By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
INWOOD — The defunct Inwood Safety Patrol may be making a comeback in the wake of the second reported sexual assault in Inwood Hill Park this year.
Angel Figueroa, founder of the volunteer citizen patrol, said he was toying with the idea of bringing the group back after a woman reported that she was sexually assaulted on Aug. 31 while jogging. He said he may collaborate with the Guardian Angels, who recently began patrolling the park.
"I would love to get the Inwood Safety Patrol up and running again," Figueroa, 42, said, "but we need help."
The community safety group, which Figueroa stared this winter after a spate of local muggings, has been dormant for the past several months as the number of people available to volunteer for the daily patrols dwindled.
"We all had good intentions, but without support it, couldn’t go anywhere," Figueroa said.
Richard Herrera, a member of the local patrol group, said he thought the drop in participation stemmed from several factors, including warmer weather and what he said was a brief reduction in the crime rate in the area.
"The usual ruckus we expected to take place around the park is nowhere near as bad as previous years," he said. "I thought we were going to be kept busy hounding hooligans in white t-shirts with machetes this summer, but except for some isolated incidents, nothing warranted a constant patrolling."
But as the hours of daylight grow fewer and the weather begins to change, Figueroa said he thinks Inwood might need the additional safety presence the patrol brings to the neighborhood.
"If the Guardian Angels know how to make this work and can clue us in on how to get people involved that would be great," Figueroa said.
The Guardian Angels, who prefer to work with community members rather than entering areas alone, said they would be happy to collaborate with Figueroa's group.
