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Intruder in Bais Rivkah, Police Take 30 Minutes to Respond

CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] — A teacher had her cell phone stolen and her purse rummaged through by an intruder inside of Bais Rivkah high school in Crown Street. The disturbing incident took place at around 12:45pm on Tuesday where a teacher spotted a black man with a light complexion and white hair and a large build who did not work for the school roaming around the hallways on the second floor.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

A teacher approached the man and asked him what he was doing in the building to which he replied “I am looking for the men’s bathroom.” The teacher then made her way to the office to alert the school and call police and Shomrim.

Shomrim responded and searched the building for the perpetrator but could not find him, a canvass of the surrounding area also yielded negative results. The teacher that informed the office of the man noticed that her cell phone was missing and her purse appeared to have been gone through, presumably by the intruder.

All that was left was for police to show up and file the report, but after waiting for over a half hour and police still a no show staff began getting frustrated, one asked “what if he really still was in the building, and what if he had intended to do far worse?” others raised the concern about the safety of our institutions and how such a person was able to get into the building in the first place.

Another teacher mentioned that Lubavitcher Yeshiva on Crown Street had a similar incident earlier on in the week where two Middle Eastern men walked into the school but were told to leave, and another of a Middle Eastern looking woman taking pictures of the school building. Both those incidents appear to have gone unreported, and an official in Shomrim said that there is no way they or the police can help unless people say something when they see something.

The NYPD has set up a Terror Tip Line and it can be reached by calling 1-888-NYC-SAFE (692-7233) or in case of an emergency call 911, and Shomrim at (718) 774-3333 24/7.

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27 Comments

  • reader

    What good would police be if, chas v’Shalom, it were terrorists if they take a half hour to respond? Their slow response time should be investigated.
    Get the mezuzahs checked.Bais Rivka should see if it needs one on its outside gate too.

  • How to call the police

    If when the school called 911, they said the man was still in the building, rather than saying he left already, the response would have been much faster. Understandably the police give some calls precedance over others, and for good cause. If you called and sad there’s someone in my house, at the same time that someone else called because her purse was rummaged though and her cell phone stolen, but the criminal is no longer at the scene. Which would you want the police to respond to first?!

    They prioritize calls based on perceived danger using the information provided by the dispatcher. This isn’t to say that you should lie to the dispatcher to elicit a quicker response, [as that may constitute a crime in and of itself which you may be held liable for], but to be honest while giving over all the relevant information when calling the police. If you think the perpetrator may still be in the building, property or vicinity make sure to alert the police dispatcher to that concern. They can only make their decisions based on the information you provide to them.

    Hopefully noone will have to use this advice, but if you do witness something suspiscious, then for the sake of everyone else who lives in this community please call 911, and be very specific about why you’re calling. You can’t complain about their tardy response if you didn’t provide them with accurate information.

  • Yossi

    If you don’t move your car exactly on time for alternate side of the street parking a police officer is there ON TIME TO THE MINITE to give you a parking ticket.
    If you call the police to report a crime in progress by the time the Police arrive it’s usally too late to catch the crimminal.

  • tax payer!!!

    when i was mugged it took the police three phone calls and a half hour to come if they would have come earlier maybe the idiots would have been caught!!!

  • response times

    both times i was held up (2001 and 2003) the police arrived while i was still on the phone to the dispatcher

  • bais rivkah student

    actually our school has security but someone sneaked out through the back door and forgo to close it. if he wouldve come through the front door, our cameras wouldve seen him. bais rivkad is an amazing school

  • Big J

    Yossi wrote:If you don’t move your car exactly on time for alternate side of the street parking a police officer is there ON TIME TO THE MINITE to give you a parking ticket.
    If you call the police to report a crime in progress by the time the Police arrive it’s usally too late to catch the crimminal.

    It’s more likely that you are refering to Traffic Enforcement Agents(TEAs) ticketing your car the exact time SCRs begin. TEAs are not police officers, they are meter maids!

  • A B.R.H.S. student.....I SAW HIM!!!!!!!

    i left a little b4 lunch 2 go 2 the bathroom and i saw him he was a HUMONGOUS old black guy with a very bad limp and white hair i saw him wondering around in2 every empty class on the 2knd floor and look in2 the copy room around 15 minutes later when i was dismissed i saw him go 2 the pink floor and head 2 wards the g.o. room

  • BRHS student

    There is no security guard. And we were told it’s our fault for not making sure the side door was shut.

