JCCRP & RNSP Host Training Event to Address Hate Crimes

Hate and hate crimes, once merely a threat, are visible now more than ever. Within this reality, it is incumbent on all of us to adapt and respond in a manner that combats it fiercely and keeps us safe.

Rising to the occasion, the Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula (JCCRP) and the RNSP (Shomrim) partnered to address the issue head-on with a training event last Tuesday, February 6, 2024. The JCCRP is an organization that has been at the forefront of advocacy for the Jewish community and its neighbors for decades. They feed hundreds of families, connect people to various needed social services and government resources, and personally deliver meals to the hundreds of local holocaust survivors, in addition to a host of other services they provide. Their inclusive model of helping engenders feelings of comradery and trust between the Jewish community and their neighbors who live and work here.

This inclusive model and the JCCRP’s long-cultivated relationships with other community partners have helped our community to experience less of the abrupt changes that other communities have felt since the October 7th massacre in Israel. However, antisemitism remains an issue that requires educating all relevant and interested parties in how to identify and respond to hate crimes.

The parties in attendance at this training event included the Hate Crimes Bureau of Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz’s office, the NYPD, RNSP, JCCRP, Community Security Initiative, or CSI (a subsidiary of JCRC of New York and the UJA Federation of NY), and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of New York and New Jersey. Mrs. Allison Deal, the Executive Director of the JCCRP, joined up with the RNSP to bring all of these parties together, creating a unified approach toward combating and responding to hate crimes by co-hosting one of the several trainings given to RNSP members throughout the year. Michael Brovner, chief of the Hate Crimes Bureau of the Queens District Attorney’s office, gave an expert presentation on what legally constitutes a hate crime, how to identify it, and how to report it. Among the organizations listed above, the following NYPD personnel also participated in this training event: 101st Precinct Commanding Officer Cpt. Timothy Schultz, 101st Precinct Executive Officer Cpt. Darnell Simon, 101 Special Operations Lt. Ryan O’shea and his Public Safety team, NCO Sgt. Robert Luckman and his NCO team, Community Affairs Det. Lynn Blanchette and Officer Jamaal Arthur, and NYPD Community Affairs Inspector Richie Taylor. This joint and vital training session ensures that all levels of the police department, the DA’s office, and the community are on the same page when it comes to adequately addressing hate crimes.

Cpt. Simon spent many assignments at the various protests that are going on around the city. He gets a clear view and hands-on education on what is out there. He is a great person to have regularly stationed here as part of the leadership of our local precinct. Cpt. Schultz, a proven friend of the community, feels especially confident that he is working with the right people. As the horrific news of the events of October 7th made its way to our area, Cpt. Schultz immediately notified the RNSP and activated the appropriate response to protect our community, which had been proactively planned in the event of such a circumstance. This is another demonstration of the benefit and need for proactive planning, community outreach/education, and partnership with all levels of law enforcement.

Det. Blanchette and Officer Arthur along with the 101st Precinct’s Community Affairs Team are amazing partners who bridge any gap between community and police. The special ops and NCO teams root out hate crimes along with all the other aspects of day-to-day policing that they engage in.

It was an honor to have NYPD Community Affairs Inspector Richie Taylor address the joint training session. He spoke glowingly of the work that the RNSP has done for the community in partnership with local law enforcement and a host of other community organizations. The Commanding Officer of the 101st Precinct, Cpt. Timothy Schultz also addressed those in attendance. He was very pleased with the partnership between his department, the JCCRP and the RNSP. Having all these partners at the training session ensures that the response to hate is unified, be it on the streets or in the courtroom.

RNSP members are the added set of eyes and ears that work with multiple local law enforcement precincts in Nassau County and the Rockaways. The RNSP has received an increased number of calls to its hotline regarding hate crimes, perceived hate crimes, and hateful and seemingly hateful graffiti and vandalism. Their response and collaboration with local law enforcement demand a full understanding of how to differentiate between that which is legally a hate crime from that which appears to be such, whether the case involves a physical assault, threat, verbal interaction, theft, or vandalism. This training puts the RNSP on the same page with the abovementioned parties.

In addition to their vital work locally, several members of the RNSP willingly went to Israel in the wake of the October 7th Massacre to assist in different capacities. One RNSP member, also an IDF reservist, spent the past 3 months in Gaza and Israel actively combating terror. Another member drove needed supplies donated from local groups and all over the world, ensuring that the IDF soldiers on the front lines had basic necessities. Three RNSP members joined up with ZAKA in Israel, seeing the soul-stirring devastation firsthand and doing the difficult and holy work of identifying human remains, ensuring their proper and dignified burial. Their intense training as members of the RNSP Search and Rescue Team in collaboration with Achiezer and Chesed Shel Emes make them the perfect people to work with ZAKA in performing the holy, gruesome, and necessary work described above.

The training event with the RNSP honoring two of its members: Izzy Sicherman who bravely fought terror and hate in Gaza and Yossi Kohn for all of his time and efforts serving the community.

The ADL and CSI (Community Security Initiative) are on the front lines operating to ensure our communities’ safety and security. The ADL is one of the largest advocacy groups in America, networked with partners from around the world, fighting antisemitism and all forms of hate through public education and advocating for victims of hate. They work with partners such as CSI to monitor hate activity on the “dark web” and work with the FBI and local police to thwart potential acts of hate. To date, their intelligence has thwarted some deadly plans.

CSI also works with shul and community security teams such as 613, CSS, and Shomrim patrols from across New York City and Nassau County. These security teams work together and communicate concerns regarding terror, hate, and if necessary, getting the word out to the community at any given time, day or night, even on Shabbos and yom tov. In addition to this collaboration, CSI independently works with houses of worship to assess building safety and develop security plans. Working with federal and state entities, they actively secure “brick and mortar” structures such as synagogues and schools so that they and their hired or volunteer security teams are best able to avoid being targeted in acts of terror or hate.

At the joint training event, the RNSP honored the efforts of Mitchell Silber, Seth Goodstein, and Liron Filiby of CSI for all they do to help our community and for securing funding for the RNSP to gear up their members to stay safe on the streets as they keep the community safe day and night. A delicious dinner spread was served at the gathering. Much thanks to the White Shul for providing their space for this important session. Thank you to JCRC-NY and the Partners Against Hate (PATH) Forward initiative to help combat bias-motivated incidents and hate crimes in NYC. JCCRP is grateful for their partnership to ensure the community works in coordination with local police and the RNSP to combat hate crimes. The ABNY Foundation prioritizes programs that safeguard the public from crime and is a proud partner of this initiative to combat hate, increase safety for all residents by promoting the importance of reporting hate crimes, and fostering communal relationships to promote unity and safety.

The next phase of this joint effort between the JCCRP and the RNSP (Shomrim) is to educate the community on what constitutes a hate crime and the importance of reporting them. The JCCRP and Shomrim will continue to maintain dialogue with the community, its leaders, and organizations in an effort to keep the community a safe and peaceful to live and do business.