Strange Bedfellows: 8 Must-Read Articles On The NYPD-Shomrim Corruption Scandal
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.
- Hella Winston’s deep-dive into the history of orthodox neighborhood patrols (The Daily Beast): Meet the Shomrim—the Hasidic Volunteer ‘Cops’ Who Answer to Nobody
- Amidst the corruption scandal, City Council still grants thousands to Flatbush Shomrim (The Daily News): City Council grants $35,000 to Brooklyn civilian patrol group tied to NYPD corruption scandal
- …but then DeBlasio freezes those funds while the corruption investigation persists (Ditmas Park Corner): City Freezes Grants Earmarked For Borough Park Shomrim
- The arrest of Alex “Shaya” Lichtenstein, Shomrim member linked to bribery scandal (Ditmas Park Corner): Borough Park Shomrim Member Accused Of Bribing Cops For Gun Permits
- More layers in the links to Shomrim and the bribery scandal (Ditmas Park Corner): Yiddish-Speaking Street Gang Called ‘The Forks’ Linked To NYPD Bribery Scandal
- 66th precinct commander Kenneth Quick denies links between precinct Community Affairs Detective Mike Milici and the Shomrim bribery scandal (Ditmas Park Corner): Commander Quick: Borough Park Businessman Named In NYPD Bribery Scandal Had No Authority “In Our Community”
- …But Milici was later fired, and refused to testify in the federal corruption investigation (Ditmas Park Corner): 66th Precinct Detective Questioned In Corruption Probe Has Been Fired
- Today’s Times’ feature on the last 10 years of Shomrim and NYPD ties (The New York Times) : Brooklyn’s Private Jewish Patrols Wield Power. Some Call Them Bullies.