  • pathetic

    pathetic!!! ok in the big beis rivkah they have a guard and buzzer after nine o’clock wtvr 9:10 but pathertic!!!!

    boo

  • Ann

    well if you keep an attitude of “nothing will happen” instead of “anything can happen”, these incidents can “chos v”shalom” occur and remember there are lots of girls there!That is why there should be security and cameras- I know I also want to think there is protection from Above and thank G-d for that but there is still this easy access…..everyone needs to change their attitude and I am so tired of people preaching how one shouldn’t be so neurotic.Better safe than sorry.

  • re: How to call the police wrote

    You speak the truth. When I once called the police to report an intruder in my home, the police responded within a few minutes.

  • brhs alumni

    someone needs to call 311 and file a complaint immediately. why did it take cops 30 min to arrive when they are 4 blocks away. 310 crown has no security basically whatsoever. as a student there myself, once you pass the entrance door you are able to go any direction you please, right through the double doors, upstairs to your right,or left, or downstairs to your right or left. lack of security puts every individual in the building at risk. time for cameras, indoor and outdoor security!

  • Gershon

    in one article where praising NYPD and in the next were yelling at them – make up your minds

  • mas

    in Austrlia a few yrs. ago a middle eastern showed up but the gurad had open eyee and phptographed the license and they tracked the guy and found arms in his home and arrested him,

    Gurads at tehisvas and shcools should have a digital with them to photograph the license immediately

  • B.R. 8 Graduate

    I actually take this article as quite frightening, yet Beis Rivka is an wonderful school, I should know, I go there, and so do thousands of other people, contrary to Bnos Menachem and Beis Chaya Mushka, where there is maybe one or two classes per grade, we have four or five. It is very difficult to find policemen and guards to watch the school. It has been a rumor that terrorists are coming to the school, but we DO have security cameras, no matter what you say, on every single flight of stairs, you can not go without being seen, and in the corridors and landings. We do have to be aware that in any situation, G-d is watching over us, but we also need to be aware of that back door being opened, AND the girls who sneak out that back door for it to be opened! Security and guards do count, but so does school, so everyone, just stay in your class-rooms, and you will be safe.

  • Big J

    brhs alumni wrote:
    someone needs to call 311 and file a complaint immediately. why did it take cops 30 min to arrive when they are 4 blocks away. 310 crown has no security basically whatsoever. as a student there myself, once you pass the entrance door you are able to go any direction you please, right through the double doors, upstairs to your right,or left, or downstairs to your right or left. lack of security puts every individual in the building at risk. time for cameras, indoor and outdoor security!

    That’s because, unlike firemen, police officers do not respond from the station house. The officers that respond to 911 calls are already out on patrol. Sector cars are responsible to maintain their sector. Based on how 911 prioritizes calls, the sector concerned may respond upon completion of their current assignment to prevent leaving other sectors abandonded. In a perfect world the police would always/only be there when you need them but as we all know this is far from a perfect world.

  • Proactive

    so why don’t they educate all these girls who use a back door and Gd forbid put so many others at risk?Or lock it?Start educating these girls who probably have this invincible belief that it cannot happen. It can, anywhere and at any time unfortunately.The police cannot be responsible for everything so why not be pro-active just as you do in a firedrill?Hashem helps those who help themselves as you all know.Maybe girls who have cell phone should call asap if they see something suspicious and this is why many H.S. do allow all kids to have cells.I don’t know about your school.Or if that girl saw the guy, did she tell someone or alert anyone??

  • brhs student

    the police took 30 min. to grt to our school.That is crazy the police station is about 2 blocks away it should take about 5 10 min. max. they have problems.

  • disgusted

    the cameras on the stairs, corridors & landings are just to make sure that nobody is caught wearing socks or faddy shoes or skirts that are too short/long. That’s what they’re there for, not for security.

  • what security?

    it doesnt matter what door he came in from!!!!! there should be security ALL over the freakin building. we have our kids out there and anyone can walk in at any time dressed as a ups guy or cop or anything and what kinda security is there if he was roaming the halls????

  • To Disgusted

    I think you should double check where the video is of the security camera’s. It’s definitely not in the Tznius lady’s office. Double check you fact before saying anything.