Shomrim Return Missing 2-Year-Old, Police Concerned with Writing Parking Tickets
CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — A 1-1/2-Year-Old girl slipped away from her father at around 11:00 this morning, wandering out of 770 and taking a stroll down Eastern Parkway. A Lubavitcher woman on her way to work saw the little girl walking alone and called Shomrim.
A number of Shomrim members arrived and began looking for the father, assuming he was in 770. A short while later the father was found. Upon being reunited with his daughter, he thanked the members.
As Shomrim began leaving the area, a new and very disturbing scene unfolded. Two cops approached one of the members and began harassing him about his not having parked his three-wheeled Shomrim scooter legally. The Shomrim member said that he would move his vehicle immediately since the call was already over. The officer responded, “Next time have them call 911 and not you guys.”
One bystander pointed out the police cars and police officers that were gathered in the area for the past two hours and commented, “They were standing there all this time and didn’t even bother to walk over as the commotion was going on. But to come and threaten a Shomrim member about his parking… they sure were quick to run over!”
In a conversation with CrownHeights.Info, the Shomrim member dismissed the incident saying, “For close to a year we have been persecuted by the police department. We simply got used to the harassment and the tickets. Officers Silverstein and Ayres told me that if Inspector Simonetti sees my scooter parked like that he will write me a ticket, so I just said that the missing two-year-old takes precedent over a simple parking ticket. They threatened me that next time I will get a summons. Yay! [sic]”
The most disturbing part of the altercation was that these officers were from the Community Policing Unit and are familiar faces to the community. The unit is meant to be in Crown Heights in order to help police interact with the community, not to cause this kind of tension, especially with a community volunteer patrol.
Grateful resident
This is attack on all of us!
How many Crown Heights residents have used the help of the volunteers of shomrim?
about a week and half ago I witnessed a shomrim member helping a woman retrieve her keys that fell in to a sewer drain. Who else should she have called? who else would take out of his time to help us? who esle is ready to get down and dirty to help another person (Jew and non-Jew)?
Anybody who ever received any help from OUR shomrim Volunteers must right a comment in support of shomrim. In support of Crown Heights.
a Grateful Resident
Chany your sister :)
Sigh…incidents like these are so hurtful and frusterating to our community. Well, we will stand behind those that protect us!! Keep up the good work
leave my shomrim alone!
Must people don’t know this, but for me its a fact of life.
When we get tickets on Purim (giving out meshalach Mones), it is Shomrim who makes noise and gets it stopped. I know this because i myself have called shomrim, when seeing this happen) and a few minutes latter the police pull away.
A few month back when they were giving tickets in front of Bais Rivka to parents Dropping of their children, I called Shomrim and five minutes latter the car pulls away, not to be seen again.
The only people I see protecting the Jewish community, looking out for the Jewish community, it our shomrim.
Leave them alone.
The fact of the matter is, that today, they were there for this child, not the NYPD of the COP. Let the goo people do good things!
our heros
Gadi, Aron Hershkop and all of our wonderful protectors, keep doing the right thing and helping our Jewish brothers and all this will fade.
If our history has thought us anything its that good always prevails. You have out lived all the past troubles in the past (and boy did you have trouble) and you will prevail now and in the future.
Don’t g-d forbid loss your focus and all will be good.
This is not just an attack on Shomrim, this is an attack on the community as a whole. After all the members of shomrim are regular members of our community. They don’t owe us anything, they have their own families, their own jobs and I’m sure their own problems. Nevertheless they are out there everyday helping wherever, whomever they can.
I thank you with all my heart and soul,
May you grow from strength to strength.
May you only have calls of Chesed!
There is no limit in doing good.
A.G.
where is the common sense?
ho vay!
When common sense doesn’t make sense any more!
I think if some of us will start becoming a “jimmy justice” (you tube that name), the police will start to understand some common sense.
By the way…
Is it legal for the police to park on the side walk in front of the 71st precinct?
If common sense does not dictate anymore and we are going according to the books, then I’m calling 311 about cars parked on side walks.
friend in need
…Officers Silverstein and Airis…these officers were from the Community Policing Unit and are familiar faces to the community.“
With ”friends” like this who needs enemies?
CN
The little girl should have been supervised better to begin with. Lucky for the father Shomrim got the call and not the police.
madd in bklyn
Lets not foget the criminals pulling samonetti’s strings. In any other community the world over, a poitician, police brass etc. would not be caught dead posing for photos and partying with criminals, yet in crown heights it is the norm and even more, the police accept them into an nypd program that is called the eyes and ears of the community, and apparently it’s also the mouth and mind of the nypd. Insane does not even satisfy the thought, even worse that these criminals are the ones sicing the police dept. on innocent shomrim and community members.
end the madness
In the face of the pressure from the messiros that shomrim are facing, and the day to day grief that they are getting from our public servants (police), shomrim needs the community’s support more then ever. If you know that your friend or neighbor is responsible for messiros, talk to them and pressure them to cease and desist on their persuit of destruction. Ignorance is not bliss, seek out the truth, and don’t just rely on opinions. This community is being torn apart, and the end result will be a destroyed community.
