Jackson Free Press

Bennie Jones was sitting alone at his Jackson home watching the news night after night in the summer of 1981 as the story of the Atlanta child murders unraveled. To jog readers' memories: 28 African American children, adolescents and adults were killed in over an 18-month period between spring of 1981 and summer of 1982. Jones watched in disbelief as horrible details about the murders came to light, but then he saw something that moved him to action.

"I was watching TV, and I see these guys in red berets patrolling the neighborhoods," Jones said. "They had flown down from New York, and they were there to try to make a difference. It was inspiring."

What Jones saw was the Guardian Angels, a group of red beret-clad men who had traveled to the Peach State to make the rounds of the neighborhoods and, if not to prevent crime, at least to provide the people a sense of safety.

The sight inspired him so much that he started a Jackson Guardian Angels chapter.

"When we first got it going, there were a handful of us," Jones said. "People didn't know what to think, but eventually we got good responses from the public and the police."

Jones, who works two jobs--at the Courthouse Racquet and Fitness Center during the day and a nursing home at night--did not do any work for the group from 1993 through 2006, but got the ball rolling again in 2007. Now, the Angels are becoming more visible.

As a group, Guardian Angels have a history of controversy since Curtis Sliwa founded it in 1979 in New York City. Sliwa staged a number of subway rescues to promote the group, leading the group to be tagged as fakes and vigilantes. He has since apologized, and now hosts two weekday talk-radio shows in New York City.

Critics characterize the organization as a group that goes out looking for trouble, but JPD Assistant Chief Lee Vance said that hasn't been the case in Jackson.

"From my experience and understanding, they pretty much act as an extra set of eyes or ears in the community," Vance said. "That's something we've always advocated. It's good to see citizens that want to get out there and be a part of the solution, instead of part the problem. I've only known them to try and be helpful to us."

With a committed core of 10 members, Jones is able to do two patrols a week. During a patrol, members dress in the familiar Guardian Angels uniform of T-shirt, black cargo pants and the signature red beret, then gathers and walks through the neighborhoods of Jackson.

Guardian Angel recruits go through three months of training that includes Taekwondo, CPR training, basic criminal law and instruction on how to make a citizens arrest. It's intensive training, but after 20 years, Jones can count on one hand the number of times he has used it while on patrol.

"We've gone down to the New Orleans to help out that chapter and got into some hairy situations, breaking up fights and stuff," Jones said. "But here in Jackson, everything is pretty quiet most of the time. It's more about trying to help people to feel safe in their own neighborhoods."

It was quiet Thursday afternoon when the group allowed this reporter and Jackson Free Press photographer Trip Burns to tag along on a patrol. The neighborhood was off Northside Drive between Brook Drive and Manhattan Road. The people were friendly, and one police officer rolled down his window and made a point to thank the group for what they were doing before he passed by.

"Glad to see you guys out here!" he shouted from his cruiser. "Keep up the good work!"

The crew for this particular patrol is five--four men and one woman. Jones stands about 5-foot-10-inches and is stout. He looks like he could bench press a Toyota. Anthony Hayes (a member since the early '80s as well) and Larry Carter (six years in the group) are both tall and muscle-bound. Danny Bolden, who joined about the same time as Carter, has an easy smile and a quick high-kick, which he demonstrates at the end of the watch. Arlena Perry, the lone woman in the group, has been in the organization 10 years.

In May, a concerned citizen had invited the Angels to her neighborhood. This citizen said she hadn't felt safe lately, and wanted the group to patrol her neighborhood.

Jones said he'd like to see the group get involved with charities that benefit the elderly and the homeless. The key to getting into these programs, Jones said, could be working with Jackson's Mayor Chokwe Lumumba. Jones met Lumumba at a COPS meeting in Ward 2, which Lumumba represented as a Jackson City Council member for the past four years.

"I commend any group of citizens that is trying to reduce crime and doing it in the right way," Lumumba said. "The anticipation is that they will be willing to do a good watch program, and make sure people aren't able to run amok with crime. We're going to need that."

Lumumba added that meeting with the group and getting them involved in some charity events "is definitely on the agenda."

In the future, Jones would like the group to expand from safety patrols to charity work and to see them take advantage of speaking opportunities at Jackson high schools and middle schools.

"You just see so many kids taking the wrong path," Jones said. "My son is in 'Little Angels,' a program through Guardian Angels that teaches kids to make the right decisions."