RNSP Appreciation Event & New Patrol Vehicle Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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On Thursday evening, February 9th, the Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol was joined at the Oasis Ballroom by its partners and friends from around the community for an Appreciation Event to express its heartfelt gratitude to law enforcement and the RNSP units who selflessly serve the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

This year, there have been dozens of incidents in which the work of the RNSP directly resulted in the successful apprehension and arrests of suspects who committed burglaries, assaults, car break-ins, scams, and more. To the everyday citizen, these crimes go unnoticed – that is, until one becomes a victim. Local law enforcement heavily relies upon and appreciates the work of the RNSP. Detectives from the NYPD’s 101st precinct and NCPD’s 4th precinct regularly communicate with the RNSP and gladly accept the proactive efforts of the RNSP Tech Squad, which includes gathering video footage, tracking lost or stolen devices, tracking stolen credit cards, and stopping hired household help from stealing. The work of the RNSP does not end there.

At Thursday’s event, the RNSP honored commanding officers Captain Timothy Shultz of the NYPD’s 101st Precinct and Deputy Inspector Carlos Fabara of the 100th Precinct. The RNSP relies on being in constant contact with the commanding officers of the communities we serve. This means that if anything happens, no matter what hour of the day or night, we can readily call upon them to work in collaboration with us at a moment’s notice. One such moment was on Friday night, November 18, 2022, when a credible terrorist threat to synagogues in NYC was reported. Very early on, the RNSP was informed of this threat by Deputy Inspector Carlos Fabara, commanding officer of the NYPD’s 100th Precinct, enabling us to reach out to our fellow Shomrim patrols in Flatbush, Williamsburg, Boro Park, Crown Heights, and Staten Island; the Chaverim organizations of Rockland and Bergen Counties; and the security teams of all local synagogues spanning from Belle Harbor through the rest of the Rockaways and all of the 5 Towns in Nassau County.

Immediately and in real time, a unified and planned approach to such a situation was enacted. Within minutes, the coordinated response from the NYPD, NCPD, and the security teams in all of those houses of worship was activated. Captain Timothy Shultz, commanding officer of the NYPD’s 101st Precinct, had his plan ready before it was even needed. Increased police presence and heightened security around all synagogues and houses of worship was quickly set up. Community and police worked together as always, before, during and after this specific threat. Thankfully, the expert work of law enforcement resulted in the arrest of the perpetrators before they were able to carry out their attack. The RNSP honored both of these commanding officers for their readiness and responsiveness on the night of Friday, November 18th and for their daily communication and collaboration with the RNSP.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz came to congratulate the honorees, and she emphasized the importance and tangible benefits of the partnership that the RNSP has both with her office and law enforcement. She recounted how the collaborative work on the part of the RNSP, NYPD, and the DA’s office led to the arrest, conviction, and two year incarceration of a perpetrator responsible for burglarizing a home in our community in middle of the night, while it’s occupants were asleep in their beds. Once this perpetrator was arrested, nightly home burglaries which terrorized our community for more then a year, came to an end. D.A. Katz stated, “The community thinks that the work of the RNSP and NYPD begins and ends on the streets. Hours upon hours of follow-up work takes place to ensure that crimes are addressed and that the quality of life in the community is never compromised.”

In our world today, there are sadly a lot of people suffering from social/emotional unwellness. Many of these situations manifest in the form of missing persons and other situations requiring an emergency response. The RNSP works closely with Acheizer, Hatzolah, the police and fire departments, as well as the JCCRP and other local organizations if needed, to ensure that these sensitive matters are resolved and that the privacy of those affected is respected. This year alone, the work of the RNSP’s Search and Rescue Team (SAR) has saved numerous lives.

