on the NYPD's auxiliary force when
he decided to enroll in the academy.
“I figured it's a good future,” he says.
Joel Witriol, a 24-year-old Talmud scholar from Brooklyn, starts his training at the department's Police Academy today. “I realized there were so many things you could do [as a cop] - everything from community service to fighting narcotics,” Witriol said, coming off the heels of a stint with the department's auxiliary police force. “There are a hundred things, and every day is different.”
Witriol has a degree from United Talmudical Seminary in Monroe, where he studied “religious stuff, mostly.”
He's also held part-time jobs doing everything from driving a delivery truck to working for a furniture company.
Meet The New “Jewish Law”
on the NYPD’s auxiliary force when
he decided to enroll in the academy.
“I figured it’s a good future,” he says.
The NYPD has recruited an unorthodox new officer – its first Hasidic cop.
Joel Witriol, a 24-year-old Talmud scholar from Brooklyn, starts his training at the department’s Police Academy today. “I realized there were so many things you could do [as a cop] – everything from community service to fighting narcotics,” Witriol said, coming off the heels of a stint with the department’s auxiliary police force. “There are a hundred things, and every day is different.”
Witriol has a degree from United Talmudical Seminary in Monroe, where he studied “religious stuff, mostly.”
He’s also held part-time jobs doing everything from driving a delivery truck to working for a furniture company.
But the Brooklyn native wanted something more – and believes he found it five years ago when, while volunteering for an ambulance company, he heard about the police auxiliary. “I decided to go and check it out,” Witriol said. “I went for training and passed.”
Growing up in Williamsburg, Witriol admitted that he had the same cops-and-robbers ideas about policing as many youngsters. “I thought it was only about arresting people,” he said.
But his auxiliary work in the 77th Precinct in Crown Heights – home to a large Hasidic community – was an eye-opener for him.
Auxiliary officers, who do not carry weapons, are “eyes and ears” for the department, Witriol said. “They do patrolling, they go to parades.
”I saw a lot of things that were going on in the precinct,“ he said.
The police officers ”are not only locking up people, but they are helping people, too. I figured it’s a good future.“
Before he signed on with the department, Witriol asked for some advice from his father, a bus driver.
He said, ”If you do it, just do the right thing,“ Witriol recalled.
Because of his religion, Witriol will need exemptions from police hairstyle rules so he can keep his beard and his peyoses, the long side locks worn by Hasidic men.
He’ll also have to be excused from working on the Sabbath and on Jewish holidays.
Witriol said the Police Department doesn’t have any problem with his needs, so long as they’re backed up with a letter from a rabbi.
Department sources note that the NYPD has granted a number of religious exemptions to its rules in recent years.
When Witriol graduates from the academy, it is believed that he will be only the third Hasidic officer in the United States.
The other two officers include an Hasidic man hired a decade ago by the sheriff’s department in Rockland County.
And Witriol says his older brother was an officer in Newark before becoming one of that department’s chaplains.
Though his religion sets him apart, Witriol is eager to fit in with his fellow officers. ”I want to be a cop,“ he said, ”together with everyone.“
He added that he knows that he can be ”absolutely helpful with the community.”
trouble
you go yoily!!!
I thought you were joking when you told me you were going to take the test!!!
From chsp to this. Im impressed!!!
In CH?
Can he work in Crown Heights
awacs
"In CH? wrote:
Can he work in Crown Heights"
In general, police officers CANNOT work where they live, so BP/Midwood/Ch would be natural choices …
CR
From the article:
>But his auxiliary work in the 77th Precinct in Crown
>Heights – home to a large Hasidic community – was an
>eye-opener for him.
So, he is already there.
freako
awsome i hope yuo dont loose locks that make you get special atention!
Yoile Fan
"Dus is En Vei Pee Dee – Laig Dain hentelach oifen vant YETZT!"
Mendy
This will open the door for a lot of things, both positive and negative, but far more positive than negative. Yasher koach, Mr. Witriol! Above all, be a kiddush hashem.
a female partner.
hi.i just heared that the NYPD will be giving this new cop a female partner to work with.
does any one here thing thats ok with that?
jewish girl
i think its plain old stupid. the ploice will use him. and will his community accept the fact that he is? plus, it will cuz lots of religious t eens to think about oining the american defense forces, be it navy army marines air force national guards, mp, or anything else. its not good.