911 would have REALLY made things a mess
B“H
Can you imagine what the scenario would have been if 911 had been called???
First of all, there’s a better-than-even odds that the responding officers (after a long wait, no doubt!) would berate whoever called for ”bothering“ them with this, when we have our own Shomrim to help. They might even verbally harass the poor innocent bystander who had tried to help by calling the police! (”Hey, lady — we’ve got murderers, robbers, and rapists to catch here [and cars to ticket!!!], and you’re bothering us with this???“)
But anyway, for sure, DYFS would be on the case, and probably the poor father would have been charged with ”child endangerment“ or ”neglect” or something like that!
The poor little girl would have watched the police accuse her Tati of horrible things, and perhaps she would have even seen him get handcuffed and arrested! ‘Sounds like something out of a Machanayim book, but things like this happen quite often in the 71st Precinct.
I speak from personal experience.
Baruch Hashem for Shomrim.
who will help the stupid....
there needs to be some real solid organization which is apart from all the stupidty that makes CH what it is to help the helpless and clueless. it should not have to come to this. we can pull are self up. the only question is when?
If you have the GUTS to print this......
I’ll sign my name to it. Not one statement, as related to the police in this article, contains any truth. I, Sgt Robert Troise, was present. In fact, all three of us were there for less than FIVE minutes when I asked Officers Siverstein & Ayres to inquire as to whose scooter was ILLEGALLY parked at the location. BOTH these Officers are EXTREMELY well respected within the Jewish Community. Upon determining the owner, Binyomin Lifshitz, he disrespected the Officers request to move the scooter stating “a missing child is more important”. In that, I’ll agree, he is correct, HOWEVER, Shomrim was NEGLIGENT in NOT NOTIFYING the police regarding this missing child AND this is how we FIRST came to find out there even was a child missing. I make myself available to ANYONE in the community who wishes to discuss this or any other issue concerning them. Sgt Robert Troise, Community Policing Supervisor
dear Sgt.
Sgt. how many scooters are there in CH and to whom do they belong?? “I asked Officers Siverstein & Ayres to inquire as to whose scooter was ILLEGALLY parked at the location”
and other then a call do they park illegally?
so you agree that your first inquiry was in fact about the scooter and not about the commotion — “They were standing there all this time and didn’t even bother to walk over as the commotion was going on. But to come and threaten a Shomrim member about his parking… they sure were quick to run over!”
Shomrim Memeber
As a shomrim member we are trained to always call 911.
As a volunteer who was there today, I attest that by the time the call was asset, the child was found. so there was no need to call 911 (emergency service).
the realty is, that not all calls in the community need to have police involved. If a resident, a citizen of this great free country, uses he freedom to call Shomrim, that means he want Shomrim (and not NYPD or shmira/COP).
If Shomrim feel that they need police back up, then they will call.
The police work for the community (yes, you work for us), I am a member of this community. I want to help, you must help me help others. Don’t get in the way.
I gotta go, I will continue this comment latter.
thanks for commeenting,officer
sir, I m sure if you commented u probably also read the comments. it is self understood that the jewish community of CH do not want to turn to the police but feel better about calling shomrim knowing they will show up ASAP. if your officers would have a better track record with the community chanes are you would have been let in the loop. ppl don’t bother with 911 unless it is for an incident that is beyond shomrims abilities like murder… clean up the precinct and your officers will get a lot more respect
Jimmy Justice
Sgt Troise is a very nice guy and is usually very respectful to our community.
He goes out of his way to help us have our music in the streets during sukkos , and he also helps us alot when we need to close streets for parades etc.
Everytime our children return home safely after a parade, we can thank sgt troise and his officers for blocking vehicular traffic in the streets, and keeping everyone safe.
it is ok to disagree with sgt troise on this issue, but please do not show blatant disrespect for him, because he is a decent cop who does care about us.
But if sgt troise is reading these comments I would like him to answer a question posed above…..
Since it is illegal to park on a sidewalk according to NYC parking rules and according to the NYS VTL , how come it is ok for all the police cars to block an entire sidewalk outside the 71st on new york avenue? Why cant the police cars just park legally in the huge parking lot next to the precinct?
The bottom line is… How can we as a community expect the police to respect us, if on many occasions we disrespect ourselves and eachother?
