New Haven, CT – Frustrated by the lack of police progress following a Thanksgiving assault on a New Haven yeshiva student, a local rabbi blasted long time New Haven mayor John DeStefano in a letter that was sent to the mayor, police and two local newspapers and suggested that area residents may once again revive a controversial armed citizens patrol in an effort to combat crime in the area.
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The 14 year old high school student, son of a well known Boston rabbi and chaplain to the Boston Police Department, was attacked at 5:20 PM on Thanksgiving just one block away from his dormitory and two blocks away from the Yeshiva of New Haven. The ninth grader was approached at the corner of Whalley and Ellsworth Avenues by a group of five youths who punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious for a brief moment and taking his wallet. While police were called to the scene to investigate the attack, no arrests have been made in the case.
In his letter to Mayor DeStefano which appeared in the New Haven Independent, Rabbi Daniel Greer, dean of the yeshiva and one of the organizers of a local armed citizen’s patrol that took to the streets of New Haven in 2007 in an effort to reduce crime, criticized the mayor for the climate of lawlessness in the area. Rabbi Greer took the mayor to task for the near record number of homicides that have taken place this year and informed the mayor that residents of the Edgewater Park section of New Haven will consider reviving the previously disbanded Edgewater Park Defense Patrol.
According to reports in the New York Times, the civilian patrol began in the spring of 2007, just one day after Rabbi Greer’s son, Rabbi Dov Greer, was assaulted in his home by a group of young men who followed him home. Nine of the original eighteen patrol members, which included both Jews and non-Jews, carried guns which is legal in New Haven with a valid state permit. At the time Mayor DeStefano called the patrols “a recipe for disaster”, but authorities conceded that violent crime subsided in the area while the patrol was active.
Another of Rabbi Greer’s sons, Rabbi Eliezer Greer, who was instrumental in founding the original civilian patrol criticized Mayor DeStefano, now in his eighteenth year of office for perpetually interfering in police department affairs.
“Crimes do not get solved in this city,” Rabbi Greer told VIN News. “It’s not that this particular assault was such a major incident but we need to send a very strong message that the community will not put up with these types of crimes. This is not just one incident. There are massive amounts of car break ins. A very high homicide rate. This is a city wide epidemic, professional chaos and New Haven is completely out of control.”
But David Hartman, spokesman for the New Haven police, questioned whether an armed citizen’s patrol was the most effective way to reduce crime in the area.
“In our continual effort to rid the streets of New Haven of guns, adding more guns will not help,” Officer Hartman told VIN News. “We are against armed patrols, because people who engage in such activities, although well intended, are not trained and can themselves become subject to violence. One needs to wonder where the line between providing security and safety and becoming a vigilante come into play.”
Seems to me that it would make no difference if the Yeshiva student was “prominent” or not.
Do crimes only warrant concern if the victims are “prominent”?
“…by a group of five youths…”
Even VIN will not discuss race anymore? How pathetic is it that even if the boy was attacked by 5 white kids, the media has trained us to interpret youth to mean black kid.
If he was attacked by black kids (I’m sorry…African american…because all dark skinned people are African natives even if they have been living in American for many generations, or came from Europe) then say so. If it was white or mexican or asian then say that as well.
In police dept PR school they obviously teach the recitation of mantras, but in the real world we go by the facts. The fact is that when there was an armed civilian patrol, there was less violent crime.
“getting guns off the streets”
attention, useful idiots: you shouldn’t be impressed by this tired platitude.
it is the ILLEGAL guns and the CRIMINALS who possess/carry/used them that we want off the streets. not lawful ones carried by law abiding citizens – those actually serve as crime deterrents.
so all u obamashugganas and occupy wefare types, take note.
If a citizen patrol is necessary to protect our children, it should been done without delay. If force is the only remedy, it should be used without hesitation.
Maybe they were attached by accountants?
no, the young “youth” was not attacked. he was approached by 5 choir boys asking for directions & maybe a donation. the “youth” slipped & fell & his wallet dropped to the ground. these innocent choir boys picked it up & are planning on returning it after taking the money inside & donating it to their worthy cause.