Guardian Angels rally Bath
Dozens volunteer for Guardian Angels chapter
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

PHOTO BY ROB PRICE Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa addresses area residents Thursday at the Days Inn in Bath. Thirty-one individuals signed up as volunteers for the street patrol organization and will undergo police background checks.

BATH - Thirty-one area residents ranging from teenagers to senior citizens formally volunteered last week to serve in a local branch of the Guardian Angels.

The group, founded in 1979 by Bronx native Curtis Sliwa, specializes in community foot patrols trained in public safety techniques.

Sliwa, joined by three of Guardian Angels, met with more than 45 people Thursday at the Days Inn, telling the audience, "This is Day One. ... It's your time to rise and shine."

The 31 volunteers will undergo police background checks. Those deemed eligible for Guardian Angel membership will then begin a threemonth training period that includes martial arts and physical conditioning, first aid and CPR training, and practice in street patrols and radio communication.

Sliwa first visited Bath in November 2006 at the invitation of village resident Patricia Gilbert to gauge interest in forming a local Guardian Angel chapter. Gilbert said she had hoped a Guardian Angel chapter could help crack down on criminal activity, particularly drug sales, in the village.

On Friday, Gilbert said she was "very pleased" with the previous night's turnout. "It's a good thing," she said, "and it can only get better."

Sliwa said he hopes to graduate eight to 12 individuals from the three-month training course, although he noted a local chapter could be formed with as few as four. Guardian Angel foot patrols, he noted consist of four-person teams.

Sliwa founded the Guardian Angels while working as a manager at a Bronx McDonalds. Since 1979, the group has grown to include more than 60 chapters located not only in the U.S. but Europe and Asia.