The uptick in anti-Semitic incidents that followed the Hamas attack on Israel was evident in West Hempstead this past Halloween, when a minivan was sprayed with anti-Semitic words, and last month when a Chabad menorah was vandalized. Damage done to posters of captives held by Hamas also worried residents that such behavior could indicate potential for violence against people.
“When I saw the Halloween night vandalism, I thought it would be important for our neighborhood to keep us safe,” said Raizel Penn. “I first called Queens Shmira to learn about safety in Kew Gardens Hills. Shabsie Saphirstein referred me to RNSP (Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol) Shomrim, which is geographically closer to us. It was comforting to see how our friends in other neighborhoods cared and came to see how we can keep safe.”
Last month, volunteers from the Queens Shmira and the Shomrim of RSNP met with Penn and her neighbors to discuss the next steps. They offered to train volunteers in West Hempstead and establish a working relationship with the local precinct of the Nassau County Police Department.
“We do not want daylight between ourselves and the police; everything that we do is with the Police and they understand,” Penn said. At the Fifth Precinct, the POP officer spoke to Penn. POP stands for problem-oriented police, a term corresponding to NYPD’s Neighborhood Coordinating Officer. He connected her to Carl Gerrato, who lives in the neighboring community of Franklin Square, where he serves as president of the Franklin Square Civilian Patrol. Last week, Gerrato met with Penn and her neighbors to discuss his experience and to offer advice.
“If you see something, then you say something. You’re always on patrol. As technology improved, we’ve moved from radios to phones. A good citizen will always see something but never get involved,” Gerrato said. “The goal is to pass on the information.”
Recognizing the danger of a crime in progress, Gerrato said that a volunteer should not confront a perpetrator. “If you flash your lights at them, you’re engaging, and then you don’t know what they will do,” he said. Instead, he advised recognizing details to pass on to the police, such as the person’s appearance, the time and location of the incident, and other information that is helpful.
The Franklin Square Civilian Patrol has been in operation since the 1980s, with most of its members involved in public service such as police, firefighting, and first response. Gerrato is a corrections officer with deep roots in Franklin Square. He serves as a trustee of its public library. His brother is the chief of the volunteer fire company. His visibility in the community is helpful in reporting crime to the police. “If people know that you exist, they’ll bring you information.” In turn, the police department shares its notifications with Gerrato, who then passes it on to fellow volunteers and neighbors.
“We get all of our information from the police. Get on their email list, attend their meetings. There are a lot of things available out there.” Along with the police, Gerrato added that knowing your elected officials also helps in identifying community priorities and specific crimes.
Gerrato said that with social media and reporting apps, one cannot be sure if a crime had taken place, which is why it’s best to let trained volunteers and professionals identify and respond to incidents.
He noted that the Fifth Precinct is the busiest in Nassau County, as it covers a large and diverse area stretching from the city line in Elmont, east to Garden City and Hemsptead, including Valley Stream, Franklin Square, and West Hempstead. “You hear more complaints during the summer, on the Fourth of July, and Halloween,” he said. “Every August is the National Night Out Against Crime, where you can meet your precinct officers.”
The NCPD has an auxiliary force made up of uniformed volunteers, who have a required set of training courses and hours. In contrast, a neighborhood patrol can set its own hours and choose which training courses to take. One example is the 14-week Civilian Police Academy run by the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management, in which participants can assist their neighbors in an emergency situation.
Gerrato said that his patrol is mostly made up of older individuals and it is a challenge to recruit more volunteers, but he noted that even without a fixed schedule, a volunteer is always on the lookout while running errands. His group visits schools and offers awards to students for good citizenship, to instill a sense of public service as they graduate.
Neal Polaniecki is among the first six West Hempstead volunteers training with the RNSP Shomrim. He joined because of his flexible schedule that involves working close to home. “I work as a plumber, and I drive back and forth between jobs and shops. I’ve grown up in West Hempstead,” he said.
Among the younger volunteers, Marc Goldhammer spoke of patrolling in relation to his experience. “I have an eye for hidden things from my work in quality assurance,” he said. “We haven’t begun yet but have been voluntarily patrolling for a month. Anybody can be in a neighborhood patrol,” he said. “Neal called the police on that Halloween vandalism, and after that I’ve decided to volunteer.”
RNSP coordinator Sholem Klein said that his group is based in Far Rockaway and the Five Towns but also responds to calls in neighboring Jewish communities such as Oceanside and Hewlett. As the number of volunteers and resources grows in West Hempstead, it can spin off as a separate chapter.
“We’ve had 15 people call from West Hempstead to volunteer, and we’re looking for more. We are open to men and women. Our hotline is on 24/7.
Resources for Volunteers and the Public
To report an incident or join the West Hempstead RNSP Shomrim, call 516-858-7300.
To report a bias incident or hate crime, the hotline for Nassau County “Stop The Hate!” program is 516-500-0657.
By Sergey Kadinsky
