STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In response to the drug activity on the Staten Island Railway and several complaints from commuters, members of the Guardian Angels will be patrolling a couple of stops on the train.

The Guardian Angels, a street and subway patrol that started serving New York City in 1979, will be at the Great Kills station, considered to be one of the worst, and the Bay Terrace stop starting Thursday, said Curtis Sliwa, the organization's founder and president.

"We've gotten a lot of calls about heroin in general, but this is the first time people were being specific about certain locations," Sliwa said. "They said, 'I no longer take the train,' or 'I avoid it because there's junkies around.'

"This is a natural fit for us. I think based on this, we'll make a full commitment to Staten Island because it is the epicenter of the problem."

The plan, Sliwa said, is to patrol those two stops around the clock, and Staten Island members of the group would take the night shift. There are four Staten Island members who have patrolled other boroughs, Sliwa said.

"We need to get locals involved and supplement that from Brooklyn," he said. "They've helped us in other boroughs. It's time we return the favor because Staten Island is in need."

On Thursday, four members, from Brooklyn to Long Island, began their shift at noon at the Great Kills stop. The volunteers, dressed in red jackets and berets, found two needles and posted white fliers with information about the Guardian Angels.

"We're here to let people know there is a presence," said member Benjamin Garcia, of Washington Heights. "Everyone should be able to go where they want to go and not be afraid to ride the train or buses. They shouldn't have fear because people are doing drugs."

"It's important we be a visual deterrent," said Guardian Angel John Gavers of Queens.

MTA Police Officers Otis Noboa and Kenneth Murray were also patrolling Great Kills Thursday, a day after the MTA police union told the Advance there would be increased presence on the trains.

The move came after a series of Advance articles chronicling the problem.

When the train arrived, the officers would tell the conductor that they'll be checking the cars while passengers were getting on and off the train.

"I feel better that they're cops here now," said one rider who declined to give her name. "It's shows they're listening to our concerns."