ANGELS WITH A LOCAL SENSE

Downtown Victoria has many problems, and many people have committed
themselves to making the heart of our region a safe, welcoming place
once again.

As might be expected, there are more ideas on how to fix those
problems than there are problems themselves. There are questions, too,
such as: Would the Guardian Angels be part of the problem, or part of
the solution?

The Guardian Angels were founded in New York City 28 years ago. The
idea was simple -- it was time for residents to take back the city
from crime. The organization has moved beyond basic street safety
patrols, and now sees one of its prime roles as being an educator,
teaching communities and schools to take control and
responsibility.

The idea has spread from the Bronx. Today, the red berets of the
Guardian Angels can be seen in cities across North America, including
Vancouver and four other Canadian cities.

Members of the Vancouver chapter were invited here by local business
people who work on some of the streets where petty crime and drug use
have made things unpleasant. Their two visits were designed to assess
the need for a local chapter, as well as the interest in getting one
started.

Local involvement would be crucial, because it would be up to local
people to decide what a chapter could do here. It would not be imposed
on us from outside; it would run by local people, for local people.

A group in Victoria would not be facing the challenges seen in other
cities. The problems on our streets are usually based on bad behaviour
rather than violence. A local chapter would need to tailor its message
and its methods to the local needs.

Still, the effectiveness of the Guardian Angels in Victoria would
depend on how they are greeted by the people who frequent downtown --
everyone from the established business people to the homeless.

If the Guardian Angels prove to be kind and gentle -- yet firm when
needed -- they could provide downtown Victoria with an added sense of
home. Kind of like Neighbourhood Watch on foot.

Before that happens, though, we need to get a better sense of what
specifically the organization could offer Victoria, which has problems
unlike those of the other cities it serves.