Pubdate: Tue, 09 May 2006 Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB) Copyright: 2006 Calgary Herald Contact: http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66 Author: Linda Slobodian, with files from Tony Seskus GUARDIAN ANGELS VOW TO START CALGARY SQUAD Group Pleased With Reception By Police Two dozen Guardian Angels sporting red berets will be patrolling Calgary streets by August, says the head of the U.S.-based anti-crime group. Curtis Sliwa emerged from a meeting with Calgary police Monday heaping praise on the pleasant reception he received from the long arm of the law. "It couldn't be nicer. If I were a diabetic, I would have had insulin shots," said Sliwa, who was invited to Calgary by citizens concerned about street crime. "In Toronto I got the fleabag treatment and I might as well have been a terrorist from al-Qaeda -- but they probably have been given more amenities. Here, I was given the royal red carpet treatment. "I felt it was probably one of the more intensive but beneficial meetings that I've ever had in 27 years of dealing with police forces around the world. They were very interested in what we do and how we do it. (They) were quite interested in how it might work here in Calgary." Mayor Dave Bronconnier said he has no problem with any volunteer group offering assistance to police. "My first approach is to have more cops on the street. That's what I think is what's needed, particularly in the downtown," said Bronconnier, who added crime in the downtown core is a particular concern of his. On Monday, he proposed a spending initiative that would see 18 more officers downtown. "If the Guardian Angels or any other group has an idea how we can ensure that we've got a higher degree of public safety, I'm quite prepared to listen to what advice they have to offer and I'm not concerned in any way about a citizens group wanting to set up shop and to ensure they've got a safe community," said Bronconnier. A road team from Toronto, including two retired police officers who are now Guardian Angels, will converge on Calgary to meet with local officers in the near future, said Sliwa. "By then, we will have structured a training program. We'll have gotten the recruits and we'll be ready to begin the process," he said. "I told Insp. (Bob) Couture I could see initially 16 to 24 operating eights hours a week," said Sliwa. The controversial Guardian Angels, who have been operating in North America since 1979, have been accused of vigilante-type crime busting. "As I explained to the police, 98 per cent of what we do would not be intervention," said Sliwa. "Once the street people and the criminal element understood how we operate, 98 per cent of what we'd be doing is deterrence and eyes and ears for the police. Probably only two per cent of the time would we be doing any intervention or placing anybody under citizen's arrest," he said. It is that two per cent that concerns police, said Couture, who described the meeting as "informative and interesting." "That two per cent is a significant risk that we really have to examine," said Couture, who oversees the community and youth services section. "It takes an extensive period of time for a police officer to train how to intervene in serious situations." He cited two main concerns. "One, the basic philosophy of the Guardian Angels is that they maintain the right to intervene in criminal activity," said Couture. That approach places volunteer Guardian Angels, the public and any suspect at risk, he said. "For example, if they were to see something take place, that they would intervene in a robbery. What that does then is places the Guardian Angels in an actual risk situation. "Another concern that we have is that they maintain the right to actively detain individuals, again using some type of force," he said. Police will closely examine these concerns before determining their ultimate position, he said. "It will take a period of time to examine that package in detail, to decide our ultimate position with regards to the Guardian Angels," he said. A vigilante approach is not a concern, he said. "The review of the information I have right now, I can't find one case of that terminology being applied to the Guardian Angels," said Couture. Sliwa insisted that their track record proves they do not impose vigilante-style justice. "I presented them with information that would discount that label as even being a possibility and cited situations -- the fact that we've never been sued in places where there are 10 lawyers for every one person and lawsuits galore. Not had arrests for assault or for violating people's rights," he said. After a weekend tour of several problem areas in the city -- including the East Village, the Olympic Plaza, C-Train platforms and the C-Train itself -- Sliwa said Calgary needs the Guardian Angels. Sliwa, who has visited Calgary on two previous occasions, expressed shock at what he saw this time. "On this visit, there were things that I've seen here that I don't even see in New York City any longer," he said, "Like people openly shooting up drugs. Defiantly. When we would go and intervene, they'd say 'We can do this. You can't stop us. Nobody can.' "Are you out of your mind? This is a crime. People cracking up, lighting up rock cocaine in glass pipes beaming themselves up to Scottie and thinking they have a right to do that." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom