Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� July, 2004

Prime Minister Meets with the Founder of the Guardian Angels Tuesday, July 27, 2004 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi received a courtesy call from Mr. Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. The Guardian Angels is an international non-profit organization (NPO) active in 11 countries around the world that strives for crime prevention in the local areas, for instance, by patrolling the downtown area and preventing people from committing acts of delinquency or other crimes. The organization consists of volunteer members. Its activity in Japan started with the occurrence of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the sarin gas subway attack on the Tokyo subway, and its members are active in 24 cities in Japan. Furthermore, in response to the increasing numbers of crime over the Internet, the Guardian Angels has recently enhanced its activities including informing the authorities that may contain illegal or harmful content. At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Sliwa gave Prime Minister Koizumi a set of the Guardian Angels' uniform, a red beret and a jacket, as a gift, which Prime Minister Koizumi put on. During the meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi said to Mr. Sliwa, "Please continue spreading such volunteer activities." They further exchanged opinions on the importance of the role played by the regional community and volunteer activities in preventing the incidence of misconduct and ensuring security.