Another Hate Crime In Williamsburg?
WILLIAMSBURG – The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating a crime that took place last week where two men slapped Shtreimels off the heads of two Jewish men.
On Friday, September 20 at around 9 p.m., two Hasidic men were standing at the corner of South 10th Street and Wythe Avenue. According to the cops, two unknown boys came by and slapped their religious hats off their heads before walking away.
Cops describe the two men as follows:
Suspect 1 – A 15-year-old Hispanic boy with a medium build and dark hair. He was last seen wearing black pants, a black tracksuit jacket with white stripes, white sneakers, and a black Rolling Stones t-shirt with a picture of a mouth on the front.
Suspect 2 – A 15-year-old Hispanic boy with a medium build and short dark hair. He was last seen wearing black pants, a black t-shirt, and white sneakers.
As of today, no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
“The drastic increase in hate crimes this year has been alarming, and particularly the rise in anti-Semitic crimes. These crimes are more than just stats – they are our fellow New Yorkers who are victimized by this baseless hatred,” Council Member Chaim Deutsch told Bklyner. “I am committed to continuing to work with the NYPD, the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, and local residents to combat hate and foster a climate of respect and mutual understanding here in New York City. We will not rest until we eradicate the cancer of hate that has penetrated our city.”
Hate crimes against many groups have been on the rise in Brooklyn, especially against Jewish people. A few weeks ago, a Jewish man was assaulted in Crown Heights when someone threw a massive brick to his face. Last week, another orthodox man was attacked, and swastikas were found at Ditmas IS playground. In an effort to figure out the underlying causes of such hate crimes and how to reduce them, Mayor Bill de Blasio launched the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC). Last week, we spoke to its executive director Deborah Lauter about hate crimes and what the new office means.
“In a city that values religious diversity, it is appalling that Brooklynites cannot walk in their neighborhood without being accosted for who they are and the faith they represent,” Dr. Debbie Almontaser, a prominent Muslim community activist told Bklyner. “I can only imagine how violated they feel, I have seen the pain and anguish in the face of Muslim women who have had their hijabs ripped off. We call on the NYPD to do everything in its power to find these perpetrators.”
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.