Thursday’s Appreciation Event recognized one of the SAR Team members, Michael Cedar, and his wife Kayla Cedar, for their invaluable contributions. Michael has worked tirelessly on many sensitive lifesaving cases in addition to the other ways he has made an impact helping the community and the RNSP. His efforts and those of his team are completely chesed shel emes, true kindness. It is the kind of work that serves no benefit to the one who does the act of kindness. No praise, no social media posts, and no other forms of accolades can be given to somebody whose work must always remain private and confidential. However, at this Appreciation Event, the organization had the opportunity to thank Michael for all that he does and to his wife Kayla for enabling him to do so, no matter what day or hour he is needed.

The RNSP also honored Yehuda and Elizabeth Shuter. Aside from being very active on the streets, Yehuda is one of the RNSP’s dispatchers and also puts in many hours to assist the RNSP in its day-to-day operations. The organization recognized him for what he does and his lovely bride for supporting his continued work on behalf of the community.

The third RNSP member honored was Yaakov “Jack” Adelman. Jack is a successful businessman with much experience in leadership and marketing. He is a respected advisor and generous supporter of the RNSP. His efforts and generosity are deeply valued and have contributed to the ever-expanding reach and abilities of the RNSP.

What made this Appreciation Event even more special was the ribbon-cutting ceremony welcoming the newest RNSP marked patrol vehicle. The RNSP honored Valon Pilku, owner of Core Scaffolding for his kindness that enabled the RNSP to obtain this much-needed vehicle. Aside from conducting marked patrols, this vehicle enables the RNSP to assist at a host of different community events.

Most importantly, much thanks goes out to each and every one of the 60+ RNSP members and their significant others, who within their own given roles selflessly give of themselves and their families to help the community, even when it is highly inconvenient and difficult. It isn’t easy being an RNSP member and most people don’t come close to being cut out for it. Most people don’t even know the full extent of work that the RNSP does for the community as most of its work happens in the middle of the night while most are at home safely asleep in their beds. To be an RNSP member, requires extreme selflessness, dedication and sacrifice. You must have a natural love for your fellow human being. It requires strength, both mentally and many times physically. Many nights go by with RNSP members getting little to no sleep, yet having to go on with their day, going to work and taking care of their families. It is a line of work that requires a level of street smarts and the ability to remain calm and think quickly under intense pressure, sometimes in very difficult and dangerous situations. An RNSP member must learn the skills to combat many different types of obstacles, often while in crisis mode, that the average citizen would be incapable of dealing with.

All of the RNSP members deserve a tremendous shoutout and thank you for the work that they do. They will never demand it or properly receive it, but they will continue to selflessly serve the community they love and the people they call neighbors and friends, even if they don’t know you. This event was about them and their families, a tiny token and expression of thanks and appreciation for all their accomplishments and the work they do!

It was uplifting that so many elected officials came out to express their understanding and appreciation for the work that the RNSP does on behalf of the community. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman reaffirmed his commitment to fight crime aggressively, something that propelled him to win his last election. He thanked the men and women of the NCPD and NYPD for readily working with the RNSP in achieving that. NYS Assemblyman Ari Brown, Cedarhurst mayor Benjamin Weinstock, and Cedarhurst Trustee Izzy Wasser also came out to recognize the work of the RNSP members and gave citations to the honorees. Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amatto echoed her support for law enforcement and the RNSP. She surprised the RNSP by announcing the allocation of $250,000 of capital funding toward the purchase of a new RNSP mobile command center, a much-needed tool that will give the RNSP an even greater ability to protect and serve the community. And last but not least, Councilwoman Sylvenia Brooks-Powers voiced her support for the RNSP and took the time to officiate the new RNSP patrol vehicle’s ribbon cutting ceremony and to present Valon Pilku with his Appreciation Award.

The evening was a time to reflect on the sacrifices made by each and every RNSP member and their families. The evening was to celebrate them and the devoted police officers who keep our community safe, and to honor those who support them. The event was catered by the amazing Traditions Eatery whose staff did an outstanding and beautiful job! Much thanks to Traditions owner Scott Fagan and his daughter Ahuva for their friendship and help making this event a success!

Should you or someone you know ever need the services of the RNSP, please call the 24/7 Hotline Number (516) 858-7300



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