God for the return of the Guardian Angels. I remember the difference they made for the city during the 80s and we all benefitted for many years thereafter.
The police are doing (or not) whatever they’re doing in reaction to DeBlasio. Fine. Cordon yourselves on West 82nd Street. You’re sidelining yourselves. (P.S. If crimes are down 10% this year, it’s only because the police are MIA on the streets to enforce the laws.).
Citizens need to take matters into their won hands and ignore the misguided policies of the DeBlasio administration and the toothless city council.
We need transparency in all this, including knowing the degree of social, addiction, and mental health services being offered to those being housed around the city. Hiding behind a contracted nonprofit will not shield the city from responsibility.
So far the crimes that keep getting reported here on WSR have nothing to do with the homeless shelters/hotels. There are shootings in the low 100s near Amsterdam. There was the stabbing at the 72nd St subway station.
But mostly what I read about the shelters is that the residents congregate on the streets without masks and make people feel “uncomfortable.” How are the Guardian Angels going to address “discomfort?” By harassing people that look like they don’t belong? That sounds more like the Jim Crow south than the Upper West Side of New York.
The WSR reports maybe 10-20% of what is actually happening. Check out the citizen app…72nd-79th and roughly 90th-105th are definitely hot zones of activity as of late…assaults, muggings, you name it.
Well there are additional sources for news and you could also take a walk over to those neighborhoods and see what’s happening for yourself. I’ve only been outside a handful of times since March and now I find that my neighbors and I can’t even go out to pick up groceries w/o being harassed. I signed up for the citizens app that notifies you when a crime is being committed in the neighborhood and the updates are non stop. Why do you think we’re hearing police sirens all the time?
My post was not published for some reason (eyeroll), but I tried to say exactly this. If you’re relying on this website for your local crime info, you are in for a big surprise when you start looking elsewhere.
Hi..funny my submissions are not printed as well..many times..eye roll as well. This time I named names at fault; I always felt WSR tried to help us but…when they print nonsense like “welcome” they become part of the problem not the cure.
My reply to Lynn was excluded as well.
I walk daily and see the people hanging out at 77th and 79th & Broadway. My biggest objection is that they don’t wear masks. But neither do a lot of people throughout the Upper West Side. We hardly need a vigilante group for that. And we actually shouldn’t have vigilante groups for anything in New York.
I have gone out and walked every day but two during the pandemic. I walk by both the Lucerne and Belleclaire hotels several times a week. What I see is what I wrote – residents hanging out without masks at 77th & Broadway and 79th & Broadway. I am bothered by the lack of masks more than anything, but I see that all over the UWS everyday. Perhaps Sliwa would enforce the mask edict and then he could actually save some lives. But, of course, he lacks authority to do most of what he purports to do anyway.
Where’s his mask?
It’s in his back pocket where is Deblasio’ S mask what a jerky remark.
Doesn’t do anyone any good in his back pocket.
Thank you ICNYC! I have seen the same CA out 2 nights in a row with the mask below his nose. As I am a medical provider, I always prompt to wear the mask correctly; the response has not been positive.
I am not happy with what I am seeing on the UWS but I do not think vigilantes are the answer. I had a run in with the GAs years ago when I was with a Black colleague from work. We were followed because the GAs didn’t think my friend belonged in the neighborhood (it was not the UWS).
Thank you Curtis
You got my vote
Just for accuracy, what the 20th Precinct Captain said was that Major Crime was down by 10% for the year. That is not the same as all crime, and not indicative of current conditions. Since this is a relatively new policy and its impact cannot be evaluated against year-to-date Major Crime statistics. What the UWS needs is real-time crime statistics, that can be compared to similar time periods, including all crimes. Unfortunately, since the City no longer allows enforcement of QOL laws, that data will be MIA.
I am so grateful that Curtis Sliwa is on the scene, and I hope he gets elected Mayor, and does a fantastic job.
I hope every friend of God arises and prays for our City, and the Guardian Angels.
It was a very similar situation in New York City when the Guardian Angels first came into being.
It really seemed hopeless, but look what happened. It wasn’t. We rose again with God’s help and brave people of faith like Curtis Sliwa and the Guardian Angels.
Thank you Curtis! We need you.
Perhaps he is an opportunist but at least he is doing something. Unlike the wealthy who fled to their second or third homes, the vacationing board 7, the waffling lame duck rosenthal with aspirations to be the next scott stringer, or the pointless deblasio.
Hey Chris, if you had a 2nd or 3rd home I bet you would be there right now instead of having to put up with the sorry state of the UWS.
Can you really blame them for leaving behind the mess this area has become?
Who cares whether people fled the City for their other homes. Why does it bother you so much? Is there something they’re supposed to do by hanging out here? You come off as jealous that others have more wealth than you.
The UWS’s very own Trump, cynically exploiting fear and fear of change. Just substitute “homeless” and “drug addicts” for “Mexicans” and “Muslims.”
Hi Ken! I am both Mexican (born and raised) and a long time UWS resident. I have always felt welcomed by the community here. I find your comment offensive.
Go Ken!
Right on
Whether or not the Guardian Angels actually make a difference, although I’ve seen them on the street and now feel safer (where are the police?), It sends a clear and very loud message to our current administration and elected officials: DO SOMETHING ALREADY!!!
Curtis Slewa and the Guardian angels helped us out on the upper east side growing up. He’s done so much good for NYC and everyone should applaud him and his angels. Don’t bring up what he’s done wrong rn. Appreciate him and anyone who joins to help out. I just joined the patrols. You can too. We need a positive strong presence…..A deterrent in the neighborhood. Who ever posted something negative …. take it down. We don’t need that bs right now. IW
Thank you: there were times on the #1 train when I felt endangered, and wondered where the Guardian Angels were. When I saw them on the trains I felt safe, and only wondered where the NYPD was. Thank you, Curis Silway and all members of the GA!
Please move everyone to the Javits Center. It was outfitted as a hospital has plenty of room and in a neighborhood that can absorb them more easily.
They don’t wear masks so all this hub bub about protesting them is a farce. They are passing it to all the upper west Siders!
Moving them to Javits – Good solution for the community but not the hotel owners. They’re making bank on the backs of the community I’m afraid…
Even better, bring back the red cross ship. Many of the residents of the Lucerne need medical assistance. It seems like they are just being parked there, which helps no one. Put them on the ship and bring in doctors, social workers, drug treatment counselors, etc. to help them. And make sure that they cannot get access to their drugs of choice on the ship. It really isn’t that hard.
The Javits Center is an excellent idea; it will be a long time before any conventions are held there, and clearly it’s already set up to handle lots of potentially sick people.
That’s a very good idea!! But I’m sure the landlords of Hudson Yards would object. And as they’re developers what they say counts much more than tax-paying citizens do. Bill d B and others may find a big hole in their property tax piggy bank when more and more UWS taxpayers leave this town. How many years can you actively try to create solutions to the declining quality of life in your neighborhood without being listened to while your taxes double in 5 years, before packing up and leaving?
Why would you want to do something that detrimentally affects those landlords who have invested huge sums of money to create something that totally transformed that part of the City? Are you denying that there have been benefits from the Hudson Yards development?
Thank you Curtis and Angels for neing visible and making a difference in our community!
Good to hear the westside needs all the help we can get
Just wait until all the kids go back to school and see what is going on in the neighborhood
Curtis seems approachable and in tune with the challenges the city is facing. He didn’t call us racist because we expressed concerned about crime. He seems tuned in with how the system works. And….for the first day in 2 weeks, when I walked out of my building. I saw a red beret and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Like how I felt in the Dinkins years when I saw them on the subway. Guardian Angels, I welcome you to the UWS!
I am with Curtis Sliwa. The Guardian Angels are not vigilantes and are better trained than some of the police.
What a hypocrite Curtis Sliwa is. I just saw him walking around with other Guardian Angels & HE WAS THE ONLY ONE OF THE GROUP NOT WEARING A MASK. How can you protect the people when you are not following the very guidelines put in place to do just that?
I told him to put on a mask & he just smiled – a phony indeed
and he is running for Mayor!! Sliwa staged crimes for publicity. I have a hunch he will be jumper for joy if something happens here and he and GA are in the thick of it. An untrained, uncredentialed, unccountable pseudo militia is not useful, and since they are motivated for an incident they just serve as provocation. Go away.
