Bath Mayor, police chief welcome Angels' interest
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

BATH - Before Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa held a public meeting last week to assess interest in forming a local Guardian Angels chapter, he met privately with Bath Police Chief David Rouse and village Mayor David Wallace to assess the official reaction.

Rouse and Wallace say they welcomed Sliwa and the possibility of a local Guardian Angels presence.

"He wanted to meet with us," Wallace said later, "because they don't want to go into a community unless they have the blessing of the administration. We assured him, he and the Angles are welcome if they care to come here."

Rouse added he and Sliwa are on the same page when it comes to getting a community involved in fighting local crime.

"He talked about limited resources in public safety and the need for volunteers to step up to the plate," said the police chief, adding "the reluctance of many people to stand up and get involved" weakens the capacity of local law enforcement to respond to criminal activity."

But Rouse also noted the community's involvement in fighting crime already has been on the rise in the past two years. He specifically cited the formation of the Neighborhood Watch organization and the Bath Area Landlord Association. "I take my hat off to people who have dedicated their time," Rouse said.

Nevertheless, he added, if the community is interested in forming a local chapter of Guardian Angels, it will have the support of the police department. "If the will of the people is to start a local chapter, we're certainly not going to stand in their way," he said. "We'll support them however we can."

Sliwa was particularly interested, said Rouse, in the demographics of the area and told the officials he was familiar with the details relayed by the chief and Wallace. "From an economic standpoint, we noted the lack of good paying jobs," Rouse said. "He's been in more urban areas ...(but) he said the Angels are used to those demographics."

Following his meeting with Rouse and Wallace, Sliwa met with about 35 Bath residents at The Days Inn to review how a Guardian Angels chapter would work to combat local crime. The organization, he noted, works with established public safety organizations and government agencies. Volunteers receive training in self defense and first aid. The next step, he said, is an actual count of whether enough people are interested to form a local chapter.

Sliwa founded The Guardian Angels in 1978 in response to deteriorating public safety in New York City. The organization has received numerous honors since its founding, including the President's Volunteer Action Award in 1983, and has formed subsequent chapters in Los Angeles, Australia, London and Puerto Rico.