why does sliwa wear a beret

Curtis Sliwa wears his red beret mainly because it is the trademark symbol of the Guardian Angels, the anti-crime patrol organization he founded, and as a personal tribute to members killed or injured in the line of duty.

Symbol of Guardian Angels

• The red beret is the core part of the Guardian Angels’ uniform, designed so people can quickly recognize volunteers on the streets and subways and approach them for help.

• Sliwa continues to wear it in everyday life to project that same visibility and identity as a public-safety figure, even outside formal patrols or campaigns.

Tribute and Personal Meaning

• Sliwa has said he wears the beret to honor six Guardian Angels who were killed while trying to stop crimes, along with many others seriously injured since the late 1970s.

• For him, the beret is both a memorial and a promise: a visible pledge that he and the Guardian Angels “won’t run” when people are in danger, which is why he’s reluctant to appear without it except in specific formal settings like national anthems or debates.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.