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Have the Guardian Angels made a difference in Greenport?

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RED-CAPPED CRUSADERS AND THE NORTH FORK

The Guardian Angels, based in New York City, first came to Greenport Village in 2005 to help deter drug dealing in the area around Third Street Park. Their leader, Curtis Sliwa, said they left around 2007.

Concerned village residents contacted the Guardian Angels again last November after a bloody fight between alleged members of MS-13 and the 18th Street Gang broke out in that same park and continued into Southold.

While their focus years ago was on the drug trade in the village, Mr. Sliwa said his group’s mission this time around is to connect with the Latino population and prevent gang activity. So far, he claims, he has spoken to people in Greenport with MS-13 tattoos and has identified gang graffiti in both the village and Riverhead.

Greenport Mayor George Hubbard said the group was never formally invited by the Village Board, but that he still supports their presence.

“Anything that’s going to make the streets safer or make people more comfortable, I’m on board with that,” he said. “I think our police department does a really good job. They try to keep in touch with everything that’s happening … but additional help is never a problem.”

The Angels’ primary focus has been “right in the immigrant community itself,” Mr. Sliwa said, and patrols take place near St. Agnes Church, near the Third Street Park and along Front Street downtown.

In Riverhead, a string of violent attacks on Hispanic men throughout 2014 prompted Mr. Walter to explore proactive solutions to increase safety, and he eventually settled on the Guardian Angels.

“These attacks were pretty savage,” he said. “While these folks are living here, we have to make sure they have a safe place to live.”

Both areas see patrols a minimum of once a week, usually during the evening on weekends, though Mr. Sliwa wants to bump that requirement up to two nights a week.

Members of the New York City branch arrive in Riverhead by train around 3 p.m. — convenient since their main beat is right by the tracks — and depart on the last train around 11 p.m.

In Greenport, however, the Angels are supported by a batch of local volunteers. Aware that most of those volunteers have jobs during the day, Mr. Sliwa said they tend to patrol from about 7 p.m. to midnight.

“Members of the Guardian Angels work, just like day laborers and the rest of the immigrant community,” Mr. Sliwa said. “So you’re not going to see them during the day.”

Oscar Sanchez, a handyman who lives near Third Street Park, was one such volunteer. He has not done patrols in several months — during the summer, he wanted to spend more of his free time with his children — but the Guardian Angels still call him frequently and he plans to resume patrols soon.

“It’s a good thing to have them because the people feel more safety,” he said.

Mr. Sanchez first learned of the organization when they visited his church about seven months ago to recruit new members. He approached them with interest, and they welcomed him.

The group provides each volunteer with a signature red beret and jacket to wear while on duty and offers training in self-defense and patrol strategies.

Mr. Sanchez said his neighborhood has seen some challenging times in the past, but he now feels safe enough to leave his bike unchained in front of his house every night.

“I like to see my neighborhood nice and quiet,” he said. “I don’t really see violence or anything.”