You go Angels! – I didn’t know Curtis is an UWSer – but I glad he is!
Thank you, Curtis! We need you right now!
The DHS is delinquent in not providing some oversight of its clients: many of the residents of these local hotels are just fine, but the few uncontrolled are creating more problems than the DHS seems able to handle. I’d like to hear from DHS how they are dealing with the outliers. We were fortunate to have Curtis and his crew when they were needed, and if the NYPD or the MTA is not providing help when it is needed, I hope Curtis & Co can continue their support. Otherwise I’ll have to walk home or find a taxi. Focus, people: his divorce is not an issue, the safety of train riders was and is.
Welcome Curtis and the Guardian Angels to the UWS.
Thanks so much. We remember feeling much safer when your team was helping NYC in the 1980’s.
Big fan of curtis growing up in nyc he has helped city out lot
I feel strongly that many of these DHS or HRA Shelters should change there approach within their Shelters guidelines. More conservative,guidelines that require more rules of domestic development that will improve the situation greatly that will revert these common factors
I hope the police department keeps a close eye on Sliwa and his cronies. They should be arrested if they harrass anyone, homeless or not. We have no need of vigilantes on the UWS.
Why is Bruce Bernstein allowed to call people he disagrees with a “fascist” but I’m banned from WSR?
Please explain the double standard.
Dude- you’re here now, so how are you banned?
Curtis has worn his uniform proudly all these years. I welcome his help. To trash him is to show your ignorance. He may never be your best friend but he’s aiming to keep the streets safe not a popularity contest. I appreciate all his angels who make it safer for me to walk my dog Late at night. Thank you Curtis and your angels.
I’m impressed and reassured that Sliwa recognizes that these homeless shelters require supportive services. If they had provided that, there might not be these problems.
I’m also happy to see reports of him sitting down and talking with some homeless people. The police could learn from that. I don’t always agree with Sliwa, but he knows the city and all its neighborhoods extremely well.
Just one quibble: why is he not wearing a mask? I wish he would, and that he might encourage the crowds of homeless men on traffic islands to do the same.
Absolutely disgusting to see all the people encouraging vigilantism.
They should stand outside CVS on 86th and Amsterdam and wait for the shoplifters. A friend works there and she tells me it’s an absolute free-for-all for thieves. No one is ever stopped or arrested. The staff aren’t allowed to intervene even if they see people stealing. Plenty of people doing their weekly grocery shopping there and not paying for any of it!
It’s very sad if you are grocery shopping at CVS.
saw one of the “patrols” taping a poster to a stoplight. Nothing like committing petty crimes to engender respect for the law. These are opportunists, untrained, unaccountable, and motivated by publicity. don’t want them here.
Since the 70’s, the UWS community worked hard to create a wonderfully diverse neighborhood. We have thankfully thrived through all the city’s disasters including this pandemic but this last month we’re witnessing an alarming slide in all areas of quality of life.
Actually relieved to learn Curtis Sliwa is an UWSer willing to do something about it! If you’ve tried to ask for assistance, you know we need his big voice. I totally support his effort and feel fortunate we are trying to tackle these issues before it gets out of control. Been to San Francisco or Seattle lately??
Looks like he has just started his mayoral campaign.
Yesterday, walking up B’way on about 88th St. just past the Wells Fargo Bank, a woman came up behind me an punched me in the arm. She then started screaming at me to leave her alone. Was she crazy? Yes. Did she hurt me? Not really. But am I tired of seeing homeless people camped on the sidewalks, under scaffoldings, setting up shop at the sidewalk WiFi stations? I am. Am I proud to be a NIMBY? No, but that is how I feel. Four shelters in an approx 10 block radius is just not right.
All you “Law & Order” and police worshiping types that are screaming about the neighborhood, go ask the NYPD what they think about The Guardian Angels and this joker Sliwa.
We need serious people to get this city back together. Maybe Ray Kelly or someone like that would be a good replacement for De Blasio? Not this Sliwa.
Ray Kelly 2022