GUARDIAN ANGELS' FIRST YEAR IN TOWN LEAVES INNER CITY DIVIDED ON THEIR WORTH

One year after the Guardian Angels announced plans to march onto
Edmonton streets, the citizen-led crime patrol group says they've made
the city safer.

Some community members, however, say the Angels are
invisible.

The unarmed citizen group which patrol streets in their signature red
berets does deter criminals, said Guardian Angels Edmonton chapter
founder David Schroder. He said members are trained to use "the
minimum force required to stop the attack and hold that person for the
police."

The Guardian Angels were founded in New York in 1979. Since then, they
have expanded to more than 100 chapters worldwide. In the Edmonton
chapter, members train Sundays and meet for at least one evening
patrol per week at 118th Avenue, downtown and Whyte Avenue, though
Schroder won't say what time they start. That might tip off criminals.

Despite the Angels' weekly patrols, Alberta Avenue Community League
president Karen Mykietka said as far as she knows, they aren't a
presence in her community along and just south of 118th Avenue. "I've
never dealt with them, I've never seen them," she said. "I don't know
what they do except walk around and look tough."

Alberta Avenue has developed its own effective citizen watch program
in conjunction with Edmonton police. "It's certainly making people
feel part of the solution," Mykietka said. It doesn't involve the
Guardian Angels, she said.

When the Angels announced their plans to form a chapter in Edmonton
last August, Edmonton police said they would collaborate with the
group, but would prefer people to join police-led citizen patrols
already in place.

The Angels were assigned a liaison in the downtown police division,
but that person has not heard from the group for several months,
Edmonton police spokesman Dean Parthenis said Thursday. They do attend
quarterly downtown collaboration meetings to talk about how to deal
with issues at some of downtown's grittier bars.

Their red berets have been spotted around the Mount Royal Hotel, the
Greyhound depot and the city's homeless shelters.

"I've appreciated their presence," said police Sgt. Gary Godziuk, who
works with the city to oversee bars and hospitality areas.

The Angels volunteer numbers limit them to one or two patrols per
week, said Schroder, who is a realtor.

The first patrols in September started with a core group of six
members and the Angels have been able to attract a few new recruits as
of late.

Bradyn Psliger, 17, is one of those recruits. He joined last May when
he was still in high school, much to the admiration of his friends.
"They thought it was pretty cool. They thought I was a hero."

On Whyte Avenue, where the group says they patrol frequently, Hudsons
on Whyte Manager Conor Gillen said he has never seen the Angels.

"I work five nights per week, so if anyone were to see them it would
be me," he said.

Despite his critics, Schroder said he feels he and his fellow Angels
are making a difference.

"There are innocent people in this city who are being hurt on a daily
basis," he said. "The streets need to be safer now."