© Mark Vergari/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK | CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/TCPALM / USA TODAY NETWORK | LIZ RATTOBALLI FOR 77WABC RADIO
(New York, NY) – Following a disturbing arson attack on a stopped F train, the Guardian Angels are once again patrolling the subways. The group, founded by 77WABC host Curtis Sliwa, will be patrolling the trains in groups of three. There are 150 volunteers in the city who’s mainly focused specifically on the homeless and mentally ill populations. The patrol groups will be performing wellness checks, providing water to those in need, and also alerting the NYPD in case of any emergency.
The last time that the Guardian Angels patrolled the train was during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, in response to a spike in attacks against Asian New Yorkers. Founder Curtis Sliwa says he received requests to bring the patrols back after a man lit a woman on fire while she slept on a stopped train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station. Sliwa claims that many New Yorkers are even more hesitant to assist in the wake of the Daniel Penny case. Penny was found not guilty on murder charges earlier this month, in relation to the strangling death of Jordan Neely, also on an F train in 2023.
