Guardian Angels Head for Capital

Wearing red berets and bearing 10,000 copies of Russian-language brochures about their crime-busting organization, five Guardian Angels are scheduled to arrive Tuesday in Moscow.The team, which will include Curtis Sliwa, the president and founder of the American organization, are scheduled to spend about a week in Moscow, exploring the idea of setting up a chapter here. They plan to meet with city officials and spend most of their time walking the streets and talking with young people to see if there is interest in starting a Russian branch of the Guardian Angels, said Colin Hatcher, the group's European coordinator."It's a question of whether there are people in Moscow who want to do it," delegation-member Hatcher said in a telephone interview. "This is our first visit to Moscow and we have no idea if there's any interest."Founded 15 years ago in the United States as a voluntary crime-prevention organization, the Guardian Angels now has 60 chapters in seven countries. They say they offer back-up assistance to the police, patrolling streets and stopping street crimes. Their opponents accuse them of vigilantism.When the group first announced plans to come to the capital last month, a Moscow police spokesman was skeptical, expressing concerns that the presence of such a group could exacerbate criminal situations.Hatcher said the group aims not only to prevent violent street crimes but to be a positive role model for youngsters.