_Guardian Angels flying in for safety | APP.com | Asbury Park Press_ (http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071230/NEWS01/712300368/1004/) December 30, 2007
Guardian Angels flying in for safety In wake of murder, Asbury Park chapter forms By CHELSEA MICHELS TOMS RIVER BUREAU Soon a new group will watch over the city. The Guardian Angels, a worldwide organization dedicated to providing and maintaining safety, will visit Asbury Park today to start a chapter in the city to deal with crime and safety, and help in the murder investigation of Cesar Torralba, who was shot outside his Sixth Avenue apartment on Christmas Eve. Founder Curtis Sliwa and 12 Guardian Angels will visit the site of Torralba's murder today and will help patrol the streets, after receiving several requests from concerned residents, according to Sliwa. "This is the least we can do," said Sliwa, who started his group in 1979 and now has chapters in 102 cities and 11 countries. He said most requests came from residents of Monmouth County complaining about problems on Main Street in Asbury Park and Broadway in Long Branch. Many who asked for help are Spanish speakers who are "victimized because of their inability to speak English and intimidated not to cooperate with the police," he said. City Manager Terence Reidy said Asbury Park welcomes the Guardian Angels and hopes for an effective coupling of communication and coordination. He said that Chief of Police Mark Kinmon will meet with Sliwa before the Sixth Avenue visit. "The Guardian Angels have done a lot of good and have been around a long time," Reidy said. "It's important when any organization comes into town that they work with the officials. I trust their sincerity, and they just need to connect with the city, the Police Department and the Prosecutor's Office. It's all about coordination efforts and communication. "There won't be any vigilantes in Asbury Park," he added. The group hopes to address several problems in the area, including the rising juvenile gang problem, intimidation of Hispanic residents who do not speak English, and random, violent crimes that go unsolved, he said. "Residents have to join and get involved," he said. "It has to be local people who join and continue to deal with the day-to-day community." The volunteers can make a citizen's arrest if they witness a crime. First Assistant Prosecutor Peter Warshaw said there was no new information regarding Torralba's murder. **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)
