Brooklyn, NY – Mayoral front-runner Bill de Blasio downplayed his role in city’s response to the 1991 Crown Heights riots, despite assertions that, as a top aide to then-deputy mayor Bill Lynch, de Blasio’s job was to keep Lynch updated on the information flow.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The NEW YORK DAILY NEWS (http://nydn.us/1fMSFNz) reports that Dinkins’ office was soundly criticized for waiting four days to deploy enough police presence to quell the violence in the Brooklyn neighborhood that had already left countless people injured and one Hasidic man, Yankel Rosenbaum, dead, the result of a stabbing.
de Blasio said he stayed primarily at City Hall during the riots, fielding calls from Jewish leaders pleading for a stronger police presence.
“I remember vividly being on the receiving end of a deep, deep concern, particularly from members of the Jewish community,” de Blasio said.
As deputy mayor, “Bill Lynch’s job was politics and outreach,” said former Dinkins’ aide Michael Schlein. “Bill de Blasio was Lynch’s right hand.”
Herbert Block, who at the time served as Dinkins’ liaison to the Jewish community, said de Blasio’s role during the riots was “making sure Lynch was up to date.”
De Balsio’s name never officially appeared in the follow-up report by the state’s director of criminal justice which cited egregious lapses in communications and management during the riots by mayoral aides.
The report triggered embarrassing rounds of finger pointing between Dinkins and top level staffers, with Dinkins claiming he was not informed of the need for a stronger police presence until at least a day after advisors—including Bill Lynch, Herbert Block, and then-Community Assistant Unit chief Michael Kharfen—claimed he was.
Looking back, de Blasio called the riots a “horrible perfect storm,” while saying that he would have sent in more cops, “from day one, no question.”
You think anyone cares? Yes, he’s a Dinkins man, yes, he certainly backpedals when it suits him, but he will get in because he’s a Democrat & Joe Lhota isn’t exactly Mr. Personality. Whether the candidate who wins is the right man for the job is totally irrelevant amongst these low-information voters (not to mention all the illegals who somehow get a vote.)
Thank G-d I am making Aliyah. I can sit on my mepesset and laugh at all you poor New Yorkers who work like dogs and for what??? Anti-Bris laws? No justice in the courts if you’re Jewish? At least the problems in EY are not anti-semitic based, even if they are sometimes anti-Chareidi. When push comes to shove, Jews will support each other. Not so here. Good luck!
Does this mean a turning point for De Bladio????
please stop reporting these negative stories on good old bill
he is a liberal socialist marxist democrat, so he is excused from any negative press,
please go back to reporting on how bad every republican is, how every republican is a raciest, and anti semite, anti gay, anti government, in fact all republicans are bad and all democrats are g-ds gift to man kind- they do no wrong
To #1 - When you leave NYC, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Unfortunately, anti-Semitism does exist in EY. For example, many of the Russians who were brought to EY by the Jewish Agency, did not have their backgrounds closely checked. As a result, many of them are not halachically Jewish. Hence, many of them have brought their reage pent up rage and anti-Semitism with them from Russia to Israel. There have been attacks on Yidden in EY, by members of Russian skin head gangs. The Israeli police have kept news reporting of those attacks silent, as such reports would only illustrate their incompetence. In addition to the skinheads, many of the secular Israelis hate religious Israelis with a passion.
Actually the safest country today for Jews is Germany. I know some of you are shocked and so was I. I as a Chareidi is seriously thinking of moving there. I believe America is history and soon we will have to move on as yidden. I have a good friend living in Germany who is doing well. Out of all European countries Germany protects its Jews more than France.
He was fielding calls from Jewish people concerned that there was not enough police presence?????? So what did he do about it? Thank them for their calls? And we should trust him to be mayor of the city????? Seriously???? He could have done something about stopping the riots and he didn’t??? Should we forgive that????