Strange Bedfellows: 8 Must-Read Articles On The NYPD-Shomrim Corruption Scandal

Carly Miller -
(Photo provided by Assemblyman Dov Hikind)

A recent bribery scandal involving the NYPD and members of the Shomrim, an all-volunteer Jewish security patrol, has drawn a glaring media spotlight on how the two organizations function together—and occasionally clash—while enforcing neighborhood justice.

Today’s New York Times article recapped the Shomrim’s civilian and police clashes over the past 10 years, but the nuanced relationship between the civilian patrol and the local 66th precinct deserves a closer look. The Shomrim receives thousands of dollars in funding from city council annually, and often works side-by-side with the NYPD. They serve as patrol squads and unofficial liaisons between police and the Orthodox Jewish communities in Borough Park, Flatbush, Crown Heights, and Williamsburg, according to the Daily Beast. But Shomrim members have also been involved in assaults, and have been caught withholding critical information from police, reports the Times. And in the face of bribery scandals and power struggles, both organizations are under renewed public scrutiny.

For those interested in learning more about the history between the NYPD and civilian security patrols, we’ve collected eight articles to inform the ongoing debate over the question—when it comes to the relationship between local police and the Jewish security patrols, how close is too close for comfort?

If you have more to add to this list, please add them in the comments section below.