If we can resolve some of our differences peacefully and unite as a community, it will be much easier for the police department to work together with us to keep crown Heights safe.
resident
i know who found the girl and she said that she wanted to call the cop who was across the street but she know that shomrim was muucch better!! thanzk u women (i wont say name!)for keeping the girl safe! and the father should of held the child better!
A. Lawyeer
Dear Sergeant Troise,
This is starting to sound like Obama’s beer party. Your statement (and assumption) that the vehicle was parked ILLEGALLY was incorrect. In a life saving emergency, like safeguarding a 2 year old child, the driver is PRIVILEGED to disregard parking and traffic regulations, if this can be done safely. With all due credit, you and your officers did not know this and had every right to inquire as to the necessity for the apparent violation. Without doubt, relations should have been more cordial and upon being informed of the emergency (nicely by Shomrim) the officers should also have responded nicely. Like the case of the poor professor who was caught “breaking into” his own home, the police here acted based on incomplete and incorrect information. Does that make their actions right under the circumstances, or wrong? Actually, both. Let’s try for better communication and understanding between the NYPD and the local patrols, who are both working to solve problems created by others or by circumstances beyond their control.
Shame on you Doug Ayres
Check out this ticket –> http://www.crownheights.inf…
Doug, you didnt have anything better to do on a Saturday afternood, but to roll by East New York in your unmarked gray Nissan Altima, and ticket as many shomrim vehicles as you can?
I mean its not like it had an invalid plate, it was simply crooced in the window. I guess Shomrim does have a point just take a look at how clear you wrote your name, to make sure that they can tell who it is that wrote the ticket…
Shame on you Doug Ayres.
when will the police get it?
I find it amusing that the police are upset that we have the shomrim.
What the police don’t seem to understand is that if they were doing their job correctly, and the streets of crown heights would be safe (through them patrolling all of the time, and putting the people that belong in jail) than we would not need to have our own “police”.
If she only had a brain
What kind of idiot see’s a toddler wandering down a busy street and doesn’t even bother to stop and help her? By the time your call was answered the child could have run into the street or been abducted. You are not a hero that saved the day, you’re an idiot that was really lucky things turned out the way they did. Shame on you! I don’t know who’s stupider, you, or the child’s father.
Happened to Me Once
I remember 11 years ago my 3 year old son wandered out the door and down the block on Eastern Parkway, apparently following a garbage truck, while I was in shul on Shabbos. Two police men brought him back to me, but rather than accept my thanks they cursed repeatedly that they had to trouble themselves to get up and escort him. Certanily Shomrim (they were together with Shmira back then) would have been a better escort.
Dear GUTS
B“H
Dear Sargeant Troise,
You do not provide the best way to be in touch with you in your posting above, so I’m asking you here.
I really don’t get your charge of Shomrim being ”NEGLIGENT“ on this matter. Shomrim is a legitimate, official community volunteer patrol. Are you actually saying that they shouldn’t have been called??? They came, and did what was needed, fast!
Is there a law that when a civilian calls Shomrim about a matter like this one, Shomrim is required to involve the police (via 911) even if within a few minutes they were able to locate the child’s father and reunite his child with him without your help?
The child was no longer wandering loose when Shomrim was phoned, so it wasn’t a matter of danger to the child for Shomrim to just spend a few minutes entering 770 to look for the father — the most simple way to solve the situation.
[IMHO, the matter of your disliking the parking spot choice for the Shomrim scooter can be determined by a judge, if you wanted to ticket the scooter. If you were trying to give Mr. Lifshitz a ”warning“ as a favor, rather than writing a ticket, well, ”disrespect“ of the officer’s request (to move the scooter) is somewhat of a subjective thing. One man’s ”disrespect“ is another man’s ”standing up for himself“.]
As for your debating what was said in the article, this is strictly a case of ”He said, he said.“
Perhaps you could have extended some ”professional courtesy“ to Mr. Lifshitz, and given him a minute or two more to move his scooter, without trying to ”one-up” him by ordering your officer to complain to him about where the scooter was parked. Did you honestly think he would not move his scooter unless you said something to him, now that the incident concerning the child had been successfully solved?
I hope you respond to this.
Thank you.
common sense
Hey Sgt. troise Shomrim dose not work for the police (at least i hope so) they are here to help the jewish community (and so are you), so when they get a call they respond- you as Community Policing Supervisor should have realize something is going on when you see scooters parked that way.
Between us the time the call comes to the cops on the street its all over, so sometimes their is no reason to call the police.
I dont understand how ben lifsitz disrespected the officer, by stating something you write you agree with “In that, I’ll agree, he is correct”
It seems you got upset then, that they haven’t told you. And now your upset that they reported it. So it seems it could have been prevented….
