Midwood, NY – Several hundred concerned residents packed a Monday night meeting in Midwood, Brooklyn with elected officials and the New York City Police Department to discuss the anti-Semitic car burnings that occurred in the neighborhood on Friday. NY1’s Lindsey Christ filed the following report.
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Midwood residents gathered at Congregation Ohel Moshe in Midwood, Brooklyn on Monday night with questions for the police department, to learn whether they were safe and what they could do to help the investigation.
On Friday morning, three cars were torched on Ocean Parkway. Anti-Semitic graffiti was found on and around the cars, including the words “SS” and “KKK.”
“I’m very shocked to see a wild, anti-Semitic, violent situation like this occur,” said a local.
The meeting was organized by City Councilman David Greenfield, who said the goal is to make sure everyone is involved in the search for suspects.
“By bringing everybody together with representatives from the mayor’s office, the [Brooklyn] district attorney and the NYPD, I think people see that the community is going to work together and we are going to solve this crime and catch these people who are responsible,” said Greenfield.
NY1 cameras were not allowed inside the packed hour-long meeting, but Inspector John Sprague, the head of the local precinct, told residents police have collected significant forensic evidence from the cars and sections of the benches where graffiti was found.
He also said the NYPD has put extra officers on the streets to show the “bad guys” that their action will not be tolerated.
Unfortunately, adding additional cops will not change the attitudes of people who hate. It is merely a bandaid solution, which will probably end, once this incident fades.
Last week I saw two shaven headed teenagers scream into the ear of a yeshiva bochur who happened to be passing. This kind of fearless behavior ought to be a warning for us to take action.
We need to become more proactive. community policing, such as Shomrim, is the best solution. The “chaptzems” cleaned up the streets in the 80’s when it was almost unsafe to walk alone. When the punks realize we will not tolerate their behavior, they will stay away. although I don’t condone violence, nobody wants to chance getting beaten to a pulp.