A little over a week ago, Michael Lesher took to the pages of the New York Post to publish a column of unabashed hate and seething venom against Brooklyn’s Shomrim patrols. Apparently unsatisfied with the previous assault, the NY Post has decided to launch another attack on the Jewish volunteer safety patrol from its editorial pages. Ungrateful for the tremendous effort Shomrim put together to find the missing Leiby Kletzky, the New York Post summons the audacity to accuse Shomrim of getting in the way of the NYPD during the investigation.
Virulent NY Post Editorial: ‘Shomrim Shanda’
A little over a week ago, Michael Lesher took to the pages of the New York Post to publish a column of unabashed hate and seething venom against Brooklyn’s Shomrim patrols. Apparently unsatisfied with the previous assault, the NY Post has decided to launch another attack on the Jewish volunteer safety patrol from its editorial pages. Ungrateful for the tremendous effort Shomrim put together to find the missing Leiby Kletzky, the New York Post summons the audacity to accuse Shomrim of getting in the way of the NYPD during the investigation.
NY Post Editorial: Shomrim Shanda
Obstructing the police is bad enough. But it’s completely unacceptable if that obstruction is being funded by the taxpayer.
Yet that’s exactly what’s happening with the Shomrim, the Orthodox Jewish neighborhood patrol groups in Brooklyn.
Shomrim — which received $130,000 in City Council member items in the current budget — can be a useful asset to communities, discouraging graffiti and vandalism and keeping an eye out for criminals on the prowl.
But as Michael Lesher wrote in last Sunday’s Post, the Shomrim — with the blessing of community leaders — often act as if they are the actual police and give only minimal cooperation, if any, to the NYPD.
Last month, the Borough Park Shomrim were notified an hour after 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky went missing. But police weren’t alerted until two hours after that — a full three hours after Levi Aron snatched him — and then only by the missing boy’s father.
The Shomrim is not a monolithic group; each chapter has its own policy when it comes to working with the NYPD.
Nevertheless, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has said that the Shomrim’s failure to immediately notify police when members get reports has been a “longstanding” issue.
The NYPD officially says that the Shomrim’s involvement only marginally affected its investigation — this time. However, the private citizen who identified Leiby from local videotapes pointed out that the Shomrim had the same footage eight hours earlier — and weren’t able to do anything with it.
Which isn’t surprising — because, whether one calls them volunteers or vigilantes, the fact remains that they aren’t professionals: They don’t have the same skills as the NYPD; in serious incidents, they can be as much a hindrance as a helping hand.
Regardless, they don’t need taxpayer funds. The only reason they receive them is — what else? — political influence.
As with other “nonprofit” charities, elected officials steer money to the Shomrim with an eye out for community leaders remembering them come campaign season.
It’s unseemly in the best of circumstances, but downright offensive when it ends up subsidizing obstruction of legitimate police efforts.
Time to defund the Shomrim.
zevy
whats new? its the new thing to bash others. its happening all over the frum world! why should they be any different? if we wont respect each other why should they?
Boycott!
Change your headline to virulent Anti Semitic ….
It is high time we stopped buying the NY Post. All Jewish stores in frum neighborhoods should stop selling it, today!
Carl
Simple solution, Get shomrim members better trained, Continuous learning classes, and real lessons from law enforcement.
shmuly
Zevy, Excellent point! We should start respecting ourselves first.
Jews are easy targets.
Jews are an easy target. Jews who stand up for themselves are an even easier target.
Shmuli
“But police weren’t alerted until two hours after that — a full three hours after Levi Aron snatched him — and then only by the missing boy’s father.”
With all due respect if this is the case I somewhat agree. Yes the tone is way off, and of course Shomrim here and elswhere do critically important work – but if they do not immediately contact the authorities they deserve criticism for that.
Please tell me that this is not true.
Time to decommission the Shomrim?
In the current environment, leaders should be thinking about whether there is a net gain to the community for all of Shomrim’s hard work.
Given the perpetual chilul haShem, tzedokoh funds needed, political infighting, and arrests that are a result of keeping Shomrim active, perhaps it is time to focus our energies elsewhere.
Anon
Leave it to CH to change the meaning of anti-Semitic to “I’m not eloquent enough to produce a valid, intelligent argument so I’m just going to claim you hate Jews.”
Keep using it recklessly and the term loses its power.
Chaim
The police SHOULD have been notified immediately. This was a disgrace.
One sided
Naturally the N.Y Post are not posting a comments that defend the Jewish community, trust me I submitted a few comments hours ago and I am still waiting for them to show up…
CHLEAKS.COM
When The Protecters [Shomrim] Need Protection
1) To suggest that somehow (and thats what Mr. Lesher is doing), Shomrim was G-d forbid responsible for what happened to Leiby, by their action or inaction is stupid and irresponsible.
