[1] Sliwa originally created the Guardian Angels to combat widespread violence and crime on the New York City Subway system.

They patrolled streets and neighborhoods without involving police or any outside authority,[2] but also provided educational programs for schools and businesses.

Koch later reversed his stance on the organization,[3] and former New York City Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg have publicly supported the group.

The original and main Guardian Angels activity is "safety patrol" in which members walk the streets or ride transit.

Chapters operate similarly to franchise networks, by supporting one another regionally under standard rules, regulations, and training.

[5] Later, the group took what it had learned and changed its focus to educating police, schools, and families about online abuse and cybercrime.

[2] Outside of New York City, the Guardian Angels first established chapters in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Fresno, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston,[6] Denver, London, Toronto, Dallas, Tokyo, Houston, Cape Town, Auckland, Savannah, Seattle, and York.

The Los Angeles, York, Pennsylvania, and Sacramento Chapters worked with official law enforcement officers and agencies.

[citation needed] The 2005 Boxing Day shooting resulted in the death of teenager Jane Creba on a busy downtown street and provoked renewed attention to law-and-order issues in Canada.

2006 mayoral candidate Jane Pitfield expressed her support for the Guardian Angels, as did former television anchor Peter Kent and former professional boxer (and now radio talk show host) Spider Jones.

[citation needed] Toronto's first group of Guardian Angels hit the streets Thursday, July 13 for their inaugural patrol in the city's downtown core.

The group's official launch in Toronto came just two days after members were forced to move their graduation ceremony from a seniors residence on Dundas Street.

[citation needed] An attempt to organize a chapter in Ottawa failed due to police and city refusing to cooperate, as well as a negative reaction and lack of interest from the majority of its population.

Recent outbreaks of violent crime in Halifax had prompted citizens to contact the Guardian Angels, urging them to start a chapter.

Keiji Oda, the founder and president of the Guardian Angels Japan, joined the Boston and New York City chapters in the 1980s.

On August 30, 2007, Curtis Sliwa graduated from the Auckland CBD Chapter, led by Anna "Kimodo" Cruse.

[25][26] In London, the Guardian Angels are an independent, non-profit, non-political voluntary organization whose main purpose is to tackle violent crime, act as positive role models for young people, and serve communities in the UK since its formation on May 14, 1989.

All violent crimes are reported to the police, and intervention leading to citizens' arrests (legal in Britain) or use of force is only employed in extreme cases.

Guardian Angels in the UK are unarmed but all fully trained in self-defence, first aid, and law for personal and community protection.

[28] In October 2020, various individuals running for the New York City Council expressed concerns that the presence of the Guardian Angels might bring tensions to their neighborhoods.

[30] In February 2024, several members of the Guardian Angels shoved a man to the sidewalk and put him in a headlock during a live interview with Sliwa at Times Square.