New York City’s Guardian Angels have returned to combat a new wave of crime.
The crimebusters have been off duty for more than two decades, but they had been a common sight around Central Park which in the 1980s was a no-go area even in daylight hours.
Their distinctive bright red jackets and berets were their symbol. They have donned these again because they said crime has been rising. The murder rate for the city went up by 9% so far this year, although other serious crimes were down by 5%.
Nevertheless the rates are far lower than they were two decades ago, down by 80% according to the NYPD.
"We realise things are much better than they were" in the crime peak of the 1980s and early 90s, said Curtis Sliwa, the group's founder, but "we want it to stay that way."
The Guardian Angels see it as their role to deter crime and defuse potential problems, but they say they are ready to call the police and make citizens’ arrests if needed.
Their first patrol of 2015, consisting of nine Angels, involved patrolling paths and dark trails at night, shining flashlights into undergrowth and moving people along.
The group formed in 1979 to help bring Central Park back into sanity. People in other cities followed the formula, with some 5,000 members today in 18 countries today, according to Mr Sliwa.
The Central Park angels have sometimes attracted controversy, leading some to view them as publicity-seeking vigilantes while others applaud them as tough neighbourhood watch heroes.
