Brooklyn, NY – Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) and New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos made history today when they unveiled an extensive security initiative designed to protect residents of Borough Park and Midwood.
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The Leiby Kletzky Security Initiative, named for the young boy who was murdered in Borough Park last July, will utilize the newest advances in surveillance technology to safeguard community residents. The pilot program places 150 high-tech security cameras in strategic places throughout the community allowing for end-to-end surveillance as needed.
“The Jewish community is the largest potential target for attacks—that’s why the NYPD is forced to increase its patrols in our community whenever terror alerts are issued,” noted Assemblyman Hikind. “The security-surveillance system that we are about to put in place will not only decrease the chances of outside attacks, but it will also enormously enhance law enforcement’s ability to solve and prevent local crimes. If, for instance, a child were to go missing G-d forbid, we will have exponentially increased the ability to locate and recover that child.”
Video below of news conference. Credit: Shimon Gifter
“Brooklyn’s Jewish community remains high on the list of potential danger zones in times of heightened security,” said Senator Skelos. “Our State goes to great lengths to protect our State and National monuments, but our people are truly our greatest treasures and deserve our State’s protection. With the Leiby Kletzky Security Initiative, investing in this proverbial ounce of prevention far outweighs a pound of cure.”
Assemblyman Hikind pointed out that government and police officials have long agreed that there is a significant security threat to the Jewish community. The Borough Park and Midwood communities of Brooklyn have one of the largest concentrations of Jewish families in the U.S. and numerous acts of violent anti-Semitism have taken place in its confines.
Working with Jewish community leaders, Assemblyman Hikind’s office identified key locations throughout the Borough Park and Midwood areas that would offer the broadest surveillance coverage. These include commercial districts, schools and institutions, as well as residential areas. The area is bounded by 60th Street to McDonald Avenue, 9th Avenue to 20th Avenue in Borough Park, McDonald Avenue to Ocean Avenue, and Foster Avenue to Avenue U in Midwood.
Surveillance cameras will be mounted at major intersections. Camera output will be accessed by private volunteer organizations and can be reviewed by authorized police officials.
“This is an historical moment for the Jewish community,” said Assemblyman Hikind who thanked Senator Skelos for helping secure the funds for the security initiative. “The achievement of this initiative demonstrates the importance of partnering with our government.”
Who is paying for this new program? It sounds like it has merit but the State is broke and I thought they were cutting back on new spending.
great!!! Dov your the best!!! Keep it up and Keep us safe!!!
Yes, the State is broke. Nevertheless, some basics are absolute needs. This is one of them and it must be properly funded, just like police, etc. This a MAJOR achievement on part of Dov on behalf of our community. This program will ultimately be duplicated in many if not all parts of the city. Most sadly, it had to be the life of 8 year old Leibie Kletzky at the hands on someone from our own community that had to be sacrificed.
Now they are installing the cameras and in a couple of years they will start issueing tickets through these cameras. We should encourage home owners and store owners to install cameras. It is not a wise idea to have the government put up these cameras
Dov: should hashem bless you and your family,
Didn’t Rav Elyashiv say it’s assur to go where there are security cameras at the kosel? Can someone explain the difference?
thank you dov you trully are more of a askan ther a politician hashem should repay you for all your great things you have done and continue to do,,we love you dov
It doesn’t take a million dollars for you to make sure your children don’t walk the streets alone! That just takes common sense.
#1 –well I work and so does my husband. That means that we pay or fair share of taxes and if part of those taxes goes for this program, then all I can say is Baruch Hashem !! I still cry when I think about last summer–I can’t even imagine how the parents and siblings feel. WTG, Dov–continue to be matzliach. We are behind you !!! AND THANK YOU !!!
Thanks Dov, you’re always there for us when needed!
A real leader with real results, not just speeches. Others should learn from him.
What about these cameras on Shabbos?
That’s womderful, Mr. Hikind, but unless we teach each one of our children to recognize and resist those who would exploit and destroy their innocence, we are merely playing at security issues. Your initiative is definitely movement in the right direction, and I congratulate you for being so courageous and proactive in your efforts to safeguard our communities. Now, Dov, let’s get every child, in every yeshiva, in every Bais Yaakov, in EVERY SCHOOL to participate in a program of education. We need to teach them awareness and action – how to identify those who seek to abuse them, and what actions to take when it happens. This can be achieved when our parents and educators resolve to put an education plan in place in every shul, in every camp, in every school, for EVERY CHILD – to teach them how to protect themselves from the dangers that exist. Dangers that, DESPITE the best cameras and security systems, lurk in our communities. Molesters are cunning and crafty. Our children need to be immunized against them, and a teaching/learning protection plan is the way to do it. This requires real understanding of what’s at stake, how vital and necessary it is, and how quickly we need to implement it. Do you have the foresight to take further action, Mr. Hikind?
#9 - my youngest child turned 17 this week. Do you give me permission to let him walk streets alone already?
I wonder who isn’t using common sense.
I definitely think young children need awareness rather than security cameras.
The cameras only help find the bad people once they already did the crime Chas Vsholom. Too late.
My first reaction is, this is an initiative for EVERY neighborhood & community, from Harlem to Hyannis. It’s the world we live in. While I def agree with this proposal, it should be city-wide. Limiting it to a frum neighborhood, where statistically probably fewer children are abducted & harmed than in other places is very divisive. The city, State & Fed Govt need to find the money to put cameras everywhere. It will cut out a lot of other crime as well.
Stupid idea to publicize where they are putting the cameras…no one would have noticed…
love the idea of keeping our children, and adults safe..however we are starting to resemble a police state…and loosing our privacy, which doesn’t sit very well with many people.
Wish there could be another way to be protected….feels uncomfortable knowing people are watching your every move….Halevei we’d fear Hashem who watches us 24/7 and sees everything….Maybe if we feared him the way we should, we wouldn’t need cameras following us…shame…