Shomrim did all they can (above and beyond). As police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly stated “had police been called earlier it would not have changed anything”.
Imagine there was no Shomrim. There would not have been such a massive search. The video evidence would have (maybe) been gathered by detectives 24 hours after the child went missing. The murderer may or may not have been found and even had he been found at a later date, the body would have been long gone, his home cleaned up, making a case against the suspect much harder.
I feel stupid even defending this, let’s move on.
2) Had Mr. Lesher written a general op-ed/opinion about government waste, WIS, being a tea party conservative, would agree with him 100%.
Had Mr. Lesher suggested that the U.S. government should stop pumping billions of dollars to foreign countries (including Israel), I would agree with him. After all why are we borrowing trillions of dollars to help other countries when our very own country is struggling.
Had Mr. Lesher suggested that we cut wasteful spending across the board/across the country, wherever it may be (like in CHJCC), I would agree with him.
There are billions of dollars of tax payers dollars disappearing without any accounting daily as a result of corruption and fraud. There are billions of tax payers dollars being wasted on the stupidest things which if cut would not be missed.
Had Mr. Lesher suggested that the money allocated to Shomrim was not being used to help people in need and instead was being used to line private pockets, I would agree with him 100%. But we all know thats not the case, Shomrim does an extraordinary job when it comes to assisting the residents of their communities.
After reading Mr. Leshers opinion piece it’s obvious that his hate and resentment for Shomrim comes first and the excuses after.
3) A message for Shomrim (of B.P., Williamsburg and Flatbush – Not including Crown Heights Shomrim*).
* Crown Heights Shomrim does not receive any government funds and therefore does not need to answer to anyone. Crown Heights Shomrim is self funded.
Stand strong. Don’t apologize. Don’t Compromise and stop trying to Appease.
As to why Shomrim only has volunteers from the Jewish Community. The answer is simple. When I or my Jewish neighbor call Shomrim, we expect a member from our community to show up. Had we wanted to call the police (or anybody else) for assistance, we could easily do so. Shomrim does not need to be politically correct when asked this question.
Shomrim is a volunteer organization which can not force it’s volunteers to do anything.
Does Shomrim assist other (non-Jewish) communities?
WIS can only say this as a witness. WIS has seen in the streets of Crown Heights, Borough-Park and Williamsburg how volunteers in Shomrim (and Hatzalah) assisting non-Jews.
As to why it’s not officially for everyone?
The answer also simple. Shomrim does not have the resources to assist every community. After all Shomrim is a grassroots organization, contrived of volunteers, who are fathers, husbands and working people.
Having money defiantly helps, but it’s the willingness of the volunteers that make the organization tick.
If other communities need assistance they may (just like the Jewish community) open their own patrols/organization and when needed coordinate with the Shomrim patrols.
No citizen has the right to tell another citizen that he can’t go help others in need.
Shomrim and NYPD:
Both Shomrim and NYPD must obey the laws of the land. As long as they are doing just that there should not be any issues between them.
Shomrim (from all communities old and new) is a grassroots organization. Routing from a lack of police protection and a need to assist those in need.
Shomrim was not created to replace the police but to assist the police (assisting the police to assist us).
Bottom line, volunteers is Shomrim (and Hatzalah) are regular members of the community trying to make a positive difference and the police must assist them as they would anybody else.
Also note, that at the end of the day when a police officer or police commander finishes his job , he packs his belongings and goes home (usually not in the neighborhood he patrols or commands). Contrary to the Shomrim volunteers who live and raise their families in the community they serve.
P.S. Get yourselves a spokesman to deal with the media.
Closing statement:
On a more positive note, Shomrim said, “We were here yesterday, we are here today, and we will be here tomorrow for anyone who calls on us for assistance.”
Shez
BRAVO CHLeaks!!!
My thoughts exactly.
I can’t imagine it being said better!
Every person has -not only the right, but- the responsibility to defend his neighbor.
I might add, Leiby’s father called NYPD when he chose to, this being the responsibility of the parents.
“Stand strong. Don’t apologize. Don’t Compromise and stop trying to Appease.”
The bottom line is:
Jews have civilized humanity!
This is a fact!
(and a paraphrasing [rov] of a quote from John Adams, patriot, lawyer, signer of the US Declaration of Independence, the first Vice Presidentof the US and the second President if the skeptic needs an ‘reliable source’).
We answer only to our Master!!!
May we imbue in our children a realization of their status before all people not only on religious grounds, but maybe more importantly, on moral & humanitarian grounds, lest they be misguided or trapped by those who ignore the truth to prey on weakness resulting from ignorance.
Help build our ‘Sanctifying Home’ (Beit Hamikdash), not the physical manifestation, the figurative ‘Home’, starting by reinforcing our good name and maintaining a prejudice for the sake of unity.