Posted to Crown Heights News on

Photos: The African-American Version of Shomrim?

USA Today published these photos of members of Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) canvassing a section of the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. The organization, which is made up of “violence interrupters” and outreach workers that grew up or live in the neighborhood, makes almost nightly patrols to discourage residents from criminal activity.

In the photos, S.O.S. members Leon Kelly, Kenneth Edwards, Lavon Walker, Derick Scott and Achisimach Yisrael walk through the Crown Heights streets to scope out potential violence, and phone in their street observations to the S.O.S. office.

They also distribute informational cards to curios onlookers.

“If I don’t see certain individuals that populate certain street corners, I know something is wrong and I check it out,” Kenneth Edwards says.

Save Our Streets supervisor Lavon Walker says he tries to figure out a plan each day for residents who may need mediating or monitoring. “I’ve got a mindset of a warrior fighter,” he says. Edwards, 39, spent 17 years in prison for killing a friend turned rival drug dealer.

S.O.S. staffers try to stress that retaliation will continue a cycle of violence in the streets.

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29 Comments

  • Good news

    I think it’s a wonderful thing. Umos ha’olam volunteering their time to keep the peace and prevent crime. Beautiful! Very Moshiachdik.

  • 2.

    they are doing good work. we need for positive groups like this. better yo join a civil group of young adults who wana help the community they live in then the obvious other.
    these are good ppl doin good thing.

  • Why Shomrim vs S.O.S.?

    Looks like they’re not walking in the Jewish part of CH.

    Shomrim should reach out to them, they seem to know the streets and the shkatsim that populate them in ways Yiddin could never know on their own. There’s certainly no need to be a confrontational relationship, just the opposite, there shuould be cooperation. Both Shomrim and l’havdil the S.O.S. are out there as volunteers to help the community and help keep the streets safe.

  • Cautious Optimism

    I am cautiously optimistic and I hope this project won’t evolve into “Black Panters”

  • Good Luck!

    We need all the help we can get to combat crime.
    I wish good luck to all versions of Shomrim.

  • very pleased!

    I hope they are successful and get more of their people to help them!!

  • chaim

    #! just for the record crown heights is divided in to 2 parts crown heights north and crown heights south … north part is eastern parkway till about atlantic ave and south is eastern parkway till about the hospitals

  • rg

    this could be a great thing. Its good for everyone, and certainly if these guys are married, they are giving a great message of positive activity to their families.
    Pray for the best.

  • pray

    are any of their reverends behind them doing this? If so, then who? I give them alot of credit and wish them the best. Any life saved, or quality of life is enhanced is an amazing deed. wishing the best for them and may we all win from this (so to say)

  • Whynot_31

    This is not a patrol in the same way as Shomrim. It is based on Chicago’s Ceasefire program, which is a much different model than Shomrim or organizations like The Guardian Angels.

    http://ceasefirechicago.org/

  • Yellow shirt guy

    the third picture after the article which has that guy with the yellow shirt, he looks like Derrick Rose.

  • a concerned resident

    I think this is an awesome idea. I also think organizations like this and other ones that are meant to help citizens out should be more widespread.

  • GREAT IDEA

    I SECOND THE NOTION, SHOMRIM AND SHMIRA SHOULD WORK TOGETHER WITH THEM WILL BE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE. MORE THAN THE POLICE WOULD EVER DO,

  • sos or ss??

    wow a legal gang now!!!
    all u have to say is that u doing good and u can do what u want when u want…………
    and we should trust these ex killers yyy?????????????

  • May they have all the right Blessings

    BS”D
    This is amazing, G-d bless these amazing and brave people. Moshiach is coming closer every day, its no surprise :)
    Moshiach NOW!

  • Dovid

    To the bigots out there number 1 the Black Panthers was formed not to stop crime but as a Marxist Afro-centric group influenced by the Nation of Islam to use violence to achieve their goals. Further a legal gang? So I suppose Shmira or the Shomrim are also legal gangs? And yes what is wrong having an ex-gang member? Who better to recognize activitiy that is criminal. Whatever happened to the concept of teshuva? Oh wait that is right if it is a bunch of African Americans together they must be up to no good. If you don’t have anything of value to say just do yourself a favor and be quiet.

  • ZA

    #23… thanks for being so positive… good way to turn something beautiful into something ugly.. maybe we should form an alliance to protect our community from people like you. .. I say good for them. Taking initiative and shomrim really should form an alliance with them and stop all the tension and work towards the great good. very mosiachdik. and to #25… skoyach.

  • To #25 - take your own advise...

    Hey Dovid, calm down, the comments were overwhelmingly positive, why are YOU being so negative? Sounds like you see a bigot behind every tree. As you said, “if you don’t have anything of value to say just do yourself a favor and be quiet.”

  • ...that white widow 8)

    to #23 :
    what are your accusations based on ? you get intimidated to easily, grow up.
    regardless, a killer has a better chance of stopping a killer.
    -[Think]