New York – Less than a month after two Chasidic Williamsburg men entered guilty pleas for their part in the beating of a black man in the December 2013, the New York Times has released a scathing article blasting Shomrim patrols, questioning whether the patrols have a disproportionate amount of influence with the NYPD.
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Over the years there have been several incidents where members of the Brooklyn patrol groups have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. One former Shomrim member was arrested for bribing NYPD officers to provide him with gun permits, and in other instances, beatings by Shomrim members in response to alleged criminal actions were found to be unwarranted.
Yanky Daskal, head of the Brooklyn South Safety Patrol, described his men as “upstanding volunteers,” noting that a few “bad apples” have given the group a bad reputation.
“It’s a very sad reality in our community that you have many people dedicated to helping and a small minority of critics on the sidelines questioning our motives,” said Daskal.
Steven McAllister, commander of the 66 Precinct in Borough Park for a period of three years, said that he worked closely with Shomrim, who gained his respected as a trusted liaison to a community that would always regard him as an outsider.
McAllister recalled that Shomrim members were among the many from the Chasidic community who stood in line for hours to welcome him when he first started at the precinct, each one introducing himself as the point man for the community.
“All of them came in saying: ‘Hi, I’m so-and-so. I’m the most important guy around. Don’t pay any attention to the next guy,’” said McAllister.
While many have criticized lawmakers who have funded Shomrim and provided them hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment, Assemblyman Dov Hikind said that the money was well spent.
Hikind acknowledged that while Shomrim is an asset to the community, sometimes the boundaries between law enforcement and the volunteers can be blurred.
“Sometimes if you get very close, you forget the fact that they are the police and we are the shomrim,” said Hikind. “There has to be a barrier.”
Read the full article at the New York Times (link here).
Typical NY Times !!!!! Just like with Hatzalah …. where is the criticism when a goy needs help on Shabbos , & calls ??? You don’t hear anyone complaining then !!!!
I remember when Mayor David Dinkins was in front of Goldstein Grocery announcing the founding of Shomrim in BP and he highly praised the Shomrim members who then were nicknamed The Bakery Boys . Dinkins said then NO criminal starts by killing people, first they snatch a pocket book , steal little stuff in stores, break into cars and then break into homes. Once the advance their criminality stage they go on to hold ups and next step is murder. He said New York Police officers do not walk the avenue all day and see who steals from women their jewelry or pocket books, the Bakery boys have their eyes open all night and see who break into cars, steal radios and remove all 4 tires.
The Shomrim patrol is a vital part of the NYPD where those criminals get caught much faster then in any neighborhood of NYC. The petty crime rate in Boro Park, Flatbush and Williamsburg has fallen to a very low level since Shomrim was founded. Its a known fact in the Criminal Community that stay away from areas where Shomrim will get you. So now that we have the record straight what Shomrim is all about let me continue is another comment as I am running out of characters.
The New York Times is sick with their animosity towards Orthodox Jews especially Chasidim because they identify us with conservatives and Republicans plus their pathological hatred towards religion.
Typical NY Times slanted reporting.
They have to repeat each example of wrong doing more than once and then dwell on it in order to make it look like plenty.
Typical NY Slimes hit piece written by a self hater.
And who is this “Joe Levin, a Hasidic private investigator who has clashed with the shomrim,” guy anyway? He looks like he went off the D many years ago.
valuable in the right doses, however as a resident in BP I would still say to keep them on a short leash.
” all of the came to say Hi I am the only one you need to pay attention to the rest don’t pay attention to”
Priceless LOL goes to show what the real motives are! A true asked works as a team and here you her it from the main guy in the Oct how everyone only wanted to be the big shot
Summed up perfectly
Did you guys even read the article??
Why are you so afraid of an open discussion? Why does everyone that doesn’t fall in line with your world outlook get labeled anti Semitic?
Please…the more you misuse that word the less meaning it has.
Grow up all you whiners.