Rachaim
I never met you but i must say i’m proud.
fan
wow, what a kiddush hashem!!! maybe now ill be able to get into FDNY with my beard lol
hatzlacha!
isaac
He IS in Crown Heights already!! Or at least his brother Kalman is a NYPD auxiliary in the 71 Precinct. He joined the Auxilary last year. Let’s welcome Kalman Witriol to Crown Heights and keep him here.
Auxilary cops who train in the 71 stay in the 71!
Mendy
To Jewish girl:
You have a good point, but joining the NYPD is not the same as joining the military, as one is local and the other can send you all over the country and world. Being local, 1) your parents/friends/relatives can keep an eye on you and 2) they will most likely assign him where he can be most useful, like Boro Park.
In summation, I think a frum yid in the NYPD will not only stay frum, but will encourage frum others to follow suit–and stay frum throughout, and he and they will reduce a lot of the distrust the frum community has of the police. I also think that, for a lot of teens who are not doing well in "the system," joining the police is a healthy way to make a respectable parnosa and do something good with your life, instead of all the other crap out there which we’re too familiar with.
FloridaLubav
me too proud of you – does anyone bad mouth Goldstein in full regalia?? Nice going W :)
Nu Yoilie Police Dept.
There are alot more where this one came from. I could see it now. But he is going to have problems when they ask him Tsu Maserin oif di aigener.
you know who i am
yoeli i am real proud of you! you go man, hey listen when i finish my FBI acadamy ill let you know how it was and maybe you will switch from Local to federal. good luck!
CHVP 77
I know Joel Witriol from the 77th precinct he is a very good auxiliary police officer because i used to be in the 77th precinct now i am in the racist 71 precinct i plan on going back to the 77th precinct in the coming weeks. PBBS suck they have to many problem within their borough.
Itzik_s
First day on the job:
"Dis iz an arrest varrant – all fin you guy aross fin inzerer mikveh… kyne Aroinim ken leben in Brooklin!!!! Get out please fin der bildink! You hear from me! SHYGETZ AROSS….calling for reinforcements…"Chaptz’em – Schecht’im in a broooooooooche!"
d. lee
mazel tov!!
the jewish community is proud of you!
Finally!
Wow, this is great.
Now, when Yoel pulls over a non-jew, they will be able to claim the same as much of CH. The only difference is that they will be saying "He’s picking on me because I’m not jewish".
Maybe now when he pulls over a yid in CH, BP, W or F, you will realize that it’s because you broke the law.
big deal
big deal, lots of jewish cops, and chasidic ones too!
Update
New York, NY +Hasidic With Degree From Seminary in KJ Monroe "Wasn’t" Hired By The NYPD
New York, NY – A Hasidic boy from Brooklyn with a Degree From Kiryas Joel Seminary in Monroe, NY wasn’t hired as part of the NYPD’s newest class of recruits, he had been passed over authorities said.
Joel Witriol, 24, was four credits shy of meeting the NYPD’s requirement of 60 college credits, and was not part of the latest class of 1,560 recruits.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Witriol could reapply if he fulfills the education requirement.
Witriol learned yesterday that he had been passed over, authorities said. He could not be reached for comment.
Police officials said it was not unusual, given the volume of applicants, that candidates are told at the last minute whether they should report for the recruits’ first day.
kaler
Dear Joel,
éÀáÈøÆëÀêÈ éÀäåÈä, åÀéÄùÀÑîÀøÆêÈ
éÈàÅø éÀäåÈä ôÈÌðÈéå àÅìÆéêÈ, åÄéçËðÆÌêÈÌ
éÄùÈÌÒà éÀäåÈä ôÈÌðÈéå àÅìÆéêÈ, åÀéÈùÅÒí ìÀêÈ ùÈÑìåÉí
May Hashem be with you always!
trouble
As far as a female partner goes, what about the men and women of the FDNY???
CH resident
To Mendy,
Even if his partner is a male it will be hard for him to remain as frum as he should be. I don’t mean keeping the payos and beard, but being one Jew between so many goyim will not be good for him. Let’s not forget, the only reason the Shluchim remain frum and chassidish is bizchus haMeshaleach.
Torah is der beste schora.
Zelig
I am thinkig of doing the same thing after the summer.
Yehuda
Not an easy choice to make.
AFROTC hopefull
I think it’s a great thing to do- if it’s practical. I also don’t think it should be seen as a first- it won’t be. And besides, the military will accommodate you as long as you go about it properly. You’ll only lose your yiddishkeit in any of these things if you want to.
David Hes
Want to wish a second Mazal Tov to Joel Witriol and Rochel Ruchlamer for their engagement. May their families have lots of Nachas and may they build a Bayis Ne’Eman B’Yisroel.