After announcing his citizen law enforcement group, the “Guardian Angels,” would be returning to patrol the New York subway, Curtis Sliwa is pushing back against New York Mayor Eric Adams and slamming the city’s migrant sanctuary policies, saying: “We’re in a crime crisis.” 

Sliwa announced the Guardian Angels would be resuming safety patrols on New York subway trains after a woman was burned to death on the New York City subway during Christmas week. The New York Post reported Sliwa saying the group would resume its patrols of the subway, walking up and down the inside of the trains “day and night.”

The Guardian Angels founder called the brutal subway murder the “deadly consequences of NYC remaining a sanctuary city.”  

“We have 56,000 migrants identified as criminals by ICE roaming our streets, and vulnerable homeless folks left sleeping on our subways because shelters are filled and dangerous,” he said on X. “But Adams and City Hall pretend the city is safe and under control! While everyday New Yorkers see disturbing crime right before our eyes every single day!”

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Recognizable by their distinctive red berets and jackets, Sliwa founded the Guardian Angels in 1979, and the group became a regular presence on the subway during many of the city’s most crime and homicide-ridden years. 

Currently, murders on the New York City subway are up by 60%, according to the New York Post. The outlet reported in September that eight people had been killed on subway trains in New York City, up from five during the same period in 2023.

After last week’s brutal killing, Sliwa announced the Guardian Angels would be making a return to the New York subway and beefing up its presence on trains throughout the city. He said group members would be conducting wellness checks on homeless individuals and alerting police and subway authorities when there are problems.

“We’re going to have to increase our numbers, increase the training and increase our presence as we did back in 1979,” said Sliwa. “We went from 13 to 1,000 back then within a period of a year. Because the need was there. The need is here now once again. We’re going to step up. We’re going to make sure we have a visual presence just like we had in the ’70s, 80’s and ’90s.”

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Despite this, Adams’ office slammed the Guardian Angels’ announcement.

Kayla Mamelak Altus, a representative for Adams, told Fox News Digital that the mayor has “surged 1,000 police officers per day into the subways, has brought down overall crime, and transit crime, delivering real action — not theatrics.”

“Mayor Adams is committed to improving the lives of New Yorkers, which is why he frequently rides the subway to speak directly with everyday riders about how we can make it safer,” said Altus. 

“But he knows there’s still more work to be done,” Altus added. “Unlike others who only seek attention with meaningless stunts, Mayor Adams remains focused on real solutions.”

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In response, Sliwa urged Adams to station more police officers in the subway and challenged the mayor to join him in doing regular daily patrols on the subway to see how bad the problems have gotten since the surge in migrants in the city. 

“Head into the subway and patrol yourself,” Sliwa said, speaking directly to Adams. “I’ll match him. I go four hours a day, even with my busy schedule. The mayor has a busy schedule. He can run one patrol with his police. I’ll run a patrol with the Guardian Angels. That’s two more patrols we will have that we didn’t have before.” 

“We’re in a crime crisis, and the mayor should be happy to accept anybody’s help at this time,” he told Fox News Digital. “So, if we’re willing to patrol on the subways where it’s desperately needed in the cars as they’re moving, why would the mayor or anyone say it’s theatrics?”

“The mayor and the governor have not met their primary responsibility, which is to provide public safety to the people in the subway,” he went on. “So, if you’re unwilling to do the job or maybe you can’t and won’t admit it, they should be welcoming all the help they can get from an organization that is renowned for 46 years of service to New Yorkers, asking nothing in return.” 

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He said that most of the attacks are being carried out by “emotionally disturbed people” who live in the subways. 

“These attacks can occur anytime, anywhere, any place, to anybody, in any part of this city, and especially the subway,” he explained. “Shame on us for letting that happen. We need to rescue these people and get them mental health care. Shame on the fact that the mayor spent billions of our tax dollars housing migrants, but not our own citizens who live in the subways. The subway trains have become moving hotels.

“If the mayor was doing a good job… nobody would be asking for the Guardian Angels to patrol the subways,” he added. “The people want police, and if they don’t have police, they’re more than happy to accept the service of the volunteer Guardian Angels.”