In Madison, guardian angels are more than just figures of one's?imagination. In fact, certain guardians in the city make citizen's arrests and stop ?crime.??
The national organization referred to as the Guardian Angels is a group?dedicated to patrolling city streets at night and protecting?citizens. It opened up shop in Madison in September in an effort to?reduce crime.??
Miguel Fuentes, the coordinator of the Chicago branch, said there are?six branches in the Midwest that are currently operational. Madison's branch has 12 members who take defense-training courses on the weekends and patrol the streets whenever they can.??
""People from Madison have contacted us and shown an interest in adopting the program. This city needs the Guardian Angels because of the recent attacks on State Street and its potential for crimes,"" Fuentes said.
Fuentes added that the streets in Madison are often occupied by visitors from out of town with no local knowledge and therefore are more likely to be attacked.?
""It becomes easy to be a victim,"" said Fuentes. ""We've already made six citizen's arrests that ranged from incidents involving drugs to assault and robbery.""??
According to Mary Schauf, the Central District Police Commander, a citizen's arrest is basically the detainment of a criminal by ordinary residents until police arrive at the scene. Schauf stressed that the Guardian Angels are simply residents and have the same rights as any other citizen.?
""As long as they understand their bounds as citizens then the program is OK,"" Schauf said. ""The use of force in any situation is questionable if you're not a police officer. But the law does allow one to use reasonable force in self defense or in the direct defense of another person.""??
""Any efforts to keep the community safe are welcomed. It's really members of the community going out and helping fellow members,"" Schauf said.??
Ald. Austin King, District 8, believes the dirty work should be left to trained professionals who know what they are doing. ?
""Generally, I don't like privatized vigilante groups,"" King said. ""I would rather have trained officers who know the community.""??
King questioned the reliability of a group such as the Guardian Angels, although he noted there have been no problems with them so far in Madison.??
""I'm skeptical of their work,"" he said. ""There have been other instances where vigilante groups have been accused of racism and generally have sketchy backgrounds, and the Guardian Angel program has triggered mixed reactions regarding their work throughout the country. It's definitely something to be wary of.""??
King admitted that a bad wave of crime has swept over Madison in the past year but he said many of the criminals have been caught by the police department and that residential groups like the Guardian Angels do not compare.??
""The city has responded correctly by putting up more lighting and more foot patrol,"" said King. ""The Guardian Angels are not the way to go.""?
