Police Meet With Williamsburg Community Leaders After Attacks on Jews

New York Police Department officials met with Williamsburg activists Sunday, after several attacks on Orthodox Jews Friday night.

The meeting included NYPD officials led by Inspector Richie Taylor, Commanding Officer of Community Affairs Outreach; Councilman Lincoln Restler; and communal leaders including Satmar activists Sam Stern of UJO, Rabbi Moishe Indig of Satmar-R’Aaron, and Shomrim coordinators Yanky Itzkowitz and Asher Markowitz.

“We must stop this violence,” Restler said.”A lot of it has been concentrated here, on the Bed-Stuy side in the 79 (th Precinct), and I’ve already reached out to the mayors office, reached out to other elected officials, we’re going to do everything we can to bring more resources to the community to educate our neighbors here in Bed-Stuy. Because we need to  build more understanding about the traditions and the customs and the culture of the Jewish community.”

Taylor, the highest-ranking yarmulke wearing officer on the force, said that hateful attacks can never become an accepted part of life.

“We’ll never let this become normalized,” Taylor said. Even one hate crime is one hate crime too many, especially when you have a real victim. That spreads fear — in the victim himself, his family, and the entire community … An attack on somebody because of their religious beliefs, is an attack on everybody in New York City. Because first it can be on someone from the Jewish community, and then any other community may be a target.