A PROUD SHOMRIM MEMBER
Dear Seargent Troise,
Being a very Proud Member of Shomrim, i have one thing to say, don’t forget who was there when you ever needed the help, even if it was a non Jewish event, Shomrim went out of their way to help the department.
just because of 2 individuals who came to the 71 precinct just about 2 years ago and had “THEIR OWN AGENDA” doesn’t mean you have to follow them, as the saying goes, “WHAT THE EYES DON’T SEE, THE HEART DON’T WORRY ABOUT” therefore, when your C.O. Peter Simonnetti and the P.C. Lenny Write, are not around, you should not harass the members of the community or to be so tough on Shomrim members (Members of OUR community).
one thing that should be answered to them is that Shomrim is part of the community, therefore you can’t single them out, you should answer to them “I AM THE COMMUNITY POLICING SERGEANT, I KNOW WHATS WITH THE COMMUNITY” and you should be working with us
in responce to IF SHE ONLY HAD A BRAIN
My sister, is the one that found the child. She did not call shomrim on the way to the train, she took the child by the hand, and walked up and down the block asking people if they knew who the child belonged to. After twenty minutes of waiting with the child for someone to come looking…she called shomrim, as she was now late for work. She did NOT, as you assumed (and we know what happens when one assumes) leave the child on her own, call shomrim as she was passing the child and continue on her way. So, she did everything right, including calling shomrim and not the police!!
Esther
I think you’re a typical ch commenter of crownheights.info who seems to look for any way to bash any disgusting this. Well done!!!
U obviously don’t have kids, because these things happen!!! Just say bh everyone is ok instead of seeing how can we insult someone here! Good luck. Lady (or man)
BW
We love shomrim. NYPD hates [Crown Heights] Jews. Dinkins wasn’t the last NYPD CEO to persecute our community.
CH 97
Keep up the good work guys see you very soon…
abc
All the comments are ignoring one fact: How can parents prevent their children from wandering around 770 (one of my sons was almost molested by someone in 770 years ago)or outside of 770 while davening?
Also, Jewish people are not the only ones ticketed by police. A black non-Jewish neighbor of mine was ticketed by a police woman when he parked his car on the street in front of his driveway while he went to get his disabled mother from the steps. It’s the police job to write tickets but sometimes they have to use seichel.
Better Parenting.
Seriously, what kind of parent allows his 1 1/2 year old out of his sight in Brooklyn? Seriously, there seems to be some false sense of security when you bring your children to 770. There are predators everywhere, and carelessness can not be blamed on davening- if you cant multi task and watch your kid while you are in 770, dont bring them with you.
NYPD NEEDS TO REGAIN CPR TO HAVE FAITH
Actually the NYPD doesn’t use the Community Policing Unit(CPU) in there jargon the 71 now call it’s old CPU the Conditions team and they run the mosir organization COP and have perps in NYPD vhiecls riding around. Shomrim a legitimate organization who try to help the community is getting stab in the back by Scamantti who should riot in hell along side kick lenny
mendel engel
Im outraged
Fellow Man
Once again, THANK YOU to all the ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS in this community, specifically the members of SHOMRIM who are there for us 24 HOURS in a matter of seconds! How shameful NYC law enforcement continues to be. They must be severely unmotivated, undedicated, underpaid and have lost focus on why they joined the force in the first place. Whenever I walk past an officer I thank him for his service and in return I don’t even get a smile. I will be writing to my city concilman and directly to Mayor Bloomberg’s office about the 71st Precincts shameful lack of professionalism, protection, action, and basic human civil practice. If they are not happy or are fed up protecting mankind then they should be forced to leave the force as its foundation is based on serving and helping out mankind. It is also something they are PAID to do. The POLICE can LEARN some basic principles from our community’s VOLUNTEERS who do so much more to PROTECT and SERVE us and manage to do it with pure care and concern. They also get NOTHING BACK in return. Keep up the great work SHOMRIM!
Jacob
A whole lot of things about this troubles me:
1. That little girl should’ve been supervised by her parents.
2. Leb Kleitsky was taught not to talk to the police.
3. The Shomrim waited hours before reporting him missing to the police.
4. The Satmar Hasidim are not taught to speak English over the phone, so calling 911 may be impossible.
Here’s why I am against what the Shomrim, BSSP, CHVP, and all these hasidim are doing:
1. They don’t accept non-Jews, non-religious Jews, Sephardic Jews, women, unmarried men, openly gay men, transgender, Jews from rival hasidic sects, or any hasid who’s had a dispute with the rebbe. That means they aren’t an equal opportunity organization and they practice discrimination.
2. They impersonate the NYPD by designing their vehicles and uniforms that way.
3. They break the city’s laws by using sirens and flashing lights without authorization.
4. They break the speed limit, run red lights, drive the wrong way down the street, and block the street without authorization (last time I checked, the Talmud said we have to follow the laws of the nation.)
5. They teach kids not to talk to the police.