THUNDER BAY – City council will not force the crime prevention council do add the Guardian Angels as members.
A motion to council to formally endorse the Guardian Angels was denied after city staff pointed out that the city does not endorse any outside groups.
The denied motion eventually led to a new motion being tabled by at-large Coun. Aldo Ruberto. The new motion asked for the Guardian Angels to be added to the Thunder Bay Crime Prevention Council.
“Working in the downtown south core and seeing what happens every single day, I felt morally responsible and I felt I had a responsibility to speak up about this organization,” Ruberto said before introducing his new motion.
“I see what (the Guardian Angels) do every single day."
When the Guardian Angels first formed its chapter in Thunder Bay, it sought to be added to the 40-member crime prevention council.
As the Guardian Angels were relatively new at the time, the crime prevention council did not accept the membership request. However, it did not close the door on its future membership.
Bringing forward a motion to add them as members at a council meeting did not sit well with Northwood Coun. Shelby Ch’ng.
“Crime prevention (council) said as a committee ‘we do not support this,’” Ch’ng said. “So why Coun. Ruberto is bringing this up at council I find is a little bit distasteful and I think it’s disrespectful to the crime prevention council.
“You can’t just parachute your new best friend in.”
(With files from CKPR Radio)
