THUNDER BAY -- If a former professional wrestler has his way, the well known crime patrol group Guardian Angels could be coming to Thunder Bay in the New Year.
Hearing about the city’s crime problem, former WCW wrestler Vampiro, known outside of professional wrestling as Ian Hodgkinson, decided to bring the non-profit crime patrol organization to his hometown. The city’s 10th homicide case of 2014 in particular led Hodgkinson to act.
“People aren’t feeling safe at night,” he said in a phone interview with tbnewswatch.com Wednesday.
The Guardian Angels were formed in the 1970s in New York City by Curtis Sliwa to combat violence in that city’s subway system at the time. They’re recognized by their signature red berets.
It has evolved to become a crime prevention outreach program in cities across the world and its safety patrols, where members of the group walk city neighbourhoods, is just one aspect of what the Guardian Angels do.
In addition to the patrols, Hodgkinson said they offer first-aid and self-defence classes as well as anti-bullying programs in schools.
Hodgkinson grew up in Thunder Bay but left the city to pursue his wrestling career. He’s achieved international success as Vampiro and has lived all around the world, including Japan and most recently Mexico City where he lead a Guardian Angels chapter.
A single father to a 14-year-old daughter, he feels it's time to come back home.
“I realize now that all of the family values and the right things I have in my life, I learned while growing up in Thunder Bay,” he said.
The Guardian Angels have been embraced in some cities, but there have been times when the mayor and police aren’t as welcoming, saying only the police should be dealing with crime.
But Hodgkinson said the Guardian Angels group isn’t about fighting crime head-on.
“That’s what the police are for,” he said. “We’re a deterrent because when you have numbers of uniformed people keeping an eye on things, it help prevent crime by presence alone.”
“We’re like the eyes and ears for the police…if anything, to us the police are heroes.”
Hodgkinson has reached out to Mayor Keith Hobbs with his plan to establish a chapter in the city and the mayor says he will meet with him.
“It doesn’t hurt to listen,” said Hobbs via email to tbnewswatch.com.
The Thunder Bay Police Service’s executive officer Chris Adams said they haven’t been contacted by the Guardian Angels group and can’t offer a comment until they know what’s proposed for Thunder Bay.
Hodgkinson has started a Facebook group to look for volunteers, but whether or not he gets support, he plans to start the chapter in the New Year.
“Whether I do it with everybody by my side or I do it by myself, the Guardian Angels will be in Thunder Bay in